From Student Affairs to Presidency: Dr. Lori White's Unique Path to Leadership

SA Voices From the Field

In this week's episode of SA Voices From the Field, we bring you Dr. Lori White, the 21st president of DePauw University, to share her inspiring journey and valuable insights into higher education leadership. From her early years in student affairs to her groundbreaking role as a college president, Dr. White's story offers a roadmap for aspiring leaders and underscores the importance of mentorship, strategic decision-making, and student-centered leadership.

The Path to Presidency

Dr. White's journey to the presidency of DePauw University began with her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, where she discovered her passion for student affairs at the University of California Irvine. This passion led her to a 40-year career in higher education, marked by a progression through various roles in student affairs and prolific authorship. Her commitment to promoting student access, equity, and success later propelled her to the presidency of DePauw University, where she saw an opportunity to shape university policies and influence.

The Role of Mentors

One key aspect of Dr. White's journey is the pivotal role of mentors in guiding her leadership path. Encouraged by mentors and colleagues to consider applying for a presidency, she was eventually nominated for the position by a fellow woman president. This underscores the profound impact of mentorship in shaping the careers of aspiring leaders and the importance of building a supportive network within the higher education community.

The Transition and Challenges

Stepping into the role of president amidst the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for Dr. White. She emphasized the need for immediate decision-making and virtual relationship-building, highlighting the dynamic nature of leadership in higher education and the adaptability required to navigate unforeseen obstacles.

Empowering Student Affairs Professionals

Dr. White's emphasis on the skills and experiences gained in student affairs sheds light on the breadth of responsibilities, ranging from working with academic affairs to managing business aspects, dealing with crises, engaging with alumni, and contributing to scholarly work and research. This insight demystifies the day-to-day responsibilities of a college president and underscores the scholarly aspects of student affairs professionals.

Involving Stakeholders in Decision-Making

Dr. White's advocacy for involving professionals at all levels in strategic planning underscores the importance of empowering emerging professionals to offer ideas and participate in decision-making processes. Additionally, her dedication to ensuring that student voices are heard through meaningful engagement with the student body president reflects a commitment to student-centered leadership and the value of seeking input from all stakeholders.

NASPA Opportunities

The episode also featured valuable updates and opportunities at the upcoming NASPA 2024 conference, including pre-conference events tailored for community college professionals, international student services practitioners, and undergraduate students. The conference aims to support the development of student affairs professionals and offers various short courses on relevant topics.

Dr. Lori White's insights from her remarkable journey to the college presidency offer valuable lessons for leaders, emerging professionals, and students alike. Her emphasis on mentorship, strategic decision-making, and student-centered leadership serves as a guiding beacon for those navigating the complex landscape of higher education. Aspiring leaders can draw inspiration from Dr. White's journey, recognizing the transformative power of mentorship and the profound impact of inclusive, student-focused leadership in shaping the future of higher education.

By embracing the principles and insights shared by Dr. White, the next generation of leaders can continue to drive positive change and progress within the realm of student affairs and higher education.

Please subscribe to SA Voices from the Field on your favorite podcasting device and share the podcast with other student affairs colleagues!

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:02]:

Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts. This is season 9 on transitions in student affairs. This podcast is brought to you by NASPA, And I'm Dr. Jill Creighton. She, her, hers, your SA voices from the field host. Welcome back to another episode of SA Voices from the Field. This is our season finale of season 9 on transitions in student affairs, and I cannot think of a better human being to help us close out this season than Dr. Lori S. White. Dr. White was appointed the 21st president of DePauw University on March 4, 2020, and began her term on July 1, 2020. Prior, she was the vice chancellor for student affairs and a professor of practice at Washington UNiversity in Saint Louis. At DePauw, she also holds the rank of professor of education, and she's the 1st woman and the first person of color to serve as DePauw's president.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:58]:

