Looking Back on a campus career
When I think about my campus career- 5 years at Lehman College, more than 25 years at Bard College, I do not think first about titles or roles. I think about students. I think about the conversations, the challenges they faced, and the small but important moments where something clicked for them. I spent three decades in a variety of roles, and through all of them, I was guided by the belief that student success is not just about academics. It is about whether students can make sense of their environment and see themselves as capable within it.
Over time, I learned that supporting student success requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to listen closely to what students are actually experiencing, not just what we assume they are experiencing.
Student Success Starts With Access and Belonging
Making College Feel Navigable
One of the earliest lessons I learned is that the college experience is overwhelmingly complex. Students are expected to understand systems that are never fully explained to them. Things like registration, advising, academic expectations, and institutional language can create confusion, especially for students who are encountering higher education without prior exposure at home.
At Lehman and at Bard, I worked to help build structures to make these systems more visible and easier to navigate. This included advising support and learning spaces where students could ask questions without feeling out of place. When students understand how the institution works, they are more likely to engage with it fully.
The Importance of Belonging
Access alone is not enough. Students also need to feel that they belong. Without that sense of belonging, even the most talented students can struggle to find their footing.
Belonging comes from relationships. It comes from faculty who take the time to know their students. It comes from staff who are present and approachable. It comes from peers who help each other through challenges.
Building Systems That Support Students
Learning Commons and Integrated Support
One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was the creation of integrated academic support centers. The idea was simple: students should not have to figure out support services on their own. Academic help, writing support, and tutoring should be connected and easy to access in one place.
When support systems are fragmented, students can fall through the cracks. When they are integrated, students are more likely to use them and benefit from them. This ‘one-stop shop’ model helped bring together different forms of academic support into a more coherent experience for students.
Advising as a Central Part of Student Success
Moving Beyond Course Selection
Advising is often seen as a technical task focused on course selection. In my experience, it is much more than that. Advising is about helping students understand their goals, their strengths, and their path through college.
At Bard, we worked to develop advising structures that were intentional and connected to student development. Good advising helps students make sense of their academic choices in relation to their broader lives.
Listening to Students
To be a good adviser is to be a good listener. Students do not always arrive with clear questions. Sometimes they arrive with confusion or uncertainty. It is our responsibility to listen carefully, to ask clarifying questions, and help them name what they are experiencing.
When students feel heard, they are more likely to trust the process and engage with the guidance they receive.
Expanding Opportunities Through Innovation
New Programs and Pathways
Over the years, I was involved in the development of several academic programs, including new interdisciplinary initiatives and global learning opportunities. One of the goals behind this work was to expand the kinds of academic pathways available to students.
Students are not all the same. They have different interests, strengths, and goals. Institutions need to reflect that diversity in the curricular programs they offer as well as the support structures they provide
Global Learning and Connection
I also worked on initiatives that connected Bard students with peers and faculty around the world. These global partnerships allowed students to learn in more diverse and interconnected environments.
Global learning challenges students to think beyond their immediate context. It exposes them to different perspectives and encourages them to see themselves as part of a larger world.
What I Learned About Student Success
There Is No Single Solution
If there is one lesson I take from my career, it is that there is no single formula for student success. Students are complex, and their needs are complex. What works for one student may not work for another.
This is why flexibility and individual attention matter. Institutions need to be willing to adapt and respond rather than rely on algorithms or rigid systems of rules.
Relationships Are the Foundation
Relationships are at the center of it all. Students succeed when they feel connected to people who care about their progress. Faculty, advisors, and staff all play a role in building those connections.
These relationships are what students remember most long after graduation- the people who made their college experience what it was.
Conclusion
I have learned that student success is not a single program or policy. It is a system- a set of practices, relationships, individuals, and systems that work together to support students as whole people.
When we design institutions with this in mind, we create environments where students are more likely to thrive. That has been the goal of my work, and it remains the most important lesson I carry forward.