Richmond, Virginia, United States
Hi! I am a skilled and reliable leader in higher education administration with over 15 years of professional experience at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), in positions with responsibility for strategic leadership, student recruitment, and student success. Currently, I serve as Interim Senior Director of Student Services for the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, managing admissions, academic advising, career preparation and readiness, and retention for the school. Concurrently, I am the school's Director of Recruitment, overseeing all graduate and undergraduate student recruitment strategies and initiatives. In these roles, I'm proud to be part of a dedicated and passionate student services team! My previous experience includes serving as administrator for the VCU Globe living-learning community, with the mission of broadening out students' world views and engaging them in international experiences, as well as roles in office support, publishing, and scholarship management. I also have a strong affinity for writing and literature, and have significant professional experience in editing and teaching. I have intentionally cultivated expertise in communications, event planning and coordination, presenting, and data-driven decision-making. I possess Master of Public Administration and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, certification from the VCU Leadership Development Program, and a Bachelor of Arts in Writing and English from Loyola University Maryland.
As Interim Senior Director of Student Services, I maintain all responsibilities for the Director of Recruitment role; manage the Office of Student Success including, but not limited to, serving as the supervisor of the unit staff; serve as the liaison to university strategic student retention, engagement and success initiatives such as Policy Pathways, REAL and major maps; lead and oversee student learning outcomes and assessment practices across the school; manage student award and scholarship activities; facilitate, in conjunction with the student service units and academic programs, the development and implementation of strategic student recruitment efforts; work collectively and collaboratively with the student service units on activities to increase student retention; lead and coordinate unit-related commencement activities; serve as the school representative to appropriate university committees related to student recruitment, retention and engagement efforts; and complete other duties as assigned, related to the engagement, recruitment, retention, and student success of the Wilder School student body.
As Director of Recruitment, I establish relationships with students, counselors, agencies and community partners who have shown an interest in learning more about the undergraduate and graduate programs in the Wilder School; manage the admissions staff and experience for graduate program applicants; supervise a team of work study students in support of strategic recruitment priority areas; engage with local, state, non-profit and private entities to identify student markets and create additional avenues for student placement, funding (i.e., fellows) and skill development; coordinate the development of new recruitment techniques to build new markets to identify and attract potential students; establish relationships with schools (high schools, community colleges, four-year institutions) in and around Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region to develop opportunities and pathways to enhance student application and entry into the Wilder School undergraduate and graduate programs; coordinate open houses, information sessions, interviews, and counseling sessions with prospective students to provide information about the School, admissions processes, and university policies and procedures; maintain familiarity with admission processes and degree program requirements; represent the school at various external recruitment events; and represent the school on the appropriate university committees.
As Acting Senior Director of Strategic Enrollment and Student Success, I maintained all responsibilities for the Director of Recruitment role; managed the Office of Student Success including, but not limited to, serving as the supervisor of the unit staff; served as the lead/point of contact for the Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success (SEMSS) assessment review; served as the liaison to university strategic student retention, engagement and success initiatives such as Policy Pathways, REAL and major maps; lead and oversee student learning outcomes and assessment practices across the school; developed and oversaw a Wilder School student council; facilitated, in conjunction with the student service units and academic programs, the development and implementation of strategic student recruitment efforts; worked collectively and collaboratively with the student service units on activities to increase student retention; served as the school representative to appropriate university committees related to student recruitment, retention and engagement efforts; and completed other duties as assigned, related to the engagement, recruitment and retention of the Wilder School student body.
As Program Administrator, I oversaw and administered programs, strategies and initiatives designed to develop, enhance, and support the mission of VCU Globe; provided department administrative, operational, and supervisory support; oversaw internal and external business operations, fiscal and training initiatives, and implemented process improvement and procedures for VCU Globe programs; worked in tandem with the Director and Assistant Directors to develop strategic initiatives and monitor department and student performance for meeting strategic goals and performance metrics; provided executive level administrative support to the Director as well as planning, organizational, and coordination support; managed programmatic recruiting and admission; worked collaboratively with the Communications Manager in the development, design, printing, and deployment of programmatic recruitment materials; managed the program application process; represented the office at on- and off-campus events; supported social media networking strategy; provided direct supervision of department administrative assistant; evaluated work methods and office procedures; maintained course scheduling and student registration and enrollment; oversaw maintenance and disposal of confidential records and materials; managed the VCU Globe Student Newsletter; prepared statistical, regular, and daily reports as needed; oversaw and coordinated the fiscal activity for VCU Globe; participated directly in formulation of department policies; interpreted university and department policies, and advised faculty staff and students on their provisions; managed and tracked payment of online student payment housing fees; managed all requests and scheduling of all program physical space (conference room, classrooms, etc.); and managed over 150 dorm room spaces for the GEO-administered spaces in the West Grace North Residence Hall.
As Program Assistant, I provided support in programmatic recruiting and admission as well as management, tracking, and evaluation of program components; managed all daily operations of the front office and provided the primary clerical support; responded to inquiries from potential students and campus partners by voice, mail, and email; managed calendars and schedules for the VCU Globe Director as well as requests and scheduling of all program physical space; assisted the VCU Globe Director in fiscal record keeping and program expenditure management; provided programmatic and administrative support to the director, associate director, and assistant directors (program administrators); arranged and documented the VCU Globe Director’s international and domestic travel agendas for GEO; acted as the primary point of contact for VCU Globe faculty, staff and University officials; evaluated work methods and office procedures in order to recognize and implement ways of being more efficient in the delivery of services to faculty, staff, students, and visitors; oversaw maintenance and disposal of confidential records and materials; maintained Global Engagement course scheduling and student registration/enrollment; oversaw program participant early registration privileges; assisted in the development, design, printing, and deployment of programmatic recruitment materials; coordinated the program application process, including intake and filing of applications and generation of decision letters and other application correspondence; coordinated with the Fixed Asset Custodian for processing all major Globe purchases: furniture, computers, vehicles, etc.; prepared program budget summaries as needed; assisted the entire VCU Globe staff with travel authorization and reimbursements; prepared complex reports and projects for the Director and Globe administrative staff as needed; and coordinated the development of the VCU Globe student newsletter.
As Poetry Book Review Editor, I coordinate book review content for the journal’s spring and fall issues in a collaborative environment; identify texts by emerging and established writers; select, vet, and supervise Blackbird’s reviewers, including student, staff, and volunteer contributors; compose book reviews; correspond with authors, publishers, and literary agents; oversee and approve all copyedits and revisions to featured content; and contribute to, review, and revise the journal’s statement of purpose regarding book reviews to ensure that published content is dynamic and engaging.
As Office Services Assistant, I provided general administrative support to the School of Medicine and the Dean's Office, as well as the Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science, Pharmaceutics, and Pharmacology & Toxicology departments; carried out a variety of faculty support duties, ranging from basic to complex and including copying, faxing, researching materials, etc.; performed postal delivery, equipment and facility maintenance; and assisted with eVA/Banner ordering within the guidelines of university policies and procedures.
As Instructor, I organized and implemented the curriculum and syllabus for UNIV 200: Writing & Rhetoric Workshop and ENGL 295 Honors: Reading & Writing of Fiction & Poetry; directed the day-to-day operation of the class, including facilitating discussion, assigning tasks and writing exercises, and managing workshops; established office hours and conducted individual conferences; evaluated student performance, including participation, illustration of research, essays, argumentation, critical writings, creative pieces, and final portfolios; and accumulated knowledge of university policy, procedure, rules, and regulations.