Fischler Grad is First Black Woman to Serve in School’s Faculty Senate

Latonya Peterson, Ed.D., a Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate, is the first black woman to serve in the faculty senate at Baker University.

She was recently elected for a second term to the two-year position. Peterson learned she made history shortly after she had been elected for her first term.

She said she received an email that said, “Thanks for making history” and when she inquired about it, she learned she was the first black woman in that role.

“It means a lot because it means I’m breaking barriers,” Peterson said.

The overall senate is made up of nine members, but Peterson is the only minority. There also only two other women serving as well.

Members of the faculty senate have a host of duties, including making recommendations regarding admissions criteria, degree requirements, new majors and more, serving as the policy body for programs and courses through the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and much more.

Peterson said her last term went well and the senate was able to accomplish a lot. One area they looked at was recruitment and making it easier for students to transfer to the school.

“We did vote on making it easier to transfer, you know, making sure we accept certain transfer credits, because the students have done the work and it shouldn’t be that hard for them to transfer,” she said.

Peterson said she hopes to build upon her previous success during this next term.

Peterson graduated from NSU with her M.S. in Criminal Justice, and her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. In addition to serving on the Faculty Senate at Baker University, she also teaches there as an adjunct professor with the Criminal Justice Program and the Master of Business Administration Program. Peterson is also a full-time Criminal Justice professor at American InterContinental University.

Congratulations Latonya Peterson! Fins up to you for making history!

Posted 01/14/24