Dr. White has spent 40 years working in higher education. Prior to her arrival at Washington university. She served as the VP for student affairs and clinical professor of education at Southern Methodist University and also held posts at the University of Southern California, Stanford, Georgetown, San Diego State, and the University of California, Irvine. Active nationally in several higher education organizations, Since Dr. White has served on the board of directors for the Association For Sustainability in Higher Education and for NASPA's Foundation from team to 2017. In 2009, she was named a pillar of the profession by NASPA. She's currently serving on the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents and is a member of the Bipartisan and Policy Center's academic leaders task force on campus free expression. Dr. White is one of 5 founding college presidents of the liberal arts colleges racial equity leadership alliance. Dr. White's areas of emphasis in research and teaching include the student experience in higher ed and the preparation of mentorship for new mid-level and aspiring senior student affairs professionals.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:55]:

She's the author of a number of articles and book chapters and has presented widely at professional meetings, including NASPA. Her most recent publications appear in a coedited volume called Transformational Encounters, shaping diverse college and university leaders, and another titled Keep Calm and Call the Dean of Students, a guide to understanding the many facets of the Dean of Students' role. Born and raised in San Francisco, Dr. White earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and English from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in administration and policy analysis with emphasis on higher education. She also participated in Harvard University's management leadership in education program. Dr. White and her husband, Anthony Tillman, are both career educators with a deep passion and commitment to student access, equity, and success. Lori, we are so excited to have you on SA Voices today.

Dr. Lori White [00:02:41]:

So excited, Jill. Thank you for the invitation.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:44]:

And you've been such a staple of the student affairs profession, a stalwart, or if you will, having been a NASPA board chair, a pillar of the profession, and you've actually kind of left the field, kind of not left the field after many, many years, currently sitting in the seat as president at DePauw University, and we love to start all of our interviews by asking our guests, how did you get to your current seat.

Dr. Lori White [00:03:07]:

I appreciate you saying that I left the field of student affairs. I don't think anyone really ever leaves the field of student affairs, But I did transition to becoming the President of DePauw University in 2020. And I never imagined that I would be a college president, Jill. And part of the reason, I think, is that it's hard to imagine what you don't see. I identify as an African American, a cisgender female, and there are not that many females who are presidents of colleges and universities. There are not that many African Americans that are Presidents of colleges and universities, and so you can deduce from that there are not that many African American females that are Presidents of colleges and universities.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:52]:

No kidding. Not enough people who are marginalized or from marginalized backgrounds in those seats.

Dr. Lori White [00:03:56]:

I was going to say that it really took mentors who encouraged me to think beyond what I had been doing, and I loved being a Vice President for student affairs and would have been happy to retire as a vice president for student affairs. But as you and I know, sometimes those who mentor us, encourage us to think beyond what we're doing currently and aspire to do something else.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:04:22]:

That's for sure, especially our best mentors. Now, Lori, you had a prolific career up through the vice presidency of student affairs. Would you mind taking us through your journey from a new professional to VPSA?

Dr. Lori White [00:04:32]:

Sure. I did my undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, and the reason that I'm starting there is I'm now president of a liberal arts college. And I think if I had known that liberal arts colleges existed, that would have been a better fit for me. UC Berkeley gave me a great academic education, but I was lost in a sea of 30,000-plus students, And I never did any of the things that we always advise our students to do. Right? I never went to a faculty member's office hours. I didn't connect with all of the resources that I now know were available to me at UC Berkeley. And so when I graduated With my degree in English and psychology, I really wasn't sure what I was going to do. And it was my dad, who is a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who suggested that I think about working on a college campus.

Dr. Lori White [00:05:27]:

So perhaps unlike you, Jill, or folks in the generation that followed me, Who, you know, you might have been an orientation leader, or you worked in student activities, and then somebody taps you on the shoulder and said, you can do this for the rest of your life. I didn't have that experience, but it was my dad who said, try this out. I think this will be a great fit for what I know about what you love. And sure enough, I got my 1st job at the University of California Irvine. I fell in love with student affairs once I discovered who those people were, And I saw the work that they were doing to mentor, support, and advise students. And I knew if I'd had somebody like that working with me when I was an undergraduate, my experience would have been different. And so, you know, 40-something years later, I'm still working in higher education, 10 years at UC Irvine, doing a number of things. Probably most impactful was being the director of the cross-cultural center at UC Irvine, One of the very first cross-cultural, multicultural centers in the state, probably in the country.

