About Dr. Keith R. Barnes
I possess 28 years of professional experience in a higher education setting within various student enrollment and student affairs departments including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, student financial aid, student admissions, academic advising, first-year experience, career planning, transfer center, and student activities. I also have nine years of experience as a higher education executive leader in a cabinet-level position.
I earned a Doctor of Education in the Community College Leadership Program at Northern Illinois University (NIU). I obtained my ADA Coordinator Training Certification in April 2016 and became an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator in March 2022. I gave an array of scholarly presentations and participated in panel discussions at professional higher education conferences.
I administered and facilitated numerous events, symposiums, and training sessions on equitable student access and success outcomes, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility, and using strategic leadership to develop a healthy campus climate. I invite you to visit my LinkedIn page to learn more about my professional experience and accomplishments.
My Greatest Creation is My Inspiration
My greatest creation is my family: my wife, Teresa, and my children, Joshua and India. Joshua was born prematurely at 19 weeks on Monday, October 24, 2011. Joshua lived for 5 hours and 4 minutes before God called him back home. I named my business after Joshua in his honor and dedicated it to India so she could learn about the importance of financial literacy. I want to use my business as a tool in my ongoing endeavor to promote the creation of generational wealth among marginalized and underserved communities.
My Services
Lecturer & Presenter
I present on an array of topics related to community college leadership, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, enrollment management, and student services and engagement. My most recent research examined how community college chief diversity officers and other executive leaders experience mentoring relationships.
Consultant and Trainer
I am a Certified ADA Coordinator with over 20
years of experience in administering a variety of workshops, panel discussions, conference presentations, symposiums, and analysis of campus climate surveys that examined cultural identity, cultural competence and humility, equity-minded practices, courageous and civil conversations, and a sense of belonging. I led efforts to create, administer, and assess three community colleges' strategic equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility action plans. Given the current political landscape, I work with higher education professionals to redefine the campus DEIB efforts.