Footprints of Progress

Provost and vice president for academic affairs at the International University of Grand-Bassam in Côte d’Ivoire, DeBrenna Agbényiga, ’99, ’05, ’14, is living out the dreams of her ancestors.

February 25, 2024

In August 2023, DeBrenna Agbényiga, Ph.D., MBA, MSW, became the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the International University of Grand-Bassam in Côte d’Ivoire, a role that incorporates profound connections to her ancestry and her nearly two decades at Michigan State.

“It’s a position that I never could have imagined, but I felt like it was written for me,” Agbényiga said. “It aligns all of my skill sets and capabilities and gives me the opportunity to make such a big footprint on the continent with respect to American-style education in Francophone West Africa.”

In 1997, Agbényiga made the move from South Carolina to East Lansing with her sights set on a master’s degree in social work. MSU’s program offered a strong foundation in macro-practice social work, which was a strong appeal of Agbényiga. While on campus, she also joined the student chapter for Black Social Workers, serving as president for a year.

“As a student, I had the opportunity to grow and learn in a profession that is so near and dear to my heart,” Agbényiga said. “My field placement opportunities with the Lansing Area AIDS Network and Mayor David Hollister’s office set the stage for me to impact lives within and outside the USA.”

Over the next 15 years, she also earned her Ph.D. in social work and an MBA in strategic management at MSU.

 

“I was successful at MSU because I had a strong sense of belonging that was solidified by so many people and offices I encountered.”

 

During this time, Agbényiga simultaneously worked at the university, holding positions as a diversity specialist, assistant dean for equity, diversity and inclusive academic affairs and associate dean for graduate studies and inclusion.

She also taught as an associate professor in the School of Social Work and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

“I was successful at MSU because I had a strong sense of belonging that was solidified by so many people and offices I encountered,” Agbényiga said. “That sense of belonging came with mutual respect and support that allowed us to challenge while being challenged.”

Today, she oversees IUGB’s academic enterprise, which includes its schools, faculty, recruitment, enrollment, retention, student life, research and more. Her responsibilities are similar to those she held in her previous post as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Stonehill College in Massachusetts—but with an important added duty.

“A major difference is the intersection of institutional organization culture and the country’s cultural context that I must balance as we work to reach our strategic goals,” Agbényiga said. “IUGB is poised to be an economic driver for Côte d’Ivoire, and this requires building strong relationships within and beyond the institution.”

In addition to cultural importance, Agbényiga recently realized her new position holds a strong personal significance as well.

Last July, she and her husband led friends from Michigan on a trip to the West African country of Ghana, where they visited many areas, including Elmina Castle.

The once-prominent slave depot was built in the late 1400s and Agbényiga had toured the site many times before. While working at MSU, she led expeditions to Jamaica and Ghana through a study abroad program she created. It also included a stop at the Elmina Castle, where students walked through the same doorway as those once forced into the transatlantic slave trade.

On her most recent trip, when Agbényiga entered the castle’s dungeon, she felt an even more profound kinship with her forebears during this visit.

“Now I am returning and living out the dreams of my ancestors,” Agbényiga said. “They didn’t know what they would face as they walked through the door but continued to dream. Now I get to go back and help fulfill some of those.”

 

Contributing Writer(s): Drew Mentock