financial aid. Her hope is that a lack of funds will not undermine students’ hard work. Dr. Kinloch explains, “My wildest dream is that we will have an endowment that rivals the Spelmans, the Howards and the Morehouses paired with academic programs that will train people to become the social and economic engines of our society.” In addition to tending to the financial health of students and the university as a whole, Dr. Kinloch also has her sights set on academic excellence. She has established the inaugural Presidential Alumni Ambassadors Program to engage more than 70 JCSU alumni to assist with enrollment and recruitment efforts, devising strategies to increase student retention and completion, and brokering a new partnership with Chabot College, a community college located in Hayward, CA, to create pathways for students to attend JCSU. However, excellence is neither limited to the President’s Office nor to the classrooms at JCSU. Dr. Kinloch has invested time in
making sure that a culture of collectivism emanates from the top down, crediting her team with helping her serve students in the best way possible. “When I’m with my staff, I listen very, very closely; and I can tell them what they said even six months ago because if I care for you, then you will care for the people who are working with you; and then collectively, we will care for our students and our community,” she explains. It’s a sentiment that runs through all the departments at JCSU, especially the Athletics Department. Joining Dr. Kinloch near the end of her inaugural year as President is the new Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha Hendricks, who has more than 20 years of experience in athletics and academic administration. Dr. Hendricks has committed to serving student-athletes holistically so that they can focus on their academic and athletic performance. Some of the key changes she has implemented already include upgrading athletic facilities, providing student-athletes with new game day gear and improved
transportation for away games, and installing a new golf simulator on campus. The improvements are already paying off. This academic year, the average GPA for student- athletes is 3.2, including a very successful Golden Bulls’ football season. JCSU, which was the first HBCU to establish an Esports and Gaming program in 2020, just updated the curriculum for this department in 2023. Another standout accomplishment is the fact that JCSU’s Sports Management program is number one among HBCUs and number 20 nationally.
With so many new improvements already implemented, it’s easy to forget that this leadership team, helmed by Dr. Kinloch, has only been in place for a year. However,it harkens back to her personal mantra for this role— failure is not an option. Defining what this “New Era of Excellence is really about, she says, “When I look into students’ faces, I see promise, I see hope, I see possibility. I have to do everything to make sure that they know that they can be and do anything they want to in this world. And my job is to let no one
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