Barbara Henley, PhD, was awarded a Presidential Citation because she has dedicated her life to improving the lives of the next generation and to ensuring that students, especially students of color had access to and success in higher education.
Henley served at historically-black colleges and universities and predominantly white institutions of higher education where she touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. She directed the university counseling center at two institutions and served as the vice chancellor for student affairs at two major universities. She developed and or supervised offices such as Veteran’s Affairs, Native American support program, African American academic network, multicultural affairs, and the office of international services. During her tenure at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Henley established a fund-raising operation in student affairs that included a new endowed scholarship fund for outstanding student leaders. To date, the Supporting Excellence Endowment scholarship has awarded nearly $2 million to UIC students. Henley established student support programs for students of color, first generation college students and students from poor backgrounds on each of the higher education campuses on which she served. She regularly initiated or improved programs such as Upward Bound and Student Support Services (TRiO Programs).
Henley improved the infrastructures at two major universities by overseeing the development and construction of student centers, recreations centers, a Commuter Resource Center and a Student Veterans Center. She initiated student retention and graduation programs that were so successful that the retention and graduation rates of African American students matched those of white students and rose to some of the highest in the nation. Her exceptional success resulted in her being a much sought-after consultant and speaker at major conferences.
For bringing her psychological training and experience to the role of University Administrator and therefore improving the lives of marginalized students, students of color, students with disabilities, athletes, veterans, first generation college students, and many more for nearly 50 years, I, Rosie Phillips Davis, award to Henley a Presidential Citation.