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April 23, 2001
On the
Job:
with
Reggie Ross
"Students
are consumers and they must be satisfied," said Reggie Ross, associate dean
for Enrollment Management and Retention Services. "My philosophy is that satisfaction
is key because it leads to retention."
Reggie knows the importance of making students feel comfortable and directed. "I knew what it was like when I was a student to be treated kindly or unkindly," he said. Reggie, who also heads the Academic Success Center (ASC), stresses the importance of helping students seeking advisement. "We never want to send anyone away feeling lost. Even if a student's question cannot be directly answered, a phone call can be made. Students shouldn't leave feeling discouraged because they didn't get the help they needed," he said.
Reggie joined Montclair State in January after more than 10 years as associate vice president for Enrollment Management at Bloomfield College, where he also was an associate professor of psychology. Here, he will develop strategies and initiatives to increase student retention. "If students decide to leave due to a reason other than abandoning higher education altogether, I want to know why," he said.
For the past few months, Reggie has been getting to know the Center's staff and familiarizing himself with the University's goals and strategic plans. "When considering all these aspects, it's important that I ask myself, how does this relate to student retention?" he said. "I'm happy to say that working with professionals who are committed to students first is one aspect of my job that makes it worthwhile."
After
earning a bachelor's degree in industrial organizational psychology at Xavier
University in New Orleans, Reggie earned a doctorate in the field at Stevens
Institute of Technology in Hoboken. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Joan,
who is also in the field of industrial psychology and pursuing a doctoral degree.
He also likes to play tennis, chess and write science fiction. "Writing is a
great stress-reliever for me, but it's strictly a hobby," he said, smiling.