Mary Ferguson is a native of Bennettsville, South Carolina. She earned an Education Doctorate (Ed. D.) in Educational Leadership from Fayetteville State University (NC), MSA, Fayetteville State University (NC), M.Ed., St. Mary University, Leavenworth, Kansas and a BS from Winston Salem State University (NC). Mary is an Adjunct Assistant Professor member for the School of Educational Leadership at Fayetteville State University. Additional university and higher education professional teaching and administrative affiliates include: The University of Maryland (Heidelberg), Chapman University (Fort Richardson, Alaska), Central Texas College (Ft. Bragg, NC), Webster University (Ft. Bragg, NC), Fayetteville Technical Community College (NC), Carolina Bible College (NC) and Miller-Motte (NC). Mary served as a school administrator and teacher for elementary, middle, and high schools in various states and countries. Her primary focuses include: research, writing, and presenting referencing the culture of families, community, higher education and public school improvement.

In higher education institutions across the world, rapid changes are occurring as the socio-economic composition of these universities is shifting. The participation of females, ethnic minority groups, and low-income students has increased exponentially, leading to major changes in student activities, curriculum, and overall campus culture. Significant research is a necessity for understanding the need of broader educational access and promoting a newly empowered diverse population of students in today’s universities. Accessibility and Diversity in the 21st Century University is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the provision of higher educational access to a more diverse population with a specific focus on the growing population of women in the university, key intersections with race and sexual preference, and the experiences of low-income students, mid-career and reentry students, and special needs populations. While highlighting topics such as adult learning, race-based achievement gaps, and women’s studies, this publication is ideally designed for educators, higher education faculty, deans, provosts, chancellors, policymakers, sociologists, anthropologists, researchers, scholars, and students seeking current research on modern advancements of diversity in higher education systems.

The Hebron Cross An African American’s Family Life During Twentieth Century Marlboro County, South Carolina: Book One By: Dr. Mary J. Ferguson Dr. Mary J. Ferguson, is a Marlboro County (Hebron), South Carolina native and one of fifteen siblings. She is also a 42 year teacher and administrator veteran of public, private and higher education in various states and countries due to decades of military affiliation. She enjoys the study of integrated cultural studies. Her initial training prepared her for self-contained classroom teaching. Her educational journey includes: Winston Salem State University B.S. (’78), St. Mary College, (KS) M.Ed. (’96), Fayetteville State University, (NC) M.S.A. (’05) and Ed. D. (’09). Her quantitative dissertation can be found on proquest entitled: A Comparative Analysis of Rural and Urban Students in Selected North Carolina Schools (2009). Her book publications include: Just Thinking; A Bio-Compilation of Poetry 2010; 2014); Twenty-First Century College Commentaries of Traditional and Nontraditional College Students (2013); STEM and Cyber Culture (2017). Her current primary academic interest includes: research on humanities and STEM for elementary and secondary students, community and parent involvement, policy improvement for public schools. She is the owner of a non-profit founded in 2014 (Ferguson Educational and Consultant Services). At the age of twelve, she became a believer in Jesus Christ and baptized in Aberdeen, NC, by her father, the late Reverend T. J. Johnson. About the Forword Corrie J. Davis-Jackson, M.S.A., (Steve), is the sister to Mary and one of fifteen siblings in which seven have preceded them (four at birth). She too is a Marlboro County (Hebron), South Carolina native. Her degreed educational experience includes: Longwood University, VA M.S.A. (’90); St. Paul’s College, VA B.A. (’71) and Clinton Junior College, SC AAD (’66). She is member of several professional organizations, teacher and administrator retiree of the Prince Edward County Public School System, VA (37 years) and presently owns the Davis Driving School founded by her and her late husband (Rev. Albert Davis, M.S.A.), also a teacher and principal administrator retiree of Prince Edward County Schools (VA). Mrs. Davis-Jackson is extremely active in her church (First Baptist) and Farmville, VA community. At the age of twelve, she became a believer in Jesus Christ and baptized by the family’s minister (the late Rev. G.W. Ware), then pastor of St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church in Hebron, South Carolina.

Let The Poetry Flow references the author’s autobiographical experiences. Some instances are filled with elation, others with melancholy; all entries are true to the author’s heart. This read will open your eyes to ordinary and extraordinary metacognition. All entries were rhythmically created during the span of 1996 – 2022 (a total of 26 years). As an elementary and secondary teacher, and university professor, the author continues to teach the beauty of life through poetry and prose…and her visuals continue to support and interpret the author’s cultural daily life, how quickly it can throw a curve, and the joy of simply living.

This collection of essays lays the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for the call to teach, then explores how it is lived out today in educational institutions.

As the number of service learning courses and their requirements increase, it is essential for academic librarians to partner with faculty and administration to include lifelong research skills components. This crucial book provides insights and case studies that will help you do just that. Service learning—defined as community service connected to a for-credit college course—is acknowledged to be a high-impact educational practice. It provides students with opportunities to put what they learn in class into action, to engage problem-solving skills, and to reflect on their experiences. Ideally, in service learning, course materials inform student service, and students' service experiences, in turn, inform academic dialogue and comprehension. But where do academic libraries and librarians fit into this process? This is the first book to provide that missing piece, giving librarians practical information and examples of how to contribute to service learning on their campuses. It begins with an overview of librarian involvement in service learning, highlighting connections between service learning and information literacy pedagogy. Case studies focus on specific aspects of service learning that engage information literacy, illustrating ways academic libraries can partner with service learning initiatives. The book concludes with thoughts on assessment and short essays on the future of libraries and service learning.