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Lance Bennett

Lance Bennett Profile Photo

President and Founder

Dr. Lance Bennett is the President and Founder of The People’s Institute for the Common Good, a non-profit organization with a big vision to create spaces where people come together to learn from each other, wrestle with hard questions, and serve their communities for the common good. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity & Justice and Center for Minority Serving Institutions at Rutgers University.

Dr. Bennett is an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Higher Education Program at St. Edward’s University. In the higher education profession, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Liberal Education, the flagship magazine of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. He is also a published author with articles published in the disciplines of higher education, teaching learning, and interpersonal communication.

He is a graduate of Delaware County Community College (A.A.), Eastern University (B.A.), West Chester University (M.A.), University of Iowa (M.A.) with studies in interpersonal and organizational communication, and St. Edward's University (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Higher Education.

Degrees, Detours and the Common Good with Dr. Lance Bennett
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Sept. 16, 2025

Degrees, Detours and the Common Good with Dr. Lance Bennett

In this episode of the Exit Interviewer Podcast for Black educators, Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Dr. Lance Bennett, an educator and founder of The People's Institute for the Common Good. Dr. Bennett shares his journey from community college in Philadelphia to earning his doctorate and working in higher education administration. He discusses the importance of community colleges, mentorship, and the value of learning for its own sake.Dr. Bennett reflects on his initial ambition to become a university president, the traditional and alternative pathways to that role, and why he ultimately chose a different direction. He explains how his educational philosophy—prioritizing critical thinking and community impact over purely workforce preparation—led him to step away from the presidency track. Influenced by mentors and personal experiences, he realized the importance of flexibility and being open to new opportunities.Now, Dr. Bennett leads The People's Institute for the Common Good, an…