There is more than one way to define success. It can be a major goal that one has accomplished or it can be the simple pleasure to finally breathe easily. The best way to put it is that success is the completion of anything intended. No matter how anyone views it, success will always be the missing piece to complete the ultimat puzzle.
And no matter how anyone views it at Dillard, “Student success is everyone’s business.” Or at least that is the notion according to Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer, vice president for student success.
“Our greatest challenge is to make student success everyone’s business at Dillard University, whether you are students, faculty, security, maintenance or cooks,” said Barnes-Teamer.
Dr. Barnes-Teamer is a newcomer to Dillard in the new Division of Student Success. Since March 5, her first day, she has put together a program that implements the president’s vision of the “New Dillard.”
The Division of Student Success is a major tool to provide support for all students to successfully meet their personal and professional objectives through their college experience. Their mission is to improve the quality of student life and learning.
“Our main duties are to assess the appropriate services, assist [in] facilitating appropriate changes and represent the students appropriately,” said Barnes-Teamer. “We want to stay engaged with them [the students] and not assume that we know what they need.”
The Division of Student Success works similar to the Jubilee Scholars Program, the former program for freshperson success. Freshmen and new studens enter the student success scholars, where they are then divided into three groups, which are advised by student success A.D.V.O.C.A.T.E.s (Aiding Dillard’s Vision Of Continuing Academic Traditions of Excellence).
“The Division of Student Success really brings together every office and entity, which brings together our students,” said Student Success A.D.V.O.C.A.T.E, Stephanie Woods. “With this collaboration, it will create a better, healthier student body.
The division then works as an umbrella for nine administrative units, all of them being another step toward success. The administrations include recruitment, admissions, financial aid and scholarships, student support services, upward bound, educational talent search, career and professional development, records and registration and vision quest.
Claude McField, a financial aid counselor says he loves the way all the department work together with open access.
“We know that our primary goal is to leave our students satisfied. Whatever the situation, we’ll take care of it,” said MField.
The division’s core values include recruiting and retaining students with strong academic, personal and social skills. In order for the division to become a success within itself, it plans to provide financial services, academic assistance and career assistance. The Divison’s ending results are to empower students to soon take their own leadership roles and maintain professional standards.
Because the division was founded and formed in the late spring semester of 2007, it wasn’t until the beginning of this school year that the division actually tested the waters for success inside and out for freshmen orientation.
“I think freshmen orientation worked better than regular registration for returning students,” said Gregory Harris, a junior business management major from Chicago, Ill. “The freshmen went through a systematic process that should have been used for everyone.”
“I’m one who thrives on challenges and gets over hurdles,” said Dr. Barnes-Teamer. “I love this job. I have a great staff and a wonderful atmosphere that helps implement our vision, goals and core values.”
