Creative Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles, was recently named President of
the Board of Directors for The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). The
organization is an international, nonprofit literary organization for creative writers and teachers
of creative writing. Founded in 1967, AWP has grown to a membership of about 40,000, serving
academic creative writing faculty and students, independent writers, and writing centers and
conferences. Heller previously served as Vice-President
“I attended my first AWP in 1980 when I was a graduate student,” Heller said. “The keynote
speaker was poet Richard Hugo, who claimed that creative writers were destined to become the
keepers of the literary canon, even if all we wanted at the moment was to expand it, replace it, or
do away with it altogether. Hugo was right. Today I direct one of the most progressive writing
programs in one of the most progressive universities in the world. And yet in pursuing our
program’s special focus on community engagement and social justice, my MFA colleagues and I
still read–and recommend that our students read–books because they are artfully written.
Writers who also teach not only create literature, we help our culture to preserve literature and
treasure it as part of our heritage. It’s an honor to serve as President of the organization that
taught me not only the rights but the responsibilities of a writer in the world. And it’s a pleasure
to teach at Antioch, where the role of the writer is recognized and supported.”
Heller was elected President just prior to AWP’s annual conference one of the biggest and
liveliest literary gatherings in North America, features more than 400 presentations: readings,
lectures, panel discussions, and forums plus hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and
informal gatherings. This year’s conference, held in Chicago, attracted more 11,000 attendees,
including 9,600 registered participants.
“As outgoing president, I could not be more pleased to see such a capable, people-smart person
step into the leadership role for AWP’s Board,” says Dr. Denise Low-Weso, AWP president
2011-2012, who teaches at Baker University School of Professional and Graduate Studies.
“Creative writing continues to show growth as a major field for students. AWP leads the way for
writers as new forms of media expand. Heller’s experience with online education, on-the-ground
education, and administration–plus his own expertise as a fiction writer–prepare him for this
national role.”
Prior to joining the MFA faculty at Antioch University Los Angeles in 2003, Steve Heller taught
at Kansas State University for 22 years, including 15 as Chair of the Creative Writing Program.
He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University and an EdD in
English Education from Oklahoma State. His first novel, The Automotive History of Lucky
Kellerman, received the Friends of American Writers Award and was a selection of Book-of-the-
Month Club and QPB. Heller’s most recent book, What We Choose to Remember, is a collection
of nonfiction narratives from Serving House Press. Heller’s individual short stories and essays
have appeared widely in journals such as Manoa, New Letters, Colorado Review, and Fourth
Genre, and have been reprinted in anthologies such as Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, In
Brief: Short Takes on the Personal, and Living Blue in the Red States. He has been a resident of
Yaddo and the recipient of an NEA Fellowship Grant and numerous other writing awards and
distinctions. He helped found two literary journals, Hawaii Review and Mid-American Review.
Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) provides a rigorous progressive education to prepare
students for the complexities of today’s diverse societies. AULA, a not-for-profit institution, has
served the greater Los Angeles area for almost 40 years. The core values of social justice,
service to the community and lifelong learning lie at the heart of the BA degree completion
program and master’s degree programs in organizational management, education and teacher
credentialing, psychology, creative writing and urban sustainability. AULA is part of the Antioch
University system which has roots dating back to 1852 and was recently named one of the top 20
colleges most committed to community service by USA Today. Inspired by the work of
pioneering educator Horace Mann, Antioch University was founded in 1964 and serves over
5,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at five campuses in four
states.

“Imagine a single mother who has worked 20 years in accounting, dropped out of college, and has always wanted to finish her degree,” says Steve Weir, director of enrollment and financial aid for Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB). “We may be able to give her course credit. Even though she didn’t take Accounting 101, she has the equivalent experience.”

Weir is describing AUSB’s Bridge Program, which grants community college students and other qualifying applicants additional course units toward their bachelor’s degrees. He cites the Bridge Program as just one example of AUSB’s commitment to students who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to attend college.

“Our goal for the campus is to mirror the diversity of the community,” Weir says. That goal informs every AUSB initiative, from connecting with a wide range of prospective applicants to supporting enrolled students along the way to finishing their degrees.

Refining Community Outreach and One-on-one Support

To reach students from different backgrounds, school administrators work hard at building trust and relationships in the community. “We work very closely with the counseling offices at local community colleges,” says Weir. “They’ve become aware of the kind of place we are, the kind of attention we offer, which helps to set us apart.”

This year, the school introduced a guaranteed admission program for certain students starting at local community colleges. If those students complete specified courses and maintain the required GPA, they are guaranteed a future spot at AUSB.

Community outreach takes other forms too. AUSB emphasizes being present in the community, not simply to raise the school’s profile but also to share particular areas of expertise. President Nancy Leffert, for example, has addressed organizations on child psychology, her area of academic focus.

