Courtesy of Office of Communication and Creative Services

Dr. Eric J. Summers has held a variety of positions as an employee of the university since 2000, and his recently received the title of Vice President for Student Affairs. 

Summers’ previous position was the assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs, which he has kept for the last five years. Before that position, Summers was a residential housing coordinator, the director of Multicultural and International Student Affairs, a conduct officer, but he has never stopped being a mentor to students. 

In his new role, Summers considers himself to be a key leader that helps to see that Student Affairs continues to nurture students.

“I am the chief student advocate,” said Summers. “Student Affairs provides an out of class experience that enhances student development and empowers students to become leaders. I am charged with leading those efforts.”

One of the biggest challenges in ensuring that students are engaged and developing is that the university is considered a commuter school. This means that most students miss on-campus activities. 

“Although we are doing great things and the students that we serve are being retained and graduate, we are not reaching the vast majority of our students,” said Summers. “That under-served population is mostly our students that commute. It is going to be challenging to engage a population that travels 30 miles to campus and leaves campus to go to work at a 20 to 30 hour a week job, but we will do it.”

In his new position, Summers wants freshmen to be engaged and feel protected. He also wants to place a special focus on the growth of learning under the involvement of Student Affairs. 

“My vision includes more engagement at the freshmen level,” said Summers. “I plan to work with university partners to create a freshmen year experience and an early alert system to intervene when a freshman student is at risk. I also believe that everything that we do in student affairs should have an impact on student learning.”

To ensure that this vision becomes a reality, Summers will put teams in charge of making students feel safe and accepted and will also make sure that any growth that happens will be accounted for. 

“If we can’t measure the impact, we shouldn’t do it,” said Summers. “I will appoint an assessment team to monitor our success.  I will also appoint teams to lead efforts in sexual assault awareness, branding the division and developing our staff personally and professionally.

Being a leader in Student Affairs also entails overseeing a variety of different things that help students develop and enjoy their experience with the university.

“I will oversee student life units which includes Campus Activities Board, Recreational Sports & Wellness, Student Government Association and Lion Traxx Shuttle Service,” said Summers. “The largest student life unit is the Office of Student Engagement which includes Leadership Development, Student Government, Greek Life and Student Organizations.”

Other departments that are also under the leadership of student affairs are Career Services, Student Conduct, Student Publications, University Counseling Center and the University Police.

Summers is honored to be a part of Student Affairs and considers the team to be supportive and friendly. He also appreciates how the division is inventive coming up with ways for students to enjoy everything during their time on campus. 

“I am surrounded by one of the best teams on this campus,” said Summers. “I couldn’t ask for a better support system. The Division has innovated numerous student-friendly programs such as Police bike patrols, Green and Gold shuttle routes, Rec-Kids and a free student planner which includes the Student Code of Conduct.  It’s that type of forward-thinking that will advance this division.”