Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter
On July 15, Dr. Tracy Tyree assumed the position of Vice President for Student Affairs here at Southern Connecticut State University, and is now looking to bring her goals to fruition.
Dr. Tyree said the last university position she had held was at the University of South Florida in Tampa Bay, where she was the associate vice president, and spent five years with the school.
“It was my first full-time work at a public university,” Dr. Tyree said. “Prior to that I had been primarily at small liberal arts colleges.”
Dr. Tyree said that she also spent a year working with a higher education search firm where she recruited senior level leaders to universities and colleges throughout the country preceding her appointment of vice president of student affairs at Southern.
Dr. Tyree said that was one of the draws of the position at Southern.
“One of the things that were really appealing to me about Southern,” Dr. Tyree said, “was to continue my work in public higher education because I think there is a really important mission for our state schools.”
According to the university, the Office of Student Affairs coordinates many of the services and programs, inside and outside of the classrooms, which are designed to aid, motivate, and enrich students learning experience along with playing a part in students’ welfare and growth. The office attempts to reach this goal by encouraging students to combine what they learn in the classroom with the experiences they garner outside it, by means of promoting an atmosphere where students are challenged to advanced learning, social, and personal growth.
Dr. Tyree said that the two months in the position of vice president has been fantastic.
“I feel like I have had a wonderful introduction to the university and I’m just now finally having the opportunity to get acquainted with students now that the school year has started,” Dr. Tyree said.
Her first impression, Dr. Tyree said, was that the university is very focused on the success, the experience, and the learning of students and that appealed to her.
“That was a draw for me and is priority for the work that I do with my team,” Dr. Tyree said. “We want this to be a place where students engage, connect, and feel great about their college experience and able to realize their educational goals and really persist to that dream of getting a college degree.”
Dr. Tyree added that her ultimate goal is to provide support, and create the climate, culture, and opportunities for students to realize their best college experience possible, both in and particularly outside the classroom.
The vice president’s goals and attitude about these goals sits well with Kyle Tamulevich, senior political science major.
“She seems to want to uplift all of our college experiences, which is really great to hear,”
Tamulevich said. “And her background, her past work makes me think that she will enrich the educational environment here at Southern.”
This was something sophomore Caitlin Harrison agreed with.
“I think that Dr. Tyree is going to work hard to initiate programs that will bring improvement to the university,” Harrison said. “I believe this is something we as students can use, a positive attitude, when it comes to our time at Southern. I feel that having people, who are working to better things, is always a plus.”
