Jackson State University alumnus Dr. James T. Minor has advanced to a top U.S. Department of Education post in Washington, D.C., as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs.
Minor, 40, JSU Class of ’96, had previously served as senior program officer and director of higher education programs for the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta, Ga.
He said he’s “excited” about the new post, which provides overall leadership and administration of grants for institutions and other federal programs that promote equal access to — and excellence in — postsecondary education.
“One of the things I’m most excited about in assuming this post is I believe the leadership exhibited by this administration is unprecedented,” he said of the Barack Obama administration. “I absolutely think it’s unprecedented as far as access, affordability and degree completion in post secondary education.”
Minor grew up in Detroit but came South for higher education at Jackson State, mainly due to affordability. But he said it left a lasting impact on him.
Particularly, he said, he is grateful for “the leadership development and opportunities at Jackson State,” and “the experience of students from different backgrounds — many of them the first to attend college.”
Those JSU experiences have stayed with him, he said, since these are the students he is trying to reach in his new job: those coming to a college or university for the first time, often from a diverse and perhaps disadvantaged background. Outreach to such students and ensuring they receive a quality education is essential, he believes.
Minor received his Bachelor of Science degree at JSU in sociology, a master’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He was tapped by the Obama administration to fill the post June 2014.