As part of our celebration of Black History Month, take a look back when the university appointed Chinaka DomNwachukwu as the new dean for the College of Education. This article was originally published on April 26, 2019. Also visit the CSUSB Black History Month website to participate in our events all month long.

 

CSUSB celebrates Black History Month

Cal State San Bernardino has named Chinaka DomNwachukwu, associate dean of the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University, as its new dean for the College of Education.
 
Chinaka DomNwachukwu (pronounced Chi-na-ka Dom-wah-choo-coo) has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in higher education and will join the college on June 3, said CSUSB Provost Shari McMahan.
 
“Dr. DomNwachukwu brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the College of Education and I am confident he will be an asset to our outstanding team of educators and administrators,” McMahan said. “I’d like to thank our search committee team for their hard work and offer a special thanks to Dr. Jake Zhu, who has done a wonderful job serving as interim dean of the College of Education.”
 
Zhu, who has served as the COE interim dean since July 2018, has been named the permanent dean of the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus and will take over on July 1.
 
DomNwachukwu said he looks forward to leading the CSUSB College of Education.
 
“I am humbled by the overwhelming receptivity of the entire university community towards me. I am looking forward to this opportunity to contribute to building a climate that celebrates the uniqueness of Cal State University, San Bernardino,” DomNwachukwu said. “It is my hope that through the collaborative engagement of faculty, staff, students, alumni and our external partners, we can increase the positive perceptions the College of Education and CSUSB already enjoys with the internal and external partners we work with.”
 
DomNwachukwu currently serves as the associate dean for diversity and values at the Azusa Pacific University School of Education. Azusa Pacific University is a comprehensive, evangelical, Christian university located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.

He is also a professor in the Department of Teacher Education. As associate dean, he facilitates the cultivation and sustenance of a climate of equity and inclusivity in the School of Education. He facilitates activities geared toward faculty and staff engagement and collaboration, oversees the infusion of diversity, cultural responsive instructional practices, as well as the infusion of Christian values in the planning and delivery of academic instructions across the programs in the School of Education.
 
DomNwachukwu works with department chairs, program directors and faculty members in the school. He also oversees local, regional and global engagement of the school on issues of diversity.
 
Prior to this role, DomNwachukwu served as the associate dean for accreditation for three years, where he led the school through a combined National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) re-accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educational Programs (CAEP) and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

The three-year undertaking involved 28 programs made up of credentials, master’s degrees and a doctor of education degree. All 28 programs successfully passed the accreditation process, with only one needing updated documentation before it was passed.
 
Prior to the role of associate dean of accreditation, he served as the associate dean for academic affairs providing oversight on all academic programs, as well as policy, grievance and curricular decisions pertaining to the School of Education.
 
DomNwachukwu led the school through two years of combined faculty and student research conferences and led the school’s technology team, providing oversight on the school’s Emerging Technology Centre.
 
He also directed the Intern Grant, a grant funded by the state of California for supporting beginning level teachers on contract with local school districts.
 
DomNwachukwu has served on university-wide leadership positions as chair of the APU’s Program Review Committee, member of the APU Faculty Senate, Faculty Steering Committee, Masters Council, and many other areas of service.
 
He recently completed his term as the chair of the Global Diversity Committee of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). DomNwachukwu is also an ordained minister.
 
Prior to joining Azusa Pacific University, DomNwachukwu served six years as a public school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. During this time, he taught second, fourth, seventh and eighth grade. He also served as the Title 1 coordinator and a literacy coach adviser.
 
DomNwachukwu earned a doctorate in intercultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary School of Intercultural Studies in Pasadena, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from National University. DomNwachukwu recently completed coursework on higher education leadership through American College of Education. 
 
DomNwachukwu has published a number of articles in professional journals, chapters in books, as well as complete books on multicultural education, including: “An Introduction to Multicultural Education: From Theory to Practice” (2010); “Multiculturalism: A Shalom Motif for the Christian Community” (2014); and “Theory and Practice of Multicultural Education: A Focus on the P-12 Educational Setting” (2018). His newest book, “Multicultural Education in an age of Globalization: Compelling Issues,” comes out from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers this May.
 
For more information on the CSUSB College of Education, visit its website.