clusterluck
This documentary short highlights the experiences of a group of Black faculty within a department at a historically white institution. This short film unpacks what community means and what it looks like for Black scholars to have supportive communities within their departments at their institutions.
created and produced by candace n. hall
directed by cami thomas
production team my friends and i
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Clusterluck:
A Spark of Black Joy in the Academy
By Jon Edelman
Mar 26, 2023—Clusterluck, a documentary short produced by Dr. Candace N. Hall, graduate program director and assistant professor for the higher education and student affairs program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), begins on a sobering note. White text on a black background tells us that African Americans make up only 5.4% of the full-time faculty in post-secondary education. As an unsettling synth beat plays, a quote from a recent study fades in: “Many institutions have recruited underrepresented scholars to join their faculty without attention to retaining and supporting the new recruits.”
SIUE’s Candace Hall’s Award-Winning Documentary Short Shines Light on Successful Hiring Initiative
By Patricia Merritt // read story
February 2, 2023, Edwardsville, IL—Screening + Panel presentation held at Dunham Theatre on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. From left to right: Natasha Flowers, PhD, Assistant Dean for Anti-racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Education, Health, and Human Behavior; Robin Hughes, PhD, Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Behavior; Joy Gaston-Gayles, PhD, Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professor and Senior Advisor for Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, North Carolina State University; Denise Cobb, PhD, Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Daniel Mahony, PhD, President, Southern Illinois University System; Candace N. Hall, Executive Producer and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership.
‘Clusterluck’ film chronicles Black academics’ cluster hiring experiences at SIUE
By Miya Norfleet, Elaine Cha // read & listen
recap | edwardsville, il
February 2, 2023, Edwardsville, IL—Screening + Panel presentation held at Dunham Theatre on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus.
recap | las vegas, nv
November 16, 2022, Las Vegas, NV—Highlights of the first screening in Las Vegas, NV, during the 2022 Association of the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) convening.