10 Minutes With... Teri Hall, Wichita State University
After nearly 20 years in similar roles at Towson University, Hall came to WSU in January to continue a career spent supporting students.
At WSU, she says she sees a campus-wide momentum she believes can translate to students in every discipline, creating a growing research, innovation and higher education hub where the human interactions remain the glue of campus life.
Q: After nearly 20 years at your previous school, Towson University in Maryland, what drew you to this opportunity at Wichita State University?
A: It is such an amazing opportunity that I have as vice president for student affairs here. Jim Rhatigan, who was the vice president and dean of students for so long here, he is well known and a legend in the field. To get to come into, as I like to refer to it, "the house that Jim built," and to pick up and hopefully lead in a way he'd be proud of is a great opportunity. But then, also, there is the type of change that's happening on campus. I'm thrilled about what we're doing with the innovation campus. I think all the things we're doing (there) are going to contribute to building campus community as a whole. I'm all in on that project. And I just really like all the people here. After the phone interview I had with them just about a year ago, I hung up the phone and said, "that was fun." How often do you say phone interviews are fun? So, from the very beginning I felt very connected to these people.
Q: As somebody coming in from the outside, what was your view on all the changes happening at WSU with the innovation campus?
A: I think the partnerships with private industries, having corporations have headquarters on our campus and working with others to build more buildings on our campus ... the idea that ultimately we're going to have a main street that runs down the innovation campus with retail and restaurants. To be a part of that, help shape that, it was really exciting to me.
Q: How does that momentum contribute to student life here on the rest of the campus?
A: The challenge is how do you bring continuity to a rapidly changing environment? Our vision for the division of student affairs is connecting every student. We want every student to feel connected in some way, shape, or form. That could be to a faculty member, to classmates, to somebody they work with, it could be in a student organization. We hope that in that kind of low-tech kind of thinking, it helps with that continuity. So as more cranes start coming to campus and we start doing more things that it is the human interaction that help people feel at home, safe, wanted and that they matter here. Every chance I get to talk to students, I talk about what is happening (with innovation campus). Even though we talk about that a lot, I think some still don't really understand what is coming, the excitement (that's building).
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: Students come to us (in college) knowing they're going to come out the other end different. One of my missions is to help students figure out their own unique potential. To really be their authentic selves and understand their unique opportunity to impact their lives and the lives of those around them -- and not to be afraid of that. To really feel empowered about owning who you are and being excited about what you bring. So I love that. I love when I see students doing things they think they couldn't do. I love it that in my job I get to see them when they come in and then I get to hug them when walk across the (graduation) stage four or five years later.
Q:What have you found you like about Wichita outside of WSU?
A: This is just an amazing, awesome place. I wasn't prepared for how good the food was going to be. There are so many good restaurants. I like the pizza at Wichita Brewing Co., I like Chester's a lot ... Deano's, there are just really good restaurants. I love that you can get anyplace in 20 minutes. I love our airport. And I love the people.
Title: Vice president for student affairs, Wichita State University.
Age: 53
Education: Bachelor's degree in speech communications and public relations, Southern Illinois University; Master's degree in college student personnel, Western Illinois University; Ph.D in higher education administration, minor in anthropology, Indiana University.
Experience: Indiana University, director of student activities and coordinator of HESA master's program, 1996-1998; Towson University, multiple roles including assistant vice president of student involvement and transitions, interim assistant vice president for student diversity and director of student activities, 1998-January 2017.