Dr. Lori White [00:06:34]:

After that, I went back to graduate school. I quit my full-time job, made the best decision ever in my life, became a full-time graduate student, and got my Ph.D. at Stanford University. And then after that, I've done what, most of my colleagues have done, started moving my way up the student affairs ladder, worked at Georgetown University, At San Diego State University, back at Stanford, also at the University of Southern California, got my 1st vice President's position at Southern Methodist University. I was the VP there for eight years, and then I was the vice president or vice chancellor for student affairs at Washington University in Saint Louis for five years before I became president of DePauw.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:18]:

And you're also quite a prolific author. So, if you've Probably read Lori's work, maybe without knowing it, but I think the highlight for me is, keep calm and call the dean of students. That's a critical one.

Dr. Lori White [00:07:29]:

Yes. I love the title. Love the title.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:32]:

Absolutely. Lori, when you and I ran into each other, I think it was Boston for NASPA this last go around. While we were standing there together, I asked you if you love being a President compared to being a VPSA. And I recall you saying to me, it stuck with me: I loved being a VPSA, but I feel called to do the work of being the President. Can you talk to us about that transition from being the person leading the student affairs experience, which is really the, you know, the head experience officer for a university, to be in that position of figurehead, fundraiser, policymaker, influencer?

Dr. Lori White [00:08:12]:

The first question you asked me was, Why did I decide to be a college president?

Dr. Lori White [00:08:19]:

And so it aligns with my response to your Question. And you have a great memory because that's exactly what I said. I love being a vice president for student affairs and feel called to serve as a college president. When I visited DePauw University, I was discerning whether I would say yes if I got the job offer. I was in this space on my campus where the portraits of all of the previous presidents hang. I am president number 21. And as I looked around that room, and I saw the portraits of Presidents 1 through 20, none of whom looked like me, Literally, a voice from above said, they're gonna offer you that job. And when they do, you need to say yes.

Dr. Lori White [00:09:04]:

It's not about you, Lori. It's what you represent for future generations. Future generations need to know that it's possible for somebody who looks like you to be president of DePauw University. And so that is why I felt called to serve. I also realized within my 1st couple of days on the job that even though, as I tell people, I was scared to death on my 1st day of the overwhelming responsibility of being a college president, I sometimes walk out of my office, and I look around, and I think to myself, o m g. I'm responsible for all of this. Right? So, you know, every decision that I make, impacts a student and their experience, impacts our faculty, impacts our employees, impacts our alumni, and sometimes that's an overwhelming responsibility. However, I'm really driven by how important it is for us every day To make sure that our colleges and universities are doing their best to educate students and to make sure that every student that we admit and who agrees to join our wonderful community is able to realize their hopes and their dreams.

Dr. Lori White [00:10:14]:

And it was my background in student affairs That really, I think, has enabled me to be a successful President.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:10:21]:

I think the most interesting part of being a college president out of the student affairs pathway is that it's still a fairly new transition. Most college presidents come out of that provost space. Some are, you know, business officers at the VP level. But I'm aware of very few VPSAs who've really gone on to that. I'll shout out a few off the top of my head. Dr. Frank Sanchez, who mentored me when I was at CU Denver, and Dr. Robin Holmes Sullivan out at Reed University. She came out of that VPSA ship not that long ago. Then, Dr. Rod Kelly, who also came out of student affairs vice presidency and is now, I believe, the University of Portland. So, the student affairs vice presidency is now, I believe, at the University of Portland. So it's really exciting to see it happening, but I also don't know that student affairs professionals really aspire to that direction. I feel like the VPSA role is the top of that aspirational ladder for a lot of people, and popping the top to the presidency doesn't really feel like it's been on the table or been realistic. Tell us about how you made that realistic for yourself and what made you even wanna apply.

Dr. Lori White [00:11:17]:

Sure. And thanks for the list of those folks, all great friends of mine. We all grew up together in student affairs. I would also add John Hoffman to that list.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:27]:

Yeah. Very new as well.

