Dave Roberts

Building a sense of community at university is hard enough, but when most interactions happen online, the challenge becomes even greater. Fortunately, institutions such as Missouri’s Columbia College are coming up with ever more innovative solutions.

Max Webber, Co-Host of The Interview, met with Dave Roberts, Dean of Students at Columbia College, to discuss everything from strategies for communicating with students to the importance of building engagement with students from non-traditional higher education backgrounds. 

^{Dave's Journey}

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

I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and I went to Valdosta State University in South Georgia. I had a great experience at college – sometimes, I feel like I majored in co-curricular involvement more than academics. Like many people in student affairs, I started out as a residence assistant and an orientation leader. That work inspired me to go on to graduate school at the University of South Florida. From there, I took a job at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, before I was offered a position in Leadership Development at the University of Missouri. That gave me valuable experience in leadership education. Then, I saw an opportunity to move over to Columbia College to take an Assistant Dean role, and I rose through the ranks until I assumed my current position. 

Columbia College was founded as a Christian College in 1851 before becoming Columbia College and expanding into distance education in the 1970s, and we entered the online education space in 2000. Now, post-COVID, probably 85 to 90% of our student population engages in some form of online education. Columbia College is a unique institution: we have a traditional small private liberal arts residential campus in Columbia, Missouri with about 850 to 900 traditional-aged students we refer to as “Day” students. We also have approximately the same number of “Evening” students, who are mostly adult non-traditional learners from the local area who attend classes after 5:00 pm. The largest population we serve is our 9,000 students online or at one of our 20 nationwide locations through Columbia College Global. We are proud to be a military-serving school, with many students who are active military, veterans, and military-affiliated family members. 

Max: What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education - and student affairs more specifically?

I love working on a college campus. I can't think of another environment where there's a kind of constant excitement and fun. Everybody's filled with this kind of yearning to learn, and this sense of adventure. There's so much talent and potential; when students come to college – the world is their oyster. Even our online and non-traditional students, who might be a little nervous about coming back to school, really come into their own during their time at CC. There’s an enthusiasm and a spirit on a college campus that just isn't replicated in other industries; the growth and development that happens over that time for students is amazing. It is awesome to see students grow and change so dramatically during their time in college. It’s a fantastic thing and I'm grateful to witness it.

Max: Building engagement can be challenging, especially when an institution has many online students. What’s your approach to creating a common sense of belonging?

It’s important to help students find spaces where they can connect with their peers, whether that is in a physical classroom or online. Student Affairs is the customer service branch of the college – our goal is to make sure everybody's having a great experience. All students want to know three things: Do you see me? Do you hear me? and Does what I say matter? It is important to see students as people and understand that we are just one part of the fabric of their lives at that moment.  We have students balancing work, families, relationships, health struggles, and other issues outside of school, so starting with empathy helps us to create belonging.

Max: Students have a lot of demands on their attention. How do you cut through the noise to make sure your key messages get across?

Some students want a transactional relationship where they show up to class, pay their fees, and go home. But there are others who will want a different experience or need more support; they need to feel comfortable reaching out when they're having struggles. One of the things we've done is develop a text messaging system, where our mascot, Scooter the Cougar, sends out messages to check in with students. Students can reply to the message via text, sometimes Scooter wants to know their favorite song at the moment, how they are doing in class, or how they are feeling about the semester so far. If students are having a problem, then that information gets forwarded over to our Student Affairs team so we can respond. Occasionally, we have students who are suffering from anxiety and depression and having trouble getting through it. While we don't have counselors in all 50 states, we typically reach out to provide information about where students can find in-person resources in their area. 

Max: Recent guests have discussed the importance of student voice when it comes to engaging students. How are you incorporating that at Columbia College?

We have a few initiatives, mostly on the residential campus. The “Day” students are mostly traditional-age college students, so they're often in our offices. To ensure we have the student voice represented in the student experience, we have first-year student mentors who are embedded in our Foundations classes, which is our Intro to College course. The First Year Mentors are there to give the students’ perspective, be a voice for their peers, and encourage them to speak up. We also have some excellent programs where we bring students together with administrators. One of my favorites is called Pizza with the Deans – every semester, myself and the three academic deans sit down with the entire student body to have a conversation. This program helps us get an understanding of where students are at and what their needs are. In addition, we have a program called Cougar Conversations to create opportunities for students to discuss difficult topics and hear both sides of the argument in a safe environment. Cougar Conversations allows faculty, staff, students, and local experts to see the world from a different perspective and have dialogue around controversial topics that are civil and respectful. It’s a great opportunity for students to practice learning to navigate society whilst in a safe college environment, and it helps open their minds to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Max: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received over the course of your career?

It’s important to have a life outside of work. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that a career can change in unexpected ways. Work should not be the center of your world  – you need to be able to disconnect, go home, and enjoy your personal life.