Meet Kerri Jarzabski, Dean of Retention and Advising

Your career has led you to the role of Dean for Retention and Advising. What about the position excites you the most?

Having been in higher education for over 20 years, with roots as a high school English teacher, I am passionate about supporting students in realizing and even surpassing their academic, personal, and professional goals.  As a first generation college student, who commuting and worked several jobs while completing my undergraduate degree, and as a parent who went back to school later in life to complete my doctorate, I understand the many challenges students face while pursuing their education and the importance of having university faculty and staff connections and mentors who continue to encourage and support you in your journey. 

I am a systems thinker and our students motivate me to work to continuously improve programs, processes, policies and procedures to elevate the student experience. This position is exciting to me as I get to work with a talented team of individuals who come to work each day focused on supporting our students in realizing their dream of completing a degree. I do believe that not just in completing a degree but through connections and opportunities students have at Bay Path, we assist students in transforming their lives.  What else can be more exciting or important?

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for improving student retention in higher education today?

There are generally a variety of reasons why a student leaves an institution or perhaps stops pursuing their education entirely.  I believe it is important to not just consider what it takes to retain a student, but to envision what is needed to support a student in thriving at Bay Path.  Students want to feel a sense of connection, they want to feel like they matter, and they want to be seen as whole people, who have a variety of responsibilities and challenges outside of Bay Path that impact their ability to be successful.  Retention increases when a university understands who their students are, and takes the necessary steps to ensure that the support is in place.  It is therefore important for institutions to understand why students chose to attend, to ensure that messages sent in the recruitment process are realized in the student experience, and to continuously monitor data to identify areas of opportunities to address the challenges students face that lead to attrition. That said, I believe when a university truly places students at the center of decision making, and when the entire university community comes to see themselves as retention specialists, great things can happen.  I hope to work with my colleagues across the campus to continue to fine tune proactive outreach and support for our students, to identify opportunities to further a student’s sense of belonging and connection, and to continue to evaluate data with an eye towards innovative approaches to support student persistence and success post-graduation. 

Is there a student story that has stayed with you all these years and continues to inspire you?

Ironically, some of my former students are doing amazing things here at Bay Path as professionals.  In my previous role at a similar sized institution, I was responsible for conducting all the exit interviews on campus with students who needed to withdraw for a variety of reasons. I also was a member of the academic standards committee that reviewed appeals from students who were up for academic dismissal.  There were so many students who I had the privilege to support and learn from. The one that comes to mind most often is a student who, as a first year biomedical engineering major, came to the major as a result of an accident that left her father paralyzed.  It inspired her to pursue her education in the field.  She was a female in a male dominated discipline and was struggling with the culture while also working through some personal identity issues.  She was terrific and so very intelligent and needed to be reminded of that. I was able to connect her to leadership positions on the campus and to a major path that helped her to stay connected to her passion but in a more supportive environment. She graduated with a BS in Psychology and went on to pursue a Master's in Prosthetics and Orthotics, and is doing amazing things in her field. We are still in touch today, over a decade later.  I don’t take any credit for her success, but what her story and so many like hers illustrates is the importance of the impact that one person, one conversation, can have on a student.  It sometimes just takes one person to remind a student of their potential, their ability; to encourage them and it can make all of the difference. I am a big believer in the starfish story… one student at a time.

How do you hope to strengthen the connection between advising, faculty, and staff to make an impact on students?

I have already begun having conversations with campus partners.  I think it will be important for me to develop a relationship with our program directors, faculty advisors, and key partners in faculty governance through faculty assembly to continue to share information and to further processes to ensure a seamless student experience.  In terms of student success and retention, collaborating with faculty is so important to understand early when a student is struggling in a course so that we might have timely interventions to help them get back on track. I am always happy to participate in any departmental meetings and university committees.

What principles guide your leadership style when working with advising and student services professionals?

When I think about leadership, I think about people, purpose and process.  Supporting the staff as whole people is important so that they can effectively do the important work of supporting our students.  I am student centered and believe it is important to instill a student first culture in the team.  Our students are our “why”, the mission and strategic direction of the university drive or future forward thinking and planning.  I strive to create a data informed culture and to foster a sense of continuous improvement.  I work to empower our staff, to prioritize student success and to inspire innovation.

I believe leadership is about relationships, understanding the mission and inspiring purposeful collaboration centered on furthering systems that help students achieve their goals.

What is something colleagues or students might be surprised to learn about you?

I am on the East Longmeadow School Committee.  I have two Australian Shepherds that I adore, Riley & Lexi, and I love to stay active, running and taking regular Pilates and kettlebell classes. I always have two-three books in my kindle library and read them daily.

What book, podcast, or idea has made an impact on you either personally or professionally?

Professionally, I love Becoming a Student Ready College and Administratively Adrift. 

I have been listening to Julia Louis Dreyfus' Wiser Than Me podcast. I love the entire premise of the podcast, to really celebrate the wisdom of women.