Felix earns Mertes Award for Excellence in Community College Research

The importance of Eric R. Felix’s research and scholarship isn’t always measured in ways that are traditionally considered currency in academia. For the associate professor of postsecondary educational leadership at San Diego State University, impact isn’t always measured by a big grant or a prestigious publication — though he gets those, too, for the record.

Often, Felix says his most important contributions are made during a half-hour conversation with a community college vice president in need of advice. 

Or by devising a communications strategy to help academic leaders communicate the need for equity at their institution at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are being dismantled in some parts of the country. 

Or by sharing tools like evaluation spreadsheets and informational slide decks with administrators to promote the value of equity-focused programs.

“Working with colleges and institutional leaders and equity administrators matters,” said Felix. “And it matters maybe a little bit more than general scholarship because it can help them navigate real organizational change that will hopefully better support students in their academic aspirations.”

In February, Felix got to find out just how much his efforts are appreciated by the leaders with whom he works. He was named recipient of the Mertes Award for Excellence in Community College Research — an honor presented by the Association of California Community College Administrators, a professional organization comprising 73 districts and 116 colleges statewide.

“You do this work and you never know your impact, so the ability for community members to acknowledge others and affirm their value and their place in this collective space is important,” Felix said. “In these trying times, anytime that we can affirm a colleague or someone else for the good work they're doing, it’s important.”

A graduate of SDSU's M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs (PELSA) program — the same program in which he now serves as faculty — Felix conducts his work as leader of the Community College HigherEd Access Leadership Equity Scholarship (CCHALES) research collective. He and his team examine systems, structures and practices within higher education that hinder racial equity and offer recommendations for policy and programmatic change.

The work has never been easy, but when he thinks about the people he’s working to support, he believes it’s worth the fight.

“For me, success is when educational administrators that advance equity aren't burnt out, aren't thinking about quitting,” Felix said. “Success means they don't stay in their cars for 15 minutes when they park because they're dreading the first meeting of the day. 

“Success is when there's joy and excitement in creating more equitable institutions.”