Dr. Lori White [00:11:29]:

Right. Exactly. Several others are now getting opportunities because I think Boards are realizing the breadth of skills that student affairs professionals bring to the job. So let's see what led me to decide I wanted to put my baby toe in the water to actually apply for a presidency. I mentioned earlier that I had mentors who were encouraging me to think about a presidency, including my boss at WashU, who was the provost at the time and was the previous chancellor at the University of North Carolina. I also remember I had given a speech for NASPA, And after I left the stage, Mike Sagawa, who is also one of my longtime mentors, said to me, Lori, you just need to be a college president. And there were other voices, you know, in the field and otherwise, who were encouraging me to move forward. I happened to be on a panel with 2 other women, both of whom were college presidents.

Dr. Lori White [00:12:33]:

Following that panel discussion, the call came out for the presidency of DePauw, And one of those women nominated me for the job. I don't know if I hadn't received the nomination if I would've thought about applying for the position. But once the search firm reached out to me and I understood I'd been nominated by a woman who was a president, I thought to myself, I'm hearing these voices. Another President nominated me. You know, what's the worst that can happen to me? I always say to folks that when you apply for those jobs, the worst that can happen is you lose your time and your ego. Right? Because, you know, your time just in terms of, the time it takes to prepare the materials and your ego if you ultimately don't get the job. Right? And so I tell people, Jill, that I applied for the job for practice. I thought to myself, let me prepare my materials.

Dr. Lori White [00:13:26]:

Let me see what kind of feedback I get. And then, when I'm ready, I will know what I need to work on for me to be ready for that next step. I never imagined I was actually going to get the job, which I think speaks to women. And often, people of color undervalue and underestimate the skills that we have. Right? So, you know, somebody Might see a job description, and let's say there are ten things that are required. And I would say, and most women would say, and many people of color would say, well, I only have 9 out of the 10. So until I get all 10, I'm not applying. Someone else would say, oh, I've got 3 of those things. Oh, yeah.

Dr. Lori White [00:14:07]:

I'm going for, and so, you know, I was in that group of folks thinking that I didn't have enough experience or because I wasn't an academic, Etcetera. And so, as I said, I never imagined I would get the job. But I learned, Jill, that those of us who come up through Student affairs have mad skills. Right? We, first of all, are one of the few people on the president's cabinet who have to look at the entire university. Right? Because in our roles, we work with academic affairs. We obviously, you know, work with all the areas of student affairs. Most of us run some level of business because we're running auxiliaries, residence halls, Bookstores, and student unions. We have to deal with campus crises.

Dr. Lori White [00:14:54]:

Often, we are raising money and if we're not raising money. We are interacting with our alumni and others who, because of their experiences Inside and outside of the classroom, are more interested then in giving back to the university, and we deal with oftentimes complicated divisions and organizations. And so, I didn't really understand how all of that would play into Being a college president, but as I went through the interview process, I was able to articulate all of the work that I had done on behalf of the university In order for the board to see me in that role as their president.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:15:36]:

I want everyone to rewind, like, 1 minute and listen to Lori Rattle off that list again because she just helped you rewrite your cover letter right there.

Dr. Lori White [00:15:47]:

That's wonderful. That's exactly it. Right? We also teach and write and do research. And so for those who believe that only a pure academic can be a college president, Again, in student affairs, most of us are active scholar-practitioners.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:16:02]:

Absolutely. It's kind of a wild thing to think about about a career in higher education. And I think that many of my colleagues still couldn't really tell you what a president does on a day-to-day basis. I'm wondering if you can demystify that a little bit.

Dr. Lori White [00:16:16]:

I would love to know the answer to that myself. Right? What do we do on a daily basis? The most important part of the job of a president is this. Number one is working with your board, and that's probably something that most folks Looking outside of the presidency don't realize, so I spend a lot of time working with my board, particularly at a Private university, my board or my chief fundraisers. And so making sure that those individuals that are on my board, Who are volunteering on behalf of the university, are in the know about what's happening on campus, are excited such that they want to be able to continue To contribute their treasures, and can advise me about all of the complicated pieces of running, you know, a multimillion-dollar company. And so spend a lot of time working with the board. Spend a lot of time on fundraising because, again, as a private independent college, we're not getting any money from the state. And so lots of presidents like me were on the road a lot, out there, interacting with our alumni and Friends, sharing the good news about what's happening on campus, and so I spend a lot of time, particularly once we got out of the pandemic, Spend a lot of time out on the road. Also spend time supporting my vice president.