Once students arrive at AUSB, explains Weir, they find a network of support to see them through.

“Academic advising–and the indirect advising that faculty offer–is about much more than which courses to take,” he says. “We check in with students to see how things are going. If there appear to be issues like recurring absences or dropping grades, we try to intervene early to see if there’s something we can remediate, whether it’s a financial issue, a health or family issue, or an issue of not understanding the material.”

In an effort to ensure class offerings appeal to different student populations, AUSB recently introduced an academic concentration in Latino mental health at the master’s level, as well as a concentration in healthy aging.

“We have a much broader definition of diversity than simply ethnicity,” Weir says. “We also think of gender and age. Our students range in age from 23 to 70 years old, with the average being 35.”

Earning National Recognition

AUSB’s approach to building diversity is a dynamic effort that has borne impressive results. The U.S. Department of Education recently deemed the school as eligible to apply for designation as a Hispanic-serving institution. If awarded, such status would bring the school significant resources and expand student access to financial assistance, on a campus where 70 percent of students receive financial aid.

Increasing the Hispanic student population to mirror more closely the community as a whole is very important to Leffert, and Hispanic enrollment at AUSB has risen from about 12 percent to over 25 percent in recent years.

“There’s more work ahead,” Weir says. “But there’s a buzz in the community about what’s happening at AUSB. We’re proud of what we’ve done.”

Sometimes the stakes are huge with lives at risk, as when she tried to diffuse political violence in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau. Other times, the impact is far more localized, like when she helped two siblings in a family of eight adult children resolve their longstanding differences.

McMechan graduated from Antioch University Midwest (AUM) with a master’s degree in conflict resolution in 1997. A pioneer in the Canadian conflict-resolution field, she continues to mediate often complex disputes while also teaching at AUM and other universities. (In addition, she is completing a doctoral degree in social and ecological sustainability.)

“I work as an educator, a mediator, a facilitator,” she says. “Whatever role I assume, I’m encouraging all parties involved to consider, ‘How can we do this together?’ We’re all together in the same metaphorical canoe. Blaming one another for the mess we’re in doesn’t help. Better to paddle together toward constructive options.”

Quaker Upbringing Shapes Career

McMechan’s parents came from conflict-torn countries–her mother from Germany, her father from Ireland–and early in their marriage decided to raise their children as Quakers.

“That’s the heritage I unwittingly adopted, and the values I grew up with sparked my interest in this career,” she says. “Growing up as a Quaker, the emphasis on peacemaking and consensus building was always there.”

After graduating from the University of Waterloo in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, McMechan planned to pursue a master’s in environmental mediation. But while waiting to start the program, she accepted a position with the Fund for Dispute Resolution, which was housed at The Network, Canada’s leading conflict-resolution organization.

“I figured there were many people in the environmental field already,” she remembers. “But the conflict-resolution field was brand new. It needed people, and I felt I could have more of a lasting, positive influence in conflict.”

Moving on to AUM

McMechan eventually became executive director of The Network and even managed to carve out time to study conflict resolution at AUM.

“Getting the master’s degree was the key to my credibility. It’s about trust–clients like to see you have a master’s,” she says. “The experience at AUM also helped me confirm the value of what I was doing. I wrote my thesis on the values and principles for collaborative conflict resolution, so I was thinking about these things very deeply.”

In 2000 McMechan co-founded Diamond Management Consulting with husband Richard McGuigan, PhD, who also studied conflict resolution at AUM and now chairs its Conflict Analysis and Engagement program. She has since served as a mediator and facilitator with a focus on natural-resource disputes involving government agencies, indigenous communities, and corporate interests.

Finding Common Ground Over Salmon

McMechan’s career has taken her around the world. In Liberia she evaluated a mediation program that supports re-integration of prison detainees into society. In Fiji she trained mediators on how to bring consensus-style decision making to their cities and villages. In Uganda she evaluated The Carter Center’s conflict-resolution initiative, which aimed to end violence perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

One of McMechan’s greatest triumphs came back home in British Columbia, where the Fraser River flows rich with salmon. In 1999 conflict threatened to erupt among various parties with salmon interests, including indigenous people, conservation organizations, recreational fishers, and commercial fishers.

McMechan spent time during the ensuing decade helping these disparate stakeholders find common ground. The result of their efforts–the Fraser River Salmon Table Society–strives to reach mutually beneficial resolutions that address each group’s concerns.

“It all comes down to identifying everyone’s enlightened self-interest, which, in this case, is having more salmon in the river,” says McMechan. “It took a lot of ‘difficult conversations.’ But once all the stakeholders realized they shared this overarching goal, the dynamic shifted and they were able to work together.”

Moving forward, McMechan plans to continue making a difference through her work in the field and in the classroom.

