KU Higher Education Administration Program

Next up is another Washburn alum, Mia Albert!

Mia graduated this past spring with a double major in Political Science & Communications. At KU she will be a graduate assistant complex director with . When asked about what led her to higher ed, she said:

“I had fantastic undergraduate experiences that helped me come out of my comfort zone, and I had so many faculty and staff that supported and encouraged me. I want to provide that environment for other college students.“

Welcome, Mia!

Meet Liz, one of several incoming assistant complex directors!

Liz is an alum of Washburn University where she graduated with a BA in Communication Studies. When asked about her decision to pursue a master’s, she said:

“As a first-generation student, I had no idea that I could have a job doing what I loved in undergrad. Seeing the endless possibilities of getting my master’s in higher education administration made it seem like the perfect choice!”

Welcome to KU, Liz!

We’re excited to share a bit about our incoming student, Yessenia, today! An alum of the University of Northern Iowa, Yessenia is the Graduate Assistant for .

When asked about her undergraduate experiences, she said:

“Being very involved during my time at my undergraduate institution, I learned that I loved working with students and being a support system for them. I was a Resident Assistant, and I loved being someone that students trusted and being able to help them get involved on campus or find their passion. During my time as an RA and being a part of other organizations, I did a lot of programming. I enjoyed seeing the joy on people’s faces during the program and seeing them connect to campus, and I want to continue doing that; having people feel connected to campus and calling it home. I enjoyed seeing students who went to these programs and decided to apply to be a part of the organization that planned an event or program.”

Welcome, Yessenia!

As we approach the new academic year, we are excited to highlight our incoming master’s students this fall! First up is Lauren Garbisch -

Lauren is the GA for Undergraduate Recruiting in . She comes to KU from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she was able to intern in the Dean of Students office. When asked about a transformative mentor she had, she said:

“My higher ed mentor is Gregg Heinselman, the newly appointed Dean of Students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Though I had already decided on doing a higher education master’s before I started working with him, he gave me the opportunity to try my hand at actual higher education administration work as his intern in the Dean of Students office. Gregg walked me through deciding where to go to pursue my master’s and was excited when I chose KU. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met, and he truly cares for every student he meets. He bolsters student voices and speaks out for the higher education world. UWEC is a better place because he is in it. I look forward to doing that one day as well, following in his footsteps.”

We’re looking forward to highlighting more students like Lauren this summer!

Engaging with Statewide Advocacy for First-generation College Students This resource guide details how state-level advocacy is another avenue of support for first-generation college students that higher education practitioners can leverage.

Throwback to our MSE Hooding Ceremony last month! 🧑‍🎓

We hope you’ll join us to celebrate Dr. Susan Twombly’s upcoming retirement at the Arterra Gallery on Thursday, June 6th! If you have messages you’d like to include in a collection of memories and well-wishes, please send them to [email protected].

In lieu of gifts, you can also donate to a doctoral student support fund in Dr. Twombly’s honor at https://www.launchku.org/ELPSscholarships.

We had a great time honoring our 2024 spring MSE graduates at our hooding ceremony last week!

Congrats to all of the award winners! Special shout out to Drs. Susan Twombly, Amanda Mollet, and Bryan Mann in our department.

We're excited to welcome our new incoming class of EdD students, including Cassie, this summer!

⭐ Faculty Spotlight ⭐

The Office of Faculty Affairs recognizes Dr. Eugene T. Parker III for his contribution to better understanding faculty and student interactions, through two newly co-edited books! Parker is an associate professor of higher education administration in the School of Education and Human Sciences.

Parker and Teniell L. Trolian of the State University of New York – Albany, co-edited “Fostering Sustained Student-Faculty Engagement in Undergraduate Education” as well as “Promoting Meaningful Student-Faculty Experiences in Graduate Education.”
Parker shares, “One thing we’ve learned is that we need to work toward sustained engagement instead of just one or two interactions here or there. Building those relationships can allow students and faculty to be comfortable enough to have critical conversations together. We also need to think about faculty members. When we have conducted research on student-faculty interactions, it’s largely been surveys of students’ experiences, but not of the faculty. That’s something we need to consider more.”

