First Year Council
Charge and Membership
The First Year Council will be charged with the following responsibilities:
- Gain knowledge of all initiatives/programs/policies on campus affecting first year students (and would be the successor to the Foundations of Excellence Task Force).
- Set campus-wide priorities among competing first year initiatives. Coordinate and align first year programs, policies, and practices.
- Plan and advocate for first year student success initiatives.
- Increase the visibility of first year issues and programs within the university community.
- Sponsor regular First Year forums/open meetings/workshops to diffuse knowledge about, and commitment to, first year issues and programs across all campuses.
- Advocate for faculty development in first year teaching.
- Design and advocate for a faculty reward structure to encourage excellence in first year teaching and advising.
- Identify current first year student advocates among faculty on all campuses and recruit more.
Consult widely with instructors of first year classes including but not limited to continuing faculty and teaching assistants.
Composition
11 Ex-officio – One representative from each of the following areas:
• University College Assistant Dean or designee (will also serve as co-chair)
• International Student and Scholar Services
• University Bursar or designee
• University Registrar or designee
• Division of Diversity and Inclusion
• Housing and Residence Life
• Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Center for Advising, Career, and Experiential Learning (ACE)
• Undergraduate Orientation Programs
• Learning Community Programs
• Institutional Effectiveness & Analytics
Committee Roster
Administrators
Kasey Daniel
danielk4@shichengjigou.net
Ashlee Tatman
tatman@shichengjigou.net
Director of Student Services
Logan Waldie
waldie@shichengjigou.net
Director of Advising and Retention
Administrators, Ex-Officio
Grusha Amatya
amatya@shichengjigou.net
International Student and Faculty Services
Tricia Barrick
barrick@shichengjigou.net
Bursar
Debra M. Benton
bentond@shichengjigou.net
University Registrar
Duane Bruce
bruced1@shichengjigou.net
Division of Diversity and Inclusion
Jen Maskiell
flowersj@shichengjigou.net
Director of Residence Life Operations
Wendy Merb-Brown
merbw@shichengjigou.net
Assistant Dean for Operations and Learning Community Programs
Valerie K. Miller, MBA
millerv@shichengjigou.net
Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
Suraiya Padiyath Abdulla
padiyath@shichengjigou.net
Advising, The ACE
Vincent Prior
priorv@shichengjigou.net
Director of Undergraduate Orientations
Barb Remsburg
remsburg@shichengjigou.net
Director of Learning Community Programs
Joni Wadley
schallej@shichengjigou.net
Institutional Research
Faculty
Rebecca Barlag
barlag@shichengjigou.net
Chemistry
Sara Berens
berenss@shichengjigou.net
Assistant Professor
Marcy Keifer Kennedy
keiferm1@shichengjigou.net
Education
Becky Munhall
brooksb1@shichengjigou.net
Health Sciences and Profession
Maria Postigo
postigo@shichengjigou.net
Modern Languages
Ana Rosado Feger
rosadof@shichengjigou.net
Management
All University committees follow the academic-year calendar.
All students serve one-year terms. Faculty, administrators, and staff generally serve three-year terms. Ex-Officio appointments have voting privileges unless otherwise noted.