Shorette II

C. Rob Shorette II

Director of Special Initiatives, Academic Success & Inclusive Excellence, California State University
Chapter Member: Los Angeles Unified SSN, California SSN
Areas of Expertise:
  • Colleges & Universities
  • Race & Ethnicity

Connect with C. Rob

(562) 951-4241

About C. Rob

C. Rob Shorette II, PhD is the Director of Special Initiatives for Academic Success & Inclusive Excellence at the California State University Office of the Chancellor. His scholarship has examined issues of diversity and equity in higher education, with particular attention placed on college access and success for underrepresented students, and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In addition to his work as an administrator in student services at both public and private universities, which most recently included serving as the executive director of the Cal State Student Association (CSSA), Dr. Shorette has worked with nonprofit higher education research organizations such as The Campaign for College Opportunity, Institute for Higher Education Policy, Southern Education Foundation, and NASPA’s Research & Policy Institute. He received his PhD in Higher, Adult, & Lifelong Education from Michigan State University, his master's degree in Higher Education Administration and Educational Policy from The George Washington University, and his bachelor's degree in English Education from Florida A&M University.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

What Student Loan Debt Burdens Reveal about the Challenges Faced by California's Low-Income College Graduates

Key Findings Brief,

Why California Needs Specific Educational Data on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

  • Jamal Mazyck
Key Findings Brief,

Why Historically Black Colleges and Universities Remain Vital in U.S. Higher Education

Basic Facts Brief,

In the News

C. Rob Shorette II's research on college costs discussed in Vanessa Rancaño, "Not Living in the Dorms? Good Luck Figuring out What College is Gonna Cost," KPCC, July 27, 2018.
"Beyond Tuition: How Student Loan Debt for California's Low-Income College Grads Reveals Real College Affordability Challenges," C. Rob Shorette II (with Maggie White), Huffington Post, December 20, 2017.
"The Ignored History of Racism in California: College Edition," C. Rob Shorette II, Huffington Post, March 1, 2016.
"University of California Admissions Policies are Working...for Some," C. Rob Shorette II, HuffPost College, The Huffington Post, October 30, 2015.
Guest to discuss how diversification is affecting HBCUs on MSNBC Craig Melvin, C. Rob Shorette II, July 26, 2014.
"A Call to All College Educators: We are My Brother’s Keeper," C. Rob Shorette II, NASPA Research & Policy Institute, April 15, 2014.
"The Unique Mindset of Millennials at HBCUs," C. Rob Shorette II (with Walter Kimbrough), Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, September 4, 2013.
"HBCUs, Places for All to Learn," C. Rob Shorette II (with Marybeth Gasman), Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, December 3, 2012.
"Being White at a Black College: An Interview," C. Rob Shorette II, Interview with Marybeth Gasman, Huffington Post, July 31, 2012.

Publications

"Where Debt Comes Due at CSU: Unequal Debt Burdens Among California State University Graduates," The Cal State Student Association, December 13, 2017.

Finds that low-income students and students of color are disproportionately paying the price. Suggests that current financial aid resources don't stretch far enough to account for students' total costs of attendance beyond tuition. Highlights the need for the State of California and the federal government to strengthen need-based aid programs to better support students.

"Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Critical Facilitators of Non-Cognitive Skills for Black Males" (with Robert T. Palmer). Western Journal of Black Studies 39, no. 1 (2015): 18-29.

Presents findings from a qualitative study involving six black male graduates of HBCUs, which suggest that HBCUs: (a) affirmed the potential of the participants and allowed them to develop or enhance their self-concept; (b) provided strong support systems for the participants; and (c) exposed participants to aspects of racism that informed the way they now navigate racist systems beyond HBCUs.

"A Closer Examination of White Student Enrollment at HBCUs" (with Andrew Arroyo), in Exploring Diversity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Implications for Policy and Practice, edited by Robert T. Palmer and Marybeth Gasman (New Directions for Higher Education, 2015), 49-65.

Closely examines trends in White student enrollment at four-year HBCUs between 1987-2012 and discusses the implications of those trends for policy, practice, and future research.

Exploring Diversity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Implications for Policy and Practice (edited with Robert T. Palmer and Marybeth Gasman) (New Directions for Higher Education, 2015).

Examines the complex issues of diversity at HBCUs, ranging from the unique needs of LGBT students to giving a voice to non-Black students of color. Introduces innovative ways for increasing the prominence of HBCUs in higher education policy efforts and proposes new directions for HBCU research, practice, and policy.