Chrissy Holliday

The foundation of a strong student-university relationship lies in the ability to communicate clearly and set expectations that are both realistic and inspiring. This understanding is central to the approach of Dr. Chrissy Holliday, the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.

Max Webber, Co-Host of The Interview, sat down with Chrissy to discuss her own experience as a first-generation student, the importance of involving students in institutional governance, and the value of authenticity in building engagement. 

Chrissy's Journey

Max: Let’s start off with a brief introduction to yourself and your institution…

I'm Dr. Chrissy Holliday, and I'm the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt). We’re located in Arcata, California, and we're the third and newest polytechnic university in the state of California. We're charting a course as a different kind of poly which layers in arts and humanities alongside STEM subjects. We currently serve about 6,000 students but we're on a journey down towards doubling our enrollment by 2030. 

Max: What inspired you to pursue a career in Student Affairs?

I like to joke that I tripped and fell into higher education. I started my professional life as a journalist, and then moved into public relations and grant writing for a community development corporation. Then, about 20 years ago, I took a job working in the University of South Carolina System – and I’ve been in higher education ever since. I'm a first-generation college student myself, so I understand the doubt that a lot of students have about whether college is really for them. When I went back to school, I studied for my master's and my PhD as a working adult, and I really experienced that struggle to balance a full-time job, family life, school, and research. I get that fear, exhaustion, and doubt can sometimes take hold. The opportunity to work at places like Cal Poly Humboldt helps make the dream of college education possible for everyone, whether it’s first-generation students, rural students, students of color, adult students, or anybody who thinks college might not be for them. That's what makes my life fulfilling and it's what keeps me coming back to do this work.

Max: What are the key things to keep in mind when creating a sense of inclusion and belonging for students of all backgrounds?

For me, it's about being authentic, connecting with students, and understanding what success means for them. I think it also means being very honest about our campus and our community – we need to be clear about what it means to be a student here at Cal Poly Humboldt. We're located in a remote part of California that's very different from the rest of the state, much more like the Pacific Northwest. We don't want students coming here and realizing later that the experience they're having doesn't match expectations. So early in our outreach and recruitment process, we share authentic stories from students to show what life here is really like. Then, we try to build an experience that's unique and positive from the first day; we have a number of events and initiatives, such as outdoor learning labs. We put our values at the heart of everything we do –  sustainability, stewardship, civic responsibility, and justice. That helps to build a kind of commonality and purpose that cements that sense of belonging. 

Max: The political climate has become increasingly polarized, especially with the upcoming election. How can we encourage students to engage in civil discourse with those on the other side of the debate?

As higher education practitioners, this fall is going to be a very tricky time for us. But in higher education, we’re fortunate to have the ability to connect with other people to find points of commonality and work together for the common good. Whatever differences you may have, it’s one of the most important skills students can learn. We focus heavily on hands-on learning as part of a polytechnic education – we put our students side-by-side with others they may not have a lot in common with, and they take part in activities and projects that require them to work together to solve problems. When you do that with a student body that's already really diverse, it really helps students to come together in a respectful way to solve problems. That spills over into other parts of the student experience, too. But it requires all faculty and staff to model the behaviors that we're trying to teach so we can demonstrate how to disagree with civility, how to work towards consensus, and how to put aside differences to come together as a campus.

Max: Recent guests have been discussing the power of peer-led learning as a way of engaging students. What’s your approach?

Like all institutions in the US, we have a form of shared governance structure with our students. That allows students to have a voice in how we build out our university. Our student government is really active in not only running student life, but also in taking part in our governance processes, whether that’s Senate meetings, budget processes, or advisory committees. When students are partners in the institution, they get to see how their voice is heard and how their needs are addressed. Then, they go out and model that behavior to other students, serving as mentors for their peers. Even students who may not have a specific role in student government are seeing and learning from their peers. 

Max: What’s the top piece of advice you’d give to anyone starting a career in the field? 

Always be open to whatever comes next. Step through the doors that open for you, even if you haven't been looking for them. There's probably something good on the other side.