Williams, Leslie A. (law2107)

Doctor of Education, Higher & Postsecondary Education – Teachers College, Columbia University

Bachelor of Arts in Economics & International Relations – Connecticut College

Leslie A. Williams, Ed.D., is a higher education scholar/practitioner who currently serves as Lecturer in the Higher and Postsecondary Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research offers a multi-level view of the struggle for access and equity for underrepresented minoritized racial/ethnic, low socioeconomic status and first-generation groups in higher education in the US, with an eye to assuring their success.  Under this agenda, he studies national, state, and institution-level policies, programs and practices, such as affirmative action, diversity initiatives, college access programs, and teaching and learning, both singly and in interaction.

Leslie has presented at numerous national and international refereed research conferences and served as invited keynote speaker at several colleges and universities in the United States.

Leslie teaches courses on college student development, diversity, equity and justice, affirmative action in higher education admissions, and policymaking in higher education.

Leslie’s publications include:

• Williams, L.A., Russell, P.K. & Tuitt, F. (Forthcoming). Creating universities for all: 30 top public research universities in the US respond to anti-Black violence. In A.M. Kelly, L. Padden & B. Fleming (Eds.). Making Inclusive Higher Education a Reality: Creating a University for Al London: Routledge.
• Williams, L. A., & Grande, S. (2021). Trumpocalypse and the Historical Limits of Higher Education Policy: Making the Case for Study/Struggle. Qualitative Inquiry. 
• Bolitzer, L. A., Christensen, M. C., & Williams, L. A. (2019). Entering the Work of Higher Education: A Study of Novice Practitioners’ Learning. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 56(4), 394-408. 
• Bolitzer, L., Castillo-Montoya, M. & Williams, L. A. (2016). Pursuing equity through diversity: Perspectives and propositions for teaching and learning in higher education. In F. Tuitt, C. Haynes, & S. Stewart (Eds.), Race, equity, and the learning environment: The global relevance of critical and inclusive pedagogies in higher education(pp. 23-43). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

His working papers include:

• Filling in the potholes: How college access programs aid participants’ journeys to, through and beyond college.
• Towards a critical conceptual analysis of race-based educational equity policies: Assessing the impact of affirmative action on higher education admissions.
• 30 Top Public Research Universities in the US Respond to Anti-Black Violence