Episode 111 Dr. Aubra Gantt - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

Dr. Aubra Gantt, Chancellor of Southern University at Shreveport, sits down with Jeffrey Goodman, Director of Marketing and Development for the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana, to answer the following questions:

 

0:35 1. In March of 2023, you were named the first female Chancellor for Southern University Shreveport (or SUSLA as many call it). You are a Shreveport native and graduate of Green Oaks and SUSLA. I want to get into all things SUSLA in just a little bit but before we do I thought we would start here today.

 

Both the university and Green Oaks are located in the Cooper Road or MLK area of our community. You have clearly thrived when many in that neighborhood and part of our community are unable to achieve the level of success you have attained.

 

What do you attribute your success to, compared to many of your peers who grew up and/or went to school in the Cooper Road/MLK area?

 

10:02 2. Established in 1964 and opened in 1967, SUSLA is the only historically black two-year campus in the United States. You are a critical part of our community’s educational ecosystem. Talk to me about some of your priorities and initiatives.

 

18:04 3. I’ve heard you talk about a college-going culture. How do we create more of that culture across our community?

 

29:04 4. Talk to me about the age breakdown of your students. And, are most of your programs online or in person?

 

32:47 5. You come to SUSLA with more than 25 years of postsecondary educational experience from all across the country. I’ve read where you said that all along you wanted to come back home. As you come back home and look out at our community, what are some of the things that concern you the most?

 

37:55 6. What gives you hope, as you look at the Cooper Road/MLK area of our community and the community as a whole, that we are headed in a positive direction?