Dr. Lori White [00:17:41]:

So, you know, I went from a vice president To now having a number of vice presidents who are working for me, and I wanna make sure that my vice presidents have what it is that they need In order to effectively run their divisions on campus. And then probably, lastly, and most importantly, again, for a small college we spend 247 every day talking about admissions. Because, you know, I'm unable to deliver a class of students, we can't pay our bills. And so we spend a lot of time strategically thinking about What it is that we need to do to present ourselves to this really competitive market of prospective students such that they will be excited About applying for DePauw and excited about accepting our offer of admission. So those are probably the high-level things that I do, and then, of course, all of us Have all the administrative work that comes with any high-level job that you might have.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:42]:

I think it's really important for listeners to hear the president has a boss, but it's not a single boss. It's a group of people.

Dr. Lori White [00:18:48]:

It's a group of bosses. Right.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:49]:

Group of bosses. Lori, can you talk about the transition mindset that you had to go through and make for yourself from the day that you took off your vice president of student affairs hat and put on your president hat.

Dr. Lori White [00:19:00]:

I had an unusual entry into the job because remember, I was selected as DePauw's president in March of 2020. So I came to campus the 1st week of March for all of the hoopla of the announcement, Which was very exciting. And then, a week later, the entire world turned upside down. So right away, I had to make, really important decisions that affected the future of our institution. So I went from thinking about presidential 1st year as a Meet and greet to a presidential 1st year of deciding, do I open the university or not? If we open the university, how many students Will we invite back to campus? Are we gonna require vaccinations? All of those parts and pieces I had to do as a brand new president or All of those decisions I had to make right away as a brand new president and get to know my community virtually. So, again, none of that is What most new presidents do when you go on that listening tour. I had to do the listening tour, but I had to do it all virtually. And the board asked me to deliver a strategic plan right away, and again, I had to figure out a way to do that on a campus where I didn't have any preexisting relationships.

Dr. Lori White [00:20:19]:

Do that within my 1st year and, again, do that all virtually. So, it was a very different kind of first and 2nd year as a president than I had imagined. And, again, I think my student affairs experiences really served me well because I knew how to relationship build. I knew how to manage in a crisis, though none of us knew how to manage this level of crisis, but I knew What is required in order to respond to, you know, ever-changing rules and policies, and have to make, those kinds of of really important decisions, at least I felt like I'd had some experience doing that. I obviously had some strategic planning experience, and so had to focus on how to figure out how to translate That experience that I had used in strategic planning for a division for an entire campus. And I think the other thing we're good doing in student affairs is keeping people's spirits up and being ever optimistic regardless of the challenge in front of us.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:25]:

Now thinking about all those VPSAs who might be listening today, what would you like to tell them about their applications for presidencies?

Dr. Lori White [00:21:33]:

I know several of them will probably call me, which is fine, or reach out to me about navigating the presidential search process, and I'm more than happy to do that. And what I always say to folks is we need good leaders. We need good presidential leaders and, you know, anyone in student affairs Who thinks they might want to be a college president, I would support and encourage that. And with this caveat, I always tell people, It's not the title. It's the job. And so you have to decide you want to do the work of being a college president, not just be excited by the fancy title. The work is really hard. It's even harder than being a vice president for student affairs.

Dr. Lori White [00:22:13]:

As I said, when I walk out of my door, I realize and recognize I have responsibility for everything at the university, not just some slice of it, and you have to be you're a public figure. Every day, somebody's mad at me for something. Right. At least in student affairs, a person might be mad at me, but most people liked me. You know, in this job, every day, there's somebody who's with the president about something, a decision that you've made, a communication that you have offered or not offered, a program that you've had to sunset, Whatever that might be, somebody's always upset with you, and so you have to be driven by what you think is the long term mission and focus of the institution and feel like every day you're making progress toward that. And if you feel like you can do that, Then you can be excited about the work. If being liked 100% of the time or, you know, feeling that you're are always gonna have all the answers, if that's Something that is most important to you, this is not the job.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:12]:

Totally fair. And the person who might be mad at you may not even be at your institution, depending on what kind of presidency.