Parker’s research builds out a conceptual map of the aspects of student-faculty interactions, taking into consideration students’ and faculty members’ varied identities. Both books further expand on these interactions to help faculty create meaningful student interaction while understanding there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Read more about Parker’s recent publications here: https://news.ku.edu/news/article/new-books-examine-how-to-foster-meaningful-interactions-between-students-faculty-to-bolster-college-success

University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences
KU Higher Education Administration Program

Stephanie Leon follows lifelong passion for education in KU Higher Education Administration program Even since childhood, Stephanie Leon knew she wanted to be an educator. After beginning her education journey at community college, she…

We had a great time connecting with folks at NASPA and ACPA! Here is our ACPA group during the KU Social.

is here! 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Professor Susan Twombly will contribute $1,000 when we receive 15 gifts to the Educational Leadership & Policy Studies department! 🔴 🔵 Make a gift here: rockcha.lk/soehs-odoku24

It’s finally here! Today is , our annual 24-hour day of giving that goes directly to essential student-success services & programming.

Please consider supporting KU programs and initiatives that fuel a better tomorrow. Learn more: rockcha.lk/soehs-odoku24

Have you heard the news? We have a new graduate certificate (9 credit hours) in Higher Education Administration!

KU Educational Leadership & Policy Studies announces new Higher Education Administration graduate certificate KU Educational Leadership & Policy Studies announces new Higher Education Administration graduate certificate Tue, 02/27/24 Aspen Grender SHARE: Share by Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on X, formerly known as Twitter LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Educational Leadership & Pol...

We have two upcoming opportunities to connect with alumni and friends:

✅ NASPA in Seattle, 3/11 at 5:30pm PST
✅ ACPA in Chicago, 3/19 at 11am CST

We hope to see you there!

In light of the tragic events following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII Celebration today, our 24-hour giving day, ONE DAY. ONE KU., which was set to launch at midnight, has been postponed. Please keep all those affected in your thoughts as we try to make sense of this latest national tragedy.

Read a joint statement from KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod and KU Endowment President Dan Martin. www.ku.edu/onedayoneku

Save the date! One Day. One KU. is happening this February 15th. Be on the look out for the Professor Susan Twombly Challenge for Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. If we get 15 donations of any amount, Dr. Twombly is contributing $1,000! https://onedayoneku.org/pages/school-of-education-and-human-sciences-landing-page

Mark your calendars! We’re having a party😎

Come hangout at Johnny’s West with friends in the program to celebrate the end of our year!

❤️💙

Congratulations to Grace Marco and Dr. Amanda Mollet on receiving Rock Chalk Recognition Awards!

Thank you both for being outstanding, we’re so happy to celebrate you!

TODAY🗣

Join us today as Nick Daily speaks about professionalism in higher education!

Find the zoom link in the linktree in our bio. Password: LSDaily

Rock chalk!

Congratulations to HEA’s very own Steven Johnson and Kenneth Aspen Szatkowski on being recognized at KU’s Lavender Graduation!🎉

🎓Steven will be receiving his Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration this fall.

🎓Kenneth was awarded the “Be You at KU Student of the Year Award”, which is a recognition of their outstanding leadership and commitment within the University and in the Lawrence community, and their allyship and solidarity within the KU LGBTQIA+ community. They will also be receiving their M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Administration this fall.

Congratulations to you both 🍾🎊🥳

TOMORROW🗣

Our sweet .ev_its_chill is hosting a movie night tomorrow at 7:30PM! Come watch Fail State, work on your work, and chill with your HEA friends.

GRADS🗣 Join us next Thursday in the Kansas Union as hosts a revision workshop!
Be sure to bring any draft of any paper you have written.

The KU HEA Crew had an amazing time at in St. Louis! KU faculty and grads presented, volunteered at ‘s Cabaret and all around had an amazing time building community with other higher education professionals. Can’t wait for New Orleans next year!

Ayo, student profile check🗣

Meet Jordan Smoot, President of the HESA Board for our program! Swipe to learn a few things about our friend Jordan.

Catch a glimpse of what it’s like to be a GA in our program starting ⚠️TOMORROW⚠️ as Jordan takes over our IG stories.

We love you, Jordan. Oh, and

PROSPECTIVE AND INCOMING GRADUATE STUDENTS🗣

Keep checking your emails for updates and information about our programs upcoming HEGA Days!

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