Special to the
Opelika Observer
Tameka Angola Harper, MPA, joins Tuskegee University’s Division of Student Affairs as its new dean of students. In this capacity, she will provide leadership for the division’s efforts to promote student academic success, student personal and professional development, and enhance the overall quality of campus life.
As dean of students, Harper will collaborate with other leaders in the Division of Student Affairs by contributing to programs designed to enhance student academic progress, residential and campus life programs, and other student-support programs. She also will enforce the university’s Student Code of Conduct, work with other student affairs professionals to guide the student judicial process, and coordinate the university’s Family Weekend activities and related Parent(s) of the Year award program.
Throughout her student affairs-focused career, Harper has devoted her efforts to student advocacy and leadership development — and it’s that experience that has served as a catalyst for her collaborative nature.
“In developing a deep appreciation of the work a university does, one quickly understands that people collaborate when the task at hand is monumental, is too pressing, or requires too much knowledge for one person or group to do alone,” Harper noted. “As an educator and student advocate, I use collaboration as an opportunity to deepen student learning. I develop meaningful relationships with colleagues to actualize the mission and vision of the institution and ultimately for purpose of development and the education of our students.”
Harper most recently served in the dual role of vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, and dean of students at Arkansas Baptist College, and previously as associate dean of student academic support services in Wilberforce University’s Division of Academic Affairs. In both capacities, she helped to transform student and campus life programs while serving in key roles as part of the institutions’ reaccreditation efforts.
Specifically at Wilberforce, she oversaw athletic student advising, first-year student programming, new student orientation, study abroad programs, academic probation, disability services, and the scholars program. Prior to her role as associate dean, she served as Wilberforce’s director of campus activities, where she helped guide overall student life strategy, created and led co-curricular programs, developed programs that supported student retention, and implemented practices in accordance with Title IX regulations.
“Ms. Harper brings to her work an unparalleled passion, which is underscored by a commitment to fairness and inclusion, as well as a deep understanding of the complexity of a student-centered campus environment,” said Regina Burden, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. “She has demonstrated a clear commitment to supporting students, and recognizing the intersecting identities that influence and impact the student experience.”
Harper holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication with an emphasis in political communications from Georgia State University, and a master’s in public administration from the University of the District of Columbia. Currently, she is completing a doctorate in political science at Clark Atlanta University.
For more information about Tuskegee’s Division of Student Affairs, visit www.tuskegee.edu/student-life/student-affairs.
About Tuskegee University:
Located in Tuskegee, Alabama, Tuskegee University is a private, state-related and nationally ranked land-grant institution that serves a racially, ethnically and religiously diverse student body of 3,000-plus students. The institution was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and is one of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1933, Tuskegee’s academic programs — many accredited by their respective accrediting bodies — currently lead to 41 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and five doctoral degree opportunities. For more information about Tuskegee University, visit www.tuskegee.edu.