After earning his Master's Degree from Wayne State University
in Detroit, Mr. Shelley taught English and Speech at Northeastern
High School for several years. He subsequently developed
programs to facilitate the admission and retention of
minority students in colleges and universities throughout
the Midwest. He has taught and counseled at the Cranbrook
School in Bloomfield Hills, Dartmouth College in Hanover,
New Hampshire, and Wayne State University.
Mr. Shelley came to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in 1968 to organize one of the nation's earliest and certainly
the largest minority student recruitment efforts. In 1974
he was named Dean of Students, and in 1984 he became Assistant
Vice Chancellor and then Associate Vice Chancellor for
Student Affairs. He presently serves as Special Assistant
to the Chancellor.
He has served on several national educational committees,
many of which focuses on higher educational access and
opportunity for low-income and minority students. Among
his publications are The Impact of Black Students on Predominantly
White Campuses, The Once and Future Status of Black Professionals
in Higher Education, Staff Development: A Training Module
for Special Services Staff, and "Telling Stories:
Students and Administrators Talk About Retention"
in Leveling the Playing Field: Promoting Academic Success
for Students of Color. He has received numerous awards
and citations for his service to higher education, with
a special interest in advocacy for those groups that remain
underrepresented in American colleges and universities.
In 2002, he was awarded the Chancellor's Medallion for
service to the Campus.