“I do this work because I believe we won’t survive as a species unless we figure out how to resolve our differences together,” she says. “I’m willing to do everything I can to encourage my fellow humans to work together to resolve issues of common concern.”

“Our program is about instilling sustainability practices throughout organizations. That’s much more complex–and goes much deeper–than purely green initiatives,” she says.

As Chandler explains, environmental stewardship is a big part of sustainability. However, sustainability also encompasses ideals such as social justice, environmental justice, and responsible economic development.

Navigating this challenging terrain requires a solid intellectual grounding as well as real-world experience to see how theory actually translates into practice. “We’re grooming people to be sustainability champions and leaders of change in organizations,” says Chandler. “We want to make sure they graduate with the skills they need to get these types of jobs.”

The Road to AUNE

Chandler grew up skiing, exploring marshes, catching turtles, and walking in the woods in her native Minnesota. She fondly recalls family trips to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, where she still returns on occasion to “recharge and reconnect with nature.”

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in resource management and environmental science, Chandler earned a master’s in science education from Arcadia College in Philadelphia, taught science to everyone from kindergarteners to senior citizens, and worked for several environmental organizations.

She earned a second master’s in education (administration and supervision) from AUNE in 2004 and joined the faculty of the Department of Organization & Management two years later. There, she was part of a small team that launched the MBA in Sustainability Program in 2006. She has since served as director and led the development of weekend and accelerated options.

Chandler notes that unlike many similarly themed offerings, the MBA in Sustainability Program has sustainability in its DNA.

“Some traditional MBA programs add one or two classes on sustainability and then call it an ‘MBA in sustainability,’” she says. “What we’re doing–integrating sustainability throughout all the classes–is a totally different ballgame. Students learn how sustainability fits in systematically throughout the curriculum and throughout the types of organizations in which they now work or will work someday.”

Gaining Experience in the Field

Experiential learning is a key component of the AUNE philosophy and of the MBA in Sustainability Program. Through learning journeys (extended field trips) and other ventures outside the classroom, students see firsthand how organizations put sustainability into practice.

Chandler teaches Earth Systems and Organizations, in which students consult with a local business or nonprofit on how to address a particular sustainability challenge. Recently, students worked with a New Hampshire county to identify new revenue streams from its farm. After spending a semester researching the issue, the students presented their recommendations to a group of about 50 officials and other individuals.

Another Earth Systems and Organizations project involved Cabot Creamery, a Vermont dairy cooperative famed for its cheeses. Cabot wanted not only to calculate its waste stream but also to determine whether it was creating more than its fair share of the state’s total waste. The students’ presentation was “really well received,” according to Chandler.

Marketing, finance, and other classes in the MBA in Sustainability curriculum all offer similar opportunities for practice-based learning in the form of service outreach.

“Reaching out to the community at the experiential level: You can’t beat it for giving students the experience they need,” says Chandler. “It’s especially beneficial for our younger students. For those who haven’t had a job in the field yet, it becomes a critical asset, the first thing they list on their CV.”

An education that is rooted in experience, Chandler adds, produces graduates who are better prepared to make their mark in the world.

“Our graduates have their fingers on whole organizations and entire communities. If you think about the ‘pebble in a puddle’ image, we send 16 people out into the world with these skills each year, so the sphere of influence is amazing,” she says. “My ultimate goal in this work is protecting this planet, being an advocate for the world. I can be a very effective advocate by doing what I’m doing now.”

J. Cynthia McDermott’s career has taken her to some incredibly diverse places, from the streets of Philadelphia to the rural countryside of Moldova. A common thread running through her experiences is a desire to make the world a better place for those who lack a fighting chance.

Last year, Dr. McDermott received a prestigious honor made possible by her life’s work: She was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and train on civic engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“This was a huge recognition of what I’ve attempted to accomplish in my career,” says McDermott, education program chair at Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA). “As an academic, it’s one of the true jewels in the crown.”

McDermott spent from February to June 2011 at the University of Sarajevo and three other institutions. In collaboration with faculty, she developed “train the trainer” models to encourage the creation of democratic classrooms that support civic engagement.

A Lifelong Interest in Social Justice

Growing up in a family of Irish union firefighters sparked McDermott’s interest in social justice. She credits her commitment to democratic teaching, meanwhile, to her progressive undergraduate education at Millersville University.

McDermott launched her professional career in 1971 as an English teacher in rural Pennsylvania. Over the next 18 years, she earned a master’s degree in education, organized a reading program to assist gang members in her hometown of Philadelphia, taught bilingual kindergarten in Compton, California, and more.

In 1989 McDermott began an extended period in higher education by joining the staff at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Nine years later, she was chosen as a fellow for the Soros Foundation Open Society Program. From 1998 to 2005, she volunteered in Moldova, Armenia, and Romania, partnering with educators to help students foster critical reading skills.

