By Mary Barrett '14
When it comes to working with first-year students, Siena College Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Peter Ellard, Ph.D. is at the head of the class. One of Ellard’s many responsibilities is to help first-year students make the successful transition into college.
To help first-year students find success at Siena, Ellard connects with them on their level. During meetings, he creates a comfortable environment in which students can voice their questions and concerns. Ellard encourages them to succeed by understanding what is important to them and relating to their needs.
“It’s a matter of connecting the services to the students,” said Ellard, adding that Siena College has a strong system, which includes faculty and administrative support, in place to do just that.
Still, Ellard doesn’t wait for students to show up in his office looking for assistance. He takes a progressive, proactive approach by using his Twitter handle @DrEllardSays as a tool to engage students through a medium they’re comfortable with.
Ellard’s hard work has paid off. Not only is it helping first-year students excel and helping Siena College improve its retention rates, but it has earned Ellard an impressive honor. He was selected as one of this year’s ten “Outstanding First-Year Student Advocates” by The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition University of South Carolina and Cengage Learning. Ellard’s award was celebrated in The Chronicle of Higher Education in February.
Whether it’s a conversation in 140 characters or a face-to-face meeting in his office, Peter Ellard, Ph.D. is helping Siena College’s first-year students develop skills and access resources that will help them succeed both in their coursework and in adjusting to college life. The work of this outstanding first-year student advocate is certainly worth Tweeting about.
