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| Student Development
looks to Greene for continued success |
Becky Diverniero
Features Beat Writer |
Josh Brown | Chief Photographer |
Susie Greene admits
she doesn’t always act her age.
“I’ve not grown up just yet, and I
don’t ever want to,” said Greene.
The energetic 55-year-old is now entering her
first semester as the New Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor
for Student Development. Although it is a serious job, Greene said
she thinks it is important to always have a childlike side to her
personality. |
“I think it is
good to be part adult and part kid,” she said. “I know
some 20-year-olds that are more mature in a negative way than some
people I know that are in their seventies and eighties.”
The positions Greene now holds were opened to
interested candidates after Appalachian’s former dean, Barbara
Daye, announced she would retire in May 2002 after 33 years at the
school.
“I could never fill her shoes,” said
Greene. “I’m going to continue with what she set up and
follow that, but do it, not necessarily my way, but be who I am.
“If I tried to be her I’d always be
second best, so I want to continue the positive work that she did.
I could never be her. It’s very hard to follow somebody who
has made such a positive impact, so what I would like to do is keep
the positives and add positives of my own.”
Greene, a native of Blowing Rock, earned her
undergraduate degree in health and physical education at Lenoir
Rhine College and attended Appalachian State University for her
master’s degree in guidance and counseling.
She later began working at the Appalachian State
University Counseling Center as assistant director, where she stayed
for over 20 years.
“I started working [at Appalachian] and
just never left,” she said.
When Daye announced her retirement, Greene said
she did not think to apply for the open positions at first.
“I was thinking about retiring and doing
private practice, but our secretary at the center said ‘Look
at this [job description], it looks like everything that you’ve
done,’” said Greene.
“Through my work at the Counseling Center
I did a lot of outreach, like at the Multicultural Center, I worked
a lot with the athletes, and I did a lot of work with the residence
halls, and with the Learning Assistance Program.”
“It seemed just a natural step. It seemed
like it would be a nice time to make a change. I’ve always
enjoyed working with students. I think if I defined myself it would
be as a student advocate.”
Greene was selected for the two positions in
February, after beating out almost 100 other applicants, said Dr.
Gregory Blimling, vice chancellor of Student Development.
“We advertised nationally, used a search
committee of student, faculty and staff to screen applicants, checked
references, [and] selected three to interview on campus,” said
Blimling. “[We] interviewed each candidate over a two-day period
with different groups of people and offered the position to the
person we thought could do the best job for our students at this
time.”
“Dean Greene is a bright, energetic and
creative person with a wealth of experience and skills in working
with college students,” said Blimling. “She is a gifted
counselor, an excellent administrator and has earned the respect
of people throughout the university and the county.”
When she isn’t working, Greene gardens,
plays tennis, hikes and does volunteer work for several organizations,
such as the Hospitality House and as the chair for the Watauga County
Council on the Status of Women.
“I’m very interested in women and children
issues,” said Greene. “I’m very involved. One of
the things I like most about Appalachian is the emphasis on community
involvement because I’m very involved myself, both in Watauga
County and Blowing Rock.”
Greene has also taught an occasional class for
the university during her time at Appalachian.
“I’ve taught over half the time that
I’ve been here for various departments, which I’ve really
enjoyed,” said Greene. “Usually one class a semester or
one a year. I really enjoyed it, but I’m not teaching this
semester. I’ll probably end up teaching next semester.”
Greene began her duties as dean in July and spent
most of the summer assisting with the orientation process.
“It’s been a learning process because
the summer is so different here than the regular academic year,”
said Greene. “We have been absolutely swamped with working
with orientation and the parents and things like that, so it was
not like I got to just sit around.”
“I was surprised how much time it took,
but it was wonderful because I met again some of the same parents
when we were doing move-in [for the freshmen]. That was very nice.”
Now that the official school year has begun,
Greene has a few basic items on her to do list.
“I think for this year I’m going to
just figure out what my job is and just reinforce the bridges that
I already have with the various components of campus,” she
said. “Through the Counseling Center and my work I know a lot
of people, but I found that there are whole other facets of the
university that I don’t know very much about.
“I feel, in some ways, like a freshman.
At least I know my way around campus, but it’s learning where
things are and who to ask.
“Right now I just want to learn the job
and better learn what the needs are, and develop a plan from there,”
said Greene. “Following what Barbara [Daye] did, I want this
to be an open-door place and I want to troubleshoot for students
and parents.” |
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