Dr. Lori White [00:23:19]:

Or an alum who is not excited about what the alum seeds as a change in the direction of the institution. And for those of us who love places that we have been a part of, Change is hard.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:32]:

For sure. Let's flip that question a little bit. Now that you're sitting in the presidency seat, has that transitioned your mindset at all on the role of the VPSA?

Dr. Lori White [00:23:39]:

You know, it's such a great question, Jill, because I have a great vice president for student affairs, Dr. John Mark Day. And he and I laugh frequently because sometimes when we're in conversation and we're talking about students or student issues, I look at him and I say, you know what? I said, I'm not to where I'm responding with my president hat on, or I used to be a vice president of student affairs hat on. And so, of all of the people on my cabinet, I really wanna make sure that I am not getting in the lane of the vice president for student affairs just because I used to do that job. And I think the vice president for student affairs also appreciates a president who used to do that job and really understands, you know, all of the critical issues that he is wrestling with every day.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:28]:

We've talked a lot about the BPSA, but I also wanna talk about that 1st-year professional who is very far away from the presidency in terms of hierarchy in an organization and who is deeply affected by presidential decisions but maybe doesn't always understand them, or get to be in the rooms where a rationale for those decisions are being shared. What can you say to our entry and mid-level professionals who might be confused or set about a presidential decision or who might go? I don't understand why we're doing it this way.

Dr. Lori White [00:24:55]:

I appreciate that question also, Jill. Certainly, I have gotten that a lot. We had to make some really tough decisions in the spring that affected some particular student populations, and I think Emerging professionals and students were not completely understanding of the reasoning for making those decisions. Part of that, I wanna own because I think we could have done a better job of articulating the why. And, to your point, you know, when I was a younger professional, I was just focused on a particular area that I was responsible for, and I never really thought about the big university as a whole. And so what I would encourage, you know, new and emerging professionals is, as a president, I have to make decisions that affect the university not only tomorrow, but for the next 186 years; we're 186 years old. So, you know, the ramifications of any decision that I make have to stand the university well through the course of its next generation. And I think often Younger and emerging professionals aren't able to see that bigger picture.

Dr. Lori White [00:26:01]:

And so what I would encourage them to do is make sure that they're interacting team with their directors, interacting with their associate vice presidents, and the vice president to educate themselves About, you know, what is the larger context, for any decisions that a president might make, and are there ways in which That emerging or younger professional can give what is probably really valuable feedback, about those big decisions that the president is considering.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:26:29]:

Our emerging professionals are often the ones who are closest to our students as well. They hear the students most clearly and often are closest in age to our students, so they can truly stand the challenges facing our students better than a senior administrator can. With that in mind, how can or how should an emerging professional or new professional share what they know upward?

Dr. Lori White [00:26:51]:

I think it depends on the place. So, you know, I and what I mean about that is, you know, at a big, Complicated university. It is unlikely that an emerging professional is gonna be able to directly email the president. Right? And so, in those places, it's most important to go up the chain of, you know, I'm trying to think of another word for the chain of command, but the organizational structure. Right. So, you know, sharing that with your director, your director, in turn, shares that with their AVP, and the AVP, in turn, shares that with the VP, who then can share that with the president. You know, at a small place, I'm pretty accessible. And so while I it would not be politically kosher Or, you know, emerging professional to jump over all those hoops and come directly to me with something they hadn't shared with their vice president.

Dr. Lori White [00:27:42]:

People also know that I'm a very accessible president. My email, you know, is open to everybody on campus. People don't hesitate to reach out to me, and so I certainly would encourage somebody on my campus, certainly, if there's something they wanted to share with me To do so, but I would want them to copy in the people for whom they work so that those folks aren't blindsided. I also think, you know, as leaders, One of the things I'm really proud that I did and I need to do more of is that when I created our strategic planning teams when I first arrived, I said I want people at all levels of the organization to participate, not just the usual suspects and not just the people, who are at the highest level of the organizational chart because I know, that there are great ideas throughout the organization, and I wanted to empower Those younger folks to feel like they could offer their ideas and participate.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:28:36]:

That's wonderful to hear that the strategic planning is considering all levels. I know that not all organizations do that, but it's a true example of giving voice to all professionals. Really appreciate it.

