“Dr. McPhail has labored for decades at the nexus of practice, research and policy in community college education,” said AACC President and CEO George Boggs. “Her stellar efforts have opened doors to higher education for thousands of students, but her work has especially benefited African-American, Latino and Mexican-American students.”

 

Currently, McPhail contributes to practice and research in higher education as a higher education consultant and coach for Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a multiyear initiative that aims to improve student success. She is a managing partner for the McPhail Group and emerita professor at Morgan State University (MSU) in Maryland. She also serves on the advisory committee for the National Center of Postsecondary Research at the Community College Research Center.

 

McPhail began her career in higher education in 1969 at California State University, where she collaborated to launch its ethnic studies program. She began her career in the community college movement at Contra Costa College (California) in 1973, where she served on the counseling faculty staff. 

 

She later served as dean of students at the College of Alameda (California). There, she advocated for strong academic support and transfer programs for community college students.

 

As a member of the California Community College State Athletic Commission, she worked to establish academic standards for community college student athletes. Her efforts resulted in major changes in the state athletic code.

 

McPhail then moved to the State Center Community College District and served as director of grants. She tripled the district’s external grant dollars and raised support for innovative programs focused on student retention and success. 

 

McPhail then served as dean of students at Kings River Community College (now Reedley College). At Kings River, she established a prototype program for the retention of African-American males in community college. She also established procedures to include staff and students in shared governance activities at all levels of the college.

 

In 1995, McPhail became the fifth president of Cypress College, where she restored fiscal and structural stability. A well-known fundraiser, she worked with colleagues to enhance the college’s foundation resources and substantially increased the amount of dollars received annually by the college.

 

Her commitment to equity in higher education led her to work with faculty and staff to establish the Puente program at Cypress to increase the number of Mexican-American and Latino community college students transferring to four-year colleges and universities. 

 

In 1998, she was named the founding professor and director of the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program (CCLDP) at MSU. It was the first community college leadership doctoral program to be developed at a historically black institution.