Navigating the politics on campus Melissa Mahan Dakota Doman Jay Lambert

Navigating the Politics on Campus Jay Lambert, Ed.D. University of Houston Victoria (May 2013-current) Chief Student Affairs and Enrollment Officer Vice President for EM&SA (Jan 2015 – current) Associate VP for SA&EM (May 2013 – Dec 2014) Lamar University (August 2004- April 2013) Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement Christopher Newport University (June 2002 - August 2004) Director of Housing Mount Saint Mary’s College (June 2001 – June 2002) Director of Campus Life University of Evansville ( August 1996 – June 2001) Assistant Dean of Students Director of Residence Life Coordinator of Greek Life Area Coordinator Louisiana State University (August 1995 – 1996) Fraternity Advisor Lamar University Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Higher Education Concentration, 2008 Dissertation: How the skills/competencies and knowledge areas necessary for success as an entry-level student affairs professional are learned. University of Southern Mississippi M.Ed., Counseling and Personnel Services, College Student Personnel Emphasis, 1994 Southeastern Louisiana University B.A., Economics, Minor: Management, 1992 Thomas Nelson Community College, Virginia A.A.S, Information Systems Technology, 2004

Navigating the Politics on Campus Melissa Mahan, Ph.D. Work Experience Texas A&M University-San Antonio (April 2013-current) Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Student Affairs and Enrollment Officer Northeastern State University (March 2005 - March 2013) Associate Dean of Student Affairs 13 years in the accounting and business field before entering Higher Education (1992-2005) Education Ph. D. Education - Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OK, 2009 Adult Education and Human Relation M.S. Business Management – Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, OK, 2003 Business Management B.S. Business Administration – Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, 1992 Accounting

Navigating the Politics on Campus Dakota Doman, Ed.D. Philander Smith College (October 2016 – Present) Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management West Virginia State University (July 2015 – October 2016) Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management University of Houston Victoria (September 2013 – July 2015) Director of Student Life and Engagement Lamar University (August 2009 – September 2013) Director of Student Activities and Civic Engagement Assistant Director for Student Activities Texas Tech University Ed.D. Higher Education Administration Dissertation: A phenomenological study on HBCU Presidents with Chief Student Affairs Officer Experience. Lamar University M.B.A., Experiential Business and Entrepreneurship B.S., Biochemistry @dakotadoman

Political Systems 1. What is a Political System 2. Organizational Structure 3. Context and Institutional History 4. Boundary Spanning 5. Stakeholders 6. Authority vs. Power Melissa

Evolving Challenges Federal Mandates State Mandates Strategic Plan President’s goals Faculty goals and perceptions Jay

Shrinking Resources Interdepartmental Intradepartmental Community Relations (Panther Village) Jay

Relationship Building Kiss Up Withhold Information Fail to respond or acknowledge request for information Communicate different messages to different people, depending on their political goal Gossip It’s not who you know… Develop advocates/allies who have influence Focus on Results Evaluate current relationships What’s important? What is personal? Positive, Negative, Neutral? Lunch Meetings Dakota

Relationship Building Dakota

Who is at your Table? Dakota

Discussion Melissa- Questions What is the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about navigating politics on campus? What do you see as the most important relationships you can have on campus? What complexities are you facing on your campus? How can you broaden your influence on campus?