Dr. Lori White [00:28:47]:

Right. I think that I think that's important. I think we need to do a better job of how we can best involve our students. And I think, you know, whenever I talk with students, I say to them, tell me, You know, what is the most effective way for us to hear your voice? Because, you know, we will often hear when we make a decision, well, students weren't informed, They weren't consulted, and sometimes we have informed and consulted, and sometimes we haven't done a really good job of doing that. And sometimes, we may have done that, but not with the right student population. So I think continued interactions with our students about the best way for us to make sure their voices are heard is important. As a matter of fact, tomorrow, I have a meeting with our student body president. I realized that somehow, in the midst of the pandemic, That regular meeting between the president and the student body president had fallen off of my schedule, and I know how important that So I'm excited that we are able to make sure that that's happening.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:29:44]:

It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris to learn what's going on in the NASPA world.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:29:50]:

Thanks so much, Joe. Excited to be back in the NASPA world, and there are so many things that are happening in our association I'm excited to share with you today. The NASPA 2024 conference is going to be here before we know it, March 9th through 13th in Seattle, Washington. And there's been a lot of updates, a lot of things that are Coming down the pipeline that you need to be thinking about if you are planning to attend registration, need to jump into housing. There are a lot of things to consider, but there are also some great pre-conference opportunities that are going to be at the conference as well. So not only are there going to be amazing sessions during the regular sessions of the conference itself, but if you come a little bit early, You can take advantage of the learning at a number of really great pre-conferences that are always Providing high-level quality information that is going to help you in many different ways. A couple of the pre-conference highlights that I would throw out there: the 2024 NASPA Community College Institute, or CCI, is a uniquely tailored experience for community college professionals. This exclusive event accelerates your development, fosters collaboration, and provides insight to reshape program organization and student support services for enhanced student success.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:31:14]:

The 2024 NASPA International Symposium. The symposium fosters global dialogue on student affairs, aiming to broaden perspectives and forge connections across borders. Aligned with NASPA's commitment to global readiness, the symposium benefits those in international student services and practitioners seeking to enhance Global competency. The 2024 NASPA undergraduate student conference. This conference provides a firsthand learning opportunity for undergraduate students To gain knowledge and understanding of student affairs work, awareness, and professional associations, opportunities for networking, and resources To assist in defining their career trajectory in student affairs. Highly encourage you to go to the conference website, Check it out for yourself see all the opportunities that are available, and sign up now before the preconference session that you want to go to is full. The 2024 NASPA Mid-Level Administrators Conference is coming up June 13th through 15th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This conference is a dynamic professional development event designed to provide mid-level student affairs professionals with the opportunity to engage and learn with colleagues and student affairs administrators.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:32:30]:

Participants will gain insight from promising practices and personal reflections to develop their professional competencies, networking, and supervisory skills further and acquire new skills and strategies to improve their professional practice. The mid-level administrator's conference is designed for those student affairs professionals who Serve in roles between but not including entry-level positions and AVP and the equivalent roles. Additionally, professionals who have been serving in entry-level roles for at least 5 years are welcome to attend. You have until March 29, 2024, to get in under the early bird registration, so you still have a little bit of time, but I encourage you to do this now and jump in on this great learning opportunity. There are a couple of great NASPA short courses that are available that are starting in January of 2024 that I wanted to make sure that you were aware of. The first goes from January 21st through February 24th, and that is on student affairs at Small colleges and universities. In this course, you can explore challenges and opportunities at small colleges, and this is for leaders, traders, and faculty who serve at institutions with under 5,000 students. The 2nd short course is Title IX Certificate in Winter 24.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:48]:

