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Center for
Student
Success, Outreach
& Engagement

The creation of the Center for Student Success, Outreach & Engagement in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication in fall 2014 gave the college new ways to accomplish its mission to provide students with the best opportunities for achieving success.

Aleesa Ross, M.Ed., director of the new center, said it is an innovation based on the existing career center, and it has given her and her colleagues a chance to work on myriad projects within the college to help ensure student success.

“We can see how each of our areas – from career counseling to recruiting to events to marketing – are interrelated,” Ross (BA Journalism, 1998, and M.Ed. Instructional Technology, 2010) said. “In turn, we have an understanding of what is going on in the college in numerous areas, and we know about opportunities that will benefit students.”

Todd Chambers (BA journalism, 1988, and MA mass communications, 1994), Ph.D., associate dean of undergraduate affairs, described the move as CoMC’s way of putting together the pieces of a puzzle.

“We decided that it was important to create a division of undergraduate affairs here in the College of Media & Communication that would help provide some coordination, some supervision, and really bring together all of the pieces of the puzzle,” Chambers said.

Ross moved from being the director of the college’s career center to the director of the new center. She said she transitioned into a management position where she now oversees the areas of career development, marketing and communications, events and recruiting.

Emily Balke (BA public relations, 2010) also made a move as she transitioned from student recruitment and alumni relations to college recruiter. She said she is excited about the fact that she can now focus solely on recruiting.

“We’re always looking for new ways to recruit students and to make the College of Media & Communication their home away from home,” Balke said. “That’s what we really want to expand on. This is their new adventure, and as a center, we want to help them feel at home.”

The center’s transition required growth in terms of both staff and expertise.

Ross said, “Our staff grew from two full-time people to eight full-time people in the blink of an eye, and that is very exciting!”

Five other TTU alumni were hired for or transferred from other university assignments to strengthen the Center for Success, Outreach & Engagement. They are: Jacob Copple (BA Electronic Media and Communications, 2013, and MA Mass Communications, 2015) as the photo & video coordinator; Clara McKenney (BA Communication Design, 2014) as the graphic designer; Taryn Meixner (BS Human Sciences, 2011) as the event planner; Cameron Skoczlas (BA Public Relations, 2013, and MA Mass Communications, 2015) as the career counselor; and Candace Trevino (BA Public Relations, 2014) as a college recruiter. In addition, to round out the team, Kuhrt Cowan moved across campus from the College of Human Sciences to become the CoMC webmaster.

“Because the staff members are all working toward a common goal, the students benefit,” Ross said. “We have coordinated our efforts, and that ensures a greater likelihood for success in whatever we are doing – whether it is a recruiting event, a career fair, coordinating on-campus interviews for a company, or hosting a large-scale luncheon.”

Chambers said, “The idea behind it is to provide students with the best educational experiences we can. We want to provide Media & Communication students with the best advising, the best career opportunities, the best success opportunities.” mc

(Rachel Blevins is a sophomore journalism major from Mineral Wells, Texas. Jacob Copple, 2015 Master of Arts in Mass Communications and 2013 Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media and Communications, is the Coordinator for Photo & Video from Lubbock.)

Todd Chambers

Todd Chambers
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs

Aleesa Ross

Aleesa Ross
Director of the Center for Student Success, Outreach & Engagement

Emily Balke

Emily Balke
College Recruiter

JacobCopple

Jacob Copple
Photo & Video Coordinator

Clara McKenney

Clara McKenney
Graphic Designer

Taryn Meixner

Taryn Meixner
Event Planner

Cameron Skoczlas

Cameron Skoczlas
Career Counselor

Candace Trevino

Candace Trevino
College Recruiter

Kuhrt Cowan

Kuhrt Cowan
Webmaster

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