Alumna Tari Hunter achieves ACUI dissertation of the year honor

As a student affairs employee for more than 20 years, San Diego State University alumna Tari Hunter (’24, CCLEAD) has dedicated herself to advacing equity and inclusion in the college environment. 

In March, her contributions were highlighted by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI)’s Daniel M. Maxwell Dissertation of the Year award — an honor which recognizes research that contributes to the knowledge of the college union and student activities field.

The award meant a lot to Hunter. 

“I believe all the work that I do as a student affairs professional is my heart’s work — it’s not just a job that you clock in and out,” Hunter said. “But I never realized that my dissertation would be like my soul work. I feel like if I’ve already given my heart to my job that pays my bills, then my soul was given to get this thing done. It took every bit of everything that I had.”

For Hunter, the award was about more than applause and recognition — it was the fact that people were interested to have conversations about her dissertation. It was the culmination of a study that focused on Black transfer students from the California Community College system to the California State University system, their sense of belonging, the impact of community and having campus resources.

Several things inspired Hunter to explore these topics. 

Before Hunter landed her current position as associate executive director of equity, programs and leadership at California State University, Northridge, she worked at multiple university campuses and witnessed a common trend: Black transfer students weren’t graduating at the same rates as their peers — and the data showed in the retention rates. 

This piqued Hunter’s interest to understand their stories, amplify their experience and advocate for better resources or support so that they could not get stuck in the “pipeline.” This was especially important to Hunter as one of her sons was entering the community college system as a reverse transfer student during the time of her doctoral program. 

“The data tells a story and so, for me, as a Black woman, as a practitioner who actually was made in the CSU, it was important for me to really explore that just because we have so many of our Black students that start at the community college,” Hunter said. “I want them to be able to find a home at the CSU. I want the CSU to be able to better serve our Black students, and it to be reflected in the data, as well as in their lived experiences that they share through their stories, through their memories.

“What students remember the most about their undergraduate career is their memories — their experiences and how it leaves an imprint on their heart, on their lives, and how they carry it forward. For me, exploring these students’ lived experiences of Black transfer students was really important, because I feel like it’s something that if we’re going to support students through an equity mindset, we have to really understand each demographic of students’ experience.”

CCLEAD Experience

Hunter’s dissertation titled, “Empowering Transitions: A Phenomenological Study of Black Transfer Students from Community Colleges to California State Universities,” was done in part of SDSU’s 11th doctoral program cohort for the Community College Leadership (CCLEAD) program. 

It took Hunter six years to complete the program because of the pandemic and personal matters. She recalls the time as being one of the most testing experiences of her mental and physical perseverance, but Hunter had been able to juggle it all with the help of her supportive family, classmates and her dissertation chair, Professor Frank Harris III. 

“He’s really amazing, very knowledgeable, very resourceful and just extremely supportive. He really meets you where you are, but keeps pushing you along,” Hunter said. “Every time I paused, we just pivoted and focused on how to keep moving everything forward.”

The opportunity, Hunter says, was a good reminder to never give up.

“When you hit obstacles, sometimes you have to pause, but then you just recenter yourself and move forward and keep moving forward till you reach the finish line,” Hunter said. 

While writing her dissertation, Hunter has served on the CSU workgroup focused on advancing Black student success. 

Hunter is excited to do more research on Black transfer students including diving into their intersecting identities and taking a closer look at what certain populations of Black transfer students need. 

“Right now, we’re in a tumultuous time in higher education, especially with the political scrutiny on diversity, equity, inclusion work,” Hunter said. “I think it’s even more important for us to stay committed, continue focusing on students’ needs, and on the policies and practices that really need to be amplified and addressed.”