She views her work in those former Soviet republics–along with the rest of her career–as building upon the ideals she developed as an undergraduate at Millersville.

“My interest has always been in promoting the health of our democracy,” she said. “To do that, we need citizens who are good critical thinkers and understand the principles of good democratic practice.”

Answering the Call

In 2009, three years after coming to AULA, McDermott learned that Bosnia and Herzegovina had submitted a request for civic educators through the Fulbright Program. Suspecting she had the ideal skill set, she decided to apply.

Following a complex, lengthy review process, McDermott was named a Fulbright Scholar in May 2010. About eight hundred U.S. faculty and professionals travel abroad each year to teach and/or conduct research through this highly competitive program.

While living in Sarajevo, McDermott trained the people who train teachers and other educators on democratic teaching practices. One of the fundamental problems with education in much of the world is what McDermott calls “the old lecture style.”

“It’s all, ‘Sit down and shut up, do what I tell you to do,’” she notes. “The student has no ability to ask questions, to participate. Research shows that doesn’t generally encourage people to be critical thinkers.”

This issue is exacerbated in a place like Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the country has a highly educated population, it also has a history of autocratic rule and lack of civic engagement. Worse yet, citizens today feel powerless to effect change due to the bureaucratic governmental structure, says McDermott.

“Everything I did over there was geared toward creating an environment where students and faculty can get in touch with their voice,” she says. “Because you can’t see yourself creating change if you don’t have a voice.”

While McDermott’s stint in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in June, she has already returned to the country as part of her work with Step By Step, an early childhood program. And you get the feeling that more international travels await, all in the pursuit of a greater good.

“Our ideals are what frame who we are,” says AULA’s first Fulbright Scholar. “When you take those with you, that’s how you fly.”

Each Thursday at 5:30 a.m., women battling homelessness, addiction, and histories of abuse board the bus for the hour-and-a-half ride to Antioch University Seattle (AUS). Upon arriving on campus, they find welcoming friends, a warm breakfast–and a safe place to learn.

“We have a place to be creative, to express ourselves and to become whole,” says participant Monica Erickson. “We can be quiet and expand our minds without harm.”

Since 1998 the Women’s Education Program (WEP) has given homeless and formerly homeless women the opportunity to regroup, connect, and meet with members of the AUS community for activities from art and writing workshops to microbusiness classes.

The program grew out of a collaboration between AUS, the Women’s Housing Equality & Enhancement League, and The Sisters Project, a nonprofit serving the homeless. It has since bloomed into a successful, multifaceted effort that touches the lives of the women it serves. And yet, it makes an equally powerful impact on involved students, faculty, and staff.

“Everyone has a desire to learn when given the space and support,” says adjunct faculty member Phoenix Raine, PhD, who runs the program. “A lot of these women are in recovery or come to us with a history of abuse. The opportunity to nurture their spirit and desire to learn is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.”

AUS students contribute to the WEP through a 10-week course that satisfies their service learning component–and through ongoing volunteer opportunities that many seek out even after meeting their degree requirements. Using the skills they’ve developed studying art therapy, organizational leadership, psychology, and other fields, they share their knowledge with the women while gaining practical, real-world experience.

“Being involved has really rounded out my Antioch University experience,” says art therapy student Alyssa Griskeiwicz. “To feel engaged with community members from different programs as well as community members from the greater Seattle area has been important to my personal and professional development.”

Faculty and Staff Offering Vision and Support

Raine, who earned a master’s in education at AUS, credits the administrative leadership for bringing together the energy and intellectual capital of students, faculty, and staff for this effort. Another key to the WEP’s success is that it addresses a broader question: “What does it mean to be sustainable?”

“As a result, we have not only an immediate influence on the greater good but also a methodology that builds toward a long-term impact and awareness of social justice,” says Raine.

Antioch University faculty members Mary Lou Finley and Candace Harris played a central role in developing the program vision. Assistant director of admissions Candiss Eickelmann, who shows up every Thursday to prepare that warm breakfast, earned the university’s 2008 Horace Mann Award for her contributions to the WEP. The prestigious award honors individuals who have earned victories for humanity through their work or volunteerism.

The program’s newly formed advisory board and move from a nine-month to year-round calendar of offerings are testament to its strong foundation and long-term commitment to the community. It is well-positioned to help women and to educate every individual who plays a role for years to come. “The WEP,” says Raine, “has become a model of how to apply both theory and practice so that everyone who is engaged has learning opportunities.”

Faculty member Susan Starbuck shares Raine’s enthusiasm about the WEP. “It’s a transformative experience for our teaching and learning, and adds to our involvement with students and the wider community,” Starbuck says. “And with faculty involved on a rotating basis, we represent Antioch University’s values of social justice.”