Toby S. Jenkins is a professor of higher education administration and associate provost for faculty development at the University of South Carolina. She is considered a national expert and thought leader on cultural leadership and inclusive excellence.
Jenkins has authored seven books focused on the evolving ideologies of culture, family, and community in contemporary society. “My Culture, My Color, My Self: Heritage, Resilience, and Community in the Lives of Young Adults” (Temple University Press, 2013) was named by the Association of University Presses to its list of the Top 100 Books for Understanding Race Relations in the U.S. “Family, Community, and Higher Education” (Routledge, 2012) is an edited volume that explores the critical role of family and community in the lives of first generation college students. “Open Mic Night: Campus Programs that Champion College Student Voice and Engagement” (Stylus Publishing) was awarded a special recognition for “Outstanding Edited Collection in Curriculum Studies” by the American Educational Research Association Division B. “Reshaping Graduate Education through Innovation and Experiential Learning” (IGI Global) explores public scholarship, experiential learning, and place-based education as strategies to innovate learning in the graduate classroom. Her most recent book, “The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals,” explores success mindsets and innovative leadership frameworks found within hip-hop culture. Jenkins has over 50 other publications, including journal articles, book chapters, books, and magazine articles. She has delivered over 100 keynotes, lectures, and invited panel talks for various organizations in the United States and abroad.
Prior to the University of South Carolina, Jenkins worked at the University of Maryland, Penn State University, George Mason University, Georgia Southern University, and the University of Hawaii. As an educational administrator and cultural practitioner, Jenkins spent five years at Penn State University directing the Paul Robeson Cultural Center with an affiliate appointment in African and African American Studies. In this role, Jenkins developed and taught innovative courses that were rooted in partnerships with the community. She views the college classroom as a social transformation laboratory connecting students with communities to engage collaboratively in the study of real issues and developing ideas to address them. Jenkins developed the course “Educational Liberation or Oppression? The School and Prison Nexus,” a graduate seminar in educational sociology exploring the then popular concept of the school-to-prison pipeline. She established a partnership with the State Correctional Institution-Rockview to teach the course inside the prison and join Penn State graduate students with a cohort of men in prison to form a larger learning community. The project provided students with an immersive learning experience that included exposure to life experiences and intellectual perspectives beyond what was found in the research. It also provided the young men that were within the criminal justice system an opportunity to engage in a deep study of the larger social issues impacting their incarceration. Together, the two communities dreamed of change strategies to address the role that the field of education sometimes plays in doing harm.
At the University of Maryland, Jenkins worked as an administrator within academic affairs under the Division of Diversity and Inclusion. As assistant director of the Nyumburu Cultural Center, she created the Joint Service Project, bringing together college students, faculty, and staff in community engagement efforts within Washington, D.C.; and the Vision Cultural Mentoring Initiative, providing college mentors and interactive cultural experiences for high school students in Prince George’s County, Md. Both programs received honors from President George W. Bush and the governor of Maryland.
Nationally, Jenkins co-created the Aspire Administrative Leadership Institute for Women of Color, which is hosted annually at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity. Running for over seven years, the Institute has served over 600 early- and mid-career women leaders, helping them advance their careers. Additionally, her research, teaching, and professional projects have taken her to more than 35 countries. For her career-long work focused on inclusive excellence in education, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education awarded her the 2022 Individual Leadership Award, and the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity awarded her the 2021 award for Outstanding Scholarship.
Jenkins received her B.A. in communications/public relations from the University of South Carolina; an M.Ed. in higher education administration from the University of Maryland; and a Ph.D. in educational theory and policy from Penn State University. After completing her Ph.D., she won the prestigious American Fellowship, a national postdoctoral fellowship awarded by the American Association of University Women.