Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

Next steps in SAEM strategic planning: Big Meetings!

By Bernadette Montoya | Published July 4, 2012

All SAEM staff should plan to attend at least one of the Big Meetings to give input on ideas that are under consideration for SAEM strategic planning.

  • July 18, 2:00 pm, Doña Ana Room of Corbett Center
  • July 24, 10:00 am, Doña Ana Room of Corbett Center

Refreshments will be served at each of these events.

Members of the SAEM Leadership Team were given the results of brainstorming sessions on June 28. They are now working with senior staff in their areas to develop 3–4 priorities for their strategic plan (due by July 16).

We heard from many of you that we need to work together more closely: this is where we start. At the Big Meetings, all staff can share their ideas about how we can collaborate to better serve our students. The areas represented at these meetings include:

  • Dean of Students
  • Financial Aid and Scholarship Services
  • Health and Wellness
  • Office of the Vice President
  • Student Diversity and Outreach
  • Student Engagement
  • University Admissions
  • University Registrar

Following these sessions, leaders will finalize priorities for a strategic plan. The final plan will include goals, actions to support goals, timelines, team members, resources needed, and measures of success.

Just as a reminder, here is an overview of the SAEM strategic planning process.

  • COMPLETED: March 1 Leadership Team Input
  • COMPLETED: Brainstorming sessions June 6–25
  • SAEM input on ideas (July 18, 2 pm & July 24, 10 am, Doña Ana Room, CCSU)
  • Finalize plan by October 1
  • Begin distribution to staff and University Administration in October
  • Update plan for 2013 annual reporting (June–July 2012)
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Aspiring to a higher-level administrative position?

By Bernadette Montoya | Published July 4, 2012

Bar Harbor, Maine.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the summer meeting of the Student Affairs Council of APLU (Association of Public and Land Grant Universities) in Bar Harbor, Maine. I have the great honor of serving on the executive committee, and have met some wonderful colleagues from across the country. During our recent meeting, two guests joined us who had been student affairs professionals for most of their careers, and now serve as Presidents of universities. Each shared thoughts on why those from a student affairs background make such great presidents, and how changes in higher education are starting to make student affairs professional more attractive for these level administrative positions.

While I know that many of us may not aspire to a Presidency, I do know that we all aspire to be better leaders, and perhaps to seek higher-level positions than where we may be serving now.  The insights that were shared by these two Presidents should provoke some thoughts about your own professional lives and career plans.  I look forward to receiving your thoughts and feedback about this and welcome your insight. 

Path to the Presidency

  • Engage with and seek advice from others
  • Be intentional about your decision to enter a search
  • Be specific about your skills, qualifications, experiences
  • Share examples and highlights of your partnerships with faculty
  • Identify successful leaders to serve as your references

Roles of Presidents/Chancellors

  • Leader, supporter, negotiator, fund-raiser, relationship-builder, story teller, connector, lobbyist, politician, learner, listener, champion, collaborator, bridge builder, decision maker, risk taker, adapter, communicator, peace maker

Balancing Work and Life

  • “I come to my job, not to my life” attitude
  • Commit to on-going professional development and network building
  • Take care of self
  • Delegate, trust
  • Schedule vacation and personal time in advance
  • Family first

Student Affairs Leaders know how to….

  • Articulate the big-picture view of the campus, its vision and many assets
  • Stretch a dollar better than anyone
  • Multi-task
  • Respond to and manage a crisis
  • Communicate with various stakeholders
  • Build a team
  • Reach out to diverse populations
  • Remain calm under pressure
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with students
  • Tell stories of student success through various means
  • Make decisions using evidence, research and data
  • Provide hope
  • Lead with a can-do attitude

Final Points and Lessons Learned

  • Know and focus on the big things (grow enrollments via a student success culture; build a high-performing senior staff team; focus on the assets or your institution; implement an integrated planning and budget process to lead to greater financial sustainability
  • Focus every day on building relationships with all stakeholders
  • Think ahead before responding, acting, reacting
  • Know that what you say, do, or do not say or do matters and is noticed
  • Remember the difference between you as a person, and you as an administrator
  • Admit when you are wrong
  • Admit vulnerability and seek help
  • Grow a “thick skin”
  • Stay as long as you are effective
  • When faced with a challenge, “sleep on it!”
  • Be an active learner
  • Keep a sense of humor
  • Be yourself, and be genuine to who you are
  • Remember, you represent the University in ALL that you do!
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Roseanne Bensley wins last week's gift certificate!

By Tarran Trotter | Published June 26, 2012

The winner of last week’s drawing is Roseanne Bensley! Below is the wordle created from the responses to last week’s dicussion topic. Click on the image to view larger.

Wordle: Customer Service

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Open Forum Wordle

By Tarran Trotter | Published June 15, 2012

This is the wordle from the Open Forum discussion for June 13. Click the image to view the wordle.

Wordle: Open Forum

Last week’s winner of the gift certificate was Lorena Diaz of the Office of  Student Engagement.

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Open Forums

By Bernadette Montoya | Published June 12, 2012

Thanks to each of you who took the time to attend our Open Forum! I was delighted to have the opportunity to engage with everyone, and to share many of the things that we are working on this summer and beyond. It was a pleasure to be able to award Lisa Kirby her gift certificate for her participation in the recent discussion thread during our 1 p.m. forum! Look for the new discussion question now on our website. Another drawing will be held this Friday at 3 p.m. I look forward to reading your comments.

I hope you all enjoyed the video that was created by our student, Stacey Clayshulte. It is available below for you to re-visit or to share with others. Students: Their lives, our hands. I truly think this is an important metaphor for us to think about as we reflect on the services that we provide to our students. Each of us makes a difference.

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Students: Their lives, our hands

By Phillip Johnson | Published June 12, 2012

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Lisa Kirby wins this week’s gift certificate!

By Stacey Clayshulte | Published June 12, 2012

Congratulations to Lisa Kirby of Student Engagement for winning this week’s Barnes and Noble gift certificate for contributing to our discussion of workplace values.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Your responses are represented in the Wordle below.
Wordle: Values

Click the image for a larger view. The larger the word, the more frequently it was mentioned in your responses.

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Carol Hicks joins NMSU as SSS Director

By Bernadette Montoya | Published June 12, 2012

Please join me in welcoming Carol B. Hicks as the new Director of the TRIO Student Support Services Program.  Carol began her service with NMSU on May 1.  Carol’s 21 years of professional experience in higher education  have included working with Financial Aid, the TRIO Educational Talent Search and TRIO Upward Bound Programs at the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the University of Texas-El Paso.  She also serves on the Executive Board for the El Paso YWCA and is the President of the Texas Association of Student Special Services Program (TASSP).

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Carol Brown wins this week's gift certificate!

By Phillip Johnson | Published June 1, 2012

Congratulations to Carol Brown of Student Accessibility Services for winning this week’s Barnes and Noble gift certificate for contributing to our discussion of workplace values.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Your responses are represented in the Wordle below.

Wordle: Discussion 2 final

Click the image for a larger view. The larger the word, the more frequently it was mentioned in your responses.

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Todd Woods wins this week's gift certificate!

By Melody Munson-Mcgee | Published May 25, 2012

Congratulations to Todd Woods of the Registrar’s Office for winning this week’s Barnes and Noble gift certificate for answering “How does your job affect students?”

This was a great start for our first discussion board, and we will continue to us this discussion forum to get collect your input on other topics. Look for a new question soon!

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