Dr. Phillip “Flapp” Cockrell joins the university in September
Cleveland State University stayed in-state to find and hire Dr. Phillip “Flapp” Cockrell, who was announced yesterday as its new Vice President for Campus Engagement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Cockrell comes to CSU from the University of Toledo, where he has served for the past 5 years.
Cockrell will be responsible for leading and integrating CSU’s student-facing support services including the offices of Residence Life, Health & Wellness Services, Counseling Center, Disability Services, Multicultural Student Affairs, Veterans Center, LGBTQ Office, Women’s Center & Student Center, Title IX Coordinator, the Office of Institution Equity, and the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, according to its press release.
CSU recently announced an aggressive, growth-oriented plan in hopes of emerging from the pandemic as a stronger, more-focused institution. The plan – CSU 2.0 – sets a goal of 4,500 additional students and 200 new faculty members by 2025. It outlines multi-million-dollar investments in research, faculty positions and initiatives to advance student success, grow existing programs and build new partnerships. Cockrell is expected to play a critical part in the plan’s implementation in his new position.
As Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost at UT, Dr. Cockrell was the chief student affairs officer providing strategic direction and leadership for 16 departments and a team of more than 400 staff and students. In this role, Dr. Cockrell helped lead efforts to increase retention and graduation rates, transform the student experience, enhance data systems, secure additional state support for mental health services, champion an internship guarantee program to expand experiential learning opportunities, create the University’s first parent and family member association, and raise funds to address food insecurity and provide emergency funding for students in need.
Before joining the University of Toledo, Cockrell worked at Jackson State University in Mississippi, where served as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, and Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs/Dean of Students.
Cockrell holds a doctoral degree in urban higher education from Jackson State, a master’s degree in educational leadership/student affairs administration from Florida International University, and a bachelor’s degree in family studies from the Mississippi University for Women. Additionally, he has toured and studied higher education policies and practices abroad – in England, Scotland and Ireland.
Cockrell credits the Upward Bound program he attended at the now-defunct Mary Holmes Junior College with saving his life and introducing him to a world of possibilities to be global citizen and leader. His scholarly research interest centers on the experiences of first-generation and low-income college students of color within postsecondary institutions.
Cockrell is a life member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He will start at CSU next month.
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