1. Navigating the politics on campus
Melissa Mahan
Dakota Doman
Jay Lambert

2. 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 April 2013)
Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement
Christopher Newport University (June 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

3. 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 March 2013)
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
13 years in the accounting and business field before entering Higher Education ( )
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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. Shrinking Resources Interdepartmental Intradepartmental
Community Relations (Panther Village)
Jay

8. 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

9. Relationship Building
Dakota

10. Who is at your Table?
Dakota

11. 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?