Leslie Webb, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, recently published an article titled “An Achievable Plan for Student Success” in The Beacon, the newsletter for Boise State’s accreditation body, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
It begins: “Almost three years ago, I stepped into this role and delivered a simple statement of clarity to the division. We are focused on the recruitment, retention and employability of our students. At a new staff orientation, I said, ‘Everyone should be able to see their work contributing to these three objectives.’ One staff member raised their hand and said ‘No, I don’t think I contribute to any of those…’
She and I spent a few minutes in conversation about her role on campus – a front line staff member- and I asked her a few questions about her interactions with students. Her face lit up at one point, and she said, ‘You know, I had a student come up to me and tell me thank you. I asked him why he was thanking me, and he said ‘because you’re the one person who says hello to me each day.’”