Now, while the new Title IX rules are finalized, compliance with current rules is crucial. This course offers rule-specific training, including an updated module on proposed rules and recent court decisions. The course actually runs from January 22nd through February 23rd. And finally, the last short course I'll mention today is Assessment by Design, which applies systems thinking to inform assessment practice. Now this course shifts the focus from measuring outcomes to evaluating design. Embrace a systems approach to student affairs assessment, Reflecting on the purpose, challenges, and value of defining the work design. All of these and more are available on the NASPA website. When you go to the NASPA website, go to the NASPA online learning community for additional live and on-demand offerings.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:40]:

Every week, we're going to be sharing some amazing things that are happening within the association. So we are going to be able to try and keep you Up to date on everything that's happening and allow for you to be able to get involved in different ways because the association is as strong as its members. And for all of us, we have to find our place within the association, whether it be getting involved with a knowledge community, giving back within one of the centers or the divisions of the association. As you're doing that, it's important to identify where you fit for yourself. Where do you wanna give back? Each week, we're hoping that we will share some things that might encourage you and allow you to get some ideas that will provide you with an opportunity to say, hey. I see myself in that knowledge community. I see myself doing something like that or encouraging you in other ways that allow for you to be able to Think beyond what's available right now to offer other things to the association, to bring your gifts and your talents To the association and to all of the members within the association because through doing that, all of us are stronger and The association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out more about what is happening in NASPA.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:05]:

Chris, we really appreciate you putting together these NASPA world segments all season. That one is our final NASPA world segment for this season 9. So, Lori, you are now our final lightning round for season 9 as well. I've got seven questions for you in about 90 seconds. Are you ready to roll?

Dr. Lori White [00:36:22]:

Ready to roll.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:23]:

Alright. Question number 1. If you were a conference keynote speaker, What would your entrance music be?

Dr. Lori White [00:36:29]:

Something from Earth, Wind, and Fire celebration.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:32]:

Oh, that's a good one. Number 2, when you were 5 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Dr. Lori White [00:36:37]:

I wanted to be a scientist.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:39]:

Number 3, who's your most influential professional mentor?

Dr. Lori White [00:36:40]:

Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:42]:

Number 4, your essential student affairs read.

Dr. Lori White [00:36:47]:

Call the Dean of Students.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:50]:

Number 5, the best TV show you binged during the pandemic.

Dr. Lori White [00:36:53]:

SUV.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:55]:

Number 6, the podcast you've spent the most hours listening to in the last year.

Dr. Lori White [00:36:57]:

Yours.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:59]:

And finally, number 7, any shout-outs you'd like to give, personal or professional.

Dr. Lori White [00:37:04]:

Oh, shout-outs to all of my peeps in student affairs. Can't wait to see all of you at the Seattle conference, and I'll be holding office hours in the bar per usual.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:15]:

Lori, we are so grateful that you were willing to give us your time. We know how busy you are in the presidency role. I know your advice today has been incredible, not only for me, but for all of our listeners. If folks would like to get a hold of you and they're not gonna be in Seattle, how can they find you?

Dr. Lori White [00:37:29]:

[e-mail] .

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:32]:

Can you spell DePauw for us?

Dr. Lori White [00:37:33]:

Sure. Depauw, and the w is important because, DePaul and DePauw are 2 different places.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:43]:

Lori, thank you so much for sharing your voice with us today.

Dr. Lori White [00:37:47]:

Thank you so much, Jill. Thank you so much for the invitation.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:51]:

This has been an episode of SA voices from the field brought to you by NASPA. This show is always made possible because of you, our listeners. We are so grateful that you continue to listen to us season after season. If you'd like to reach the show. You can always email us at essay voices at NASPA.org or find me on LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Jill L. Creighton. We welcome your feedback and topic and especially your guest suggestions. We'd love it if you take a moment to tell a colleague about the show, and please like, rate, and review us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:24]:

It really does help other student affairs professionals find the show and helps us become more visible in the larger podcasting community. This episode was produced and hosted by Dr. Jill L. Creighton. That's me. Produced and audio-engineered by Dr. Christopher Lewis. Guest coordination by Liu Yongru. Special thanks to the University of Michigan Flint for your support as we create this project. Catch you next time.