HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY OF

THESE SERVICES AT WCU?

Math
Tutoring FYE

Student
WaLc
Support

Service Disability
Learning
DR. LOWELL DAVIS
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success
BACKGROUND
• Dallas, Texas
• Ninth year in the Higher Education field
• Doctorate in Education, Leadership and Policy Studies from Indiana
University
• Master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis on college student
development.
• Bachelor’s degree in English Arts, and Secondary Education from Hampton
University.
• Dr. Davis worked at the University of Alabama from 2009-2013.
 FUN FACTS
• Plays with tigers in spare time
• Attended an inaugural ball in Washington, DC
• Attended a national political party convention
 CAREER TRAJECTORY
• Elementary school teacher
• SGA president
• Served as US Congressman
• Dean of students and the assistant to the vice provost for Academic Affairs
(Alabama University)
• WCU Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success
 PREVIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES
• Lead comprehensive programs designed to ensure student success
• Supervised academic and student programming for special populations
• Coordinated freshman learning communities, freshman seminars, and
supervised the Student Government Association, Office of Student
Leadership and Involvement, Office of Veterans’ Affairs and Office of Greek
Affairs
• Chair of the Educational Leadership Program for the online University of
Atlanta
• Taught at Indiana University and Hampton University
• Consultant for the Institute for Higher Education Policy’s Building
Engagement and Attainment of Minority Students Project
 CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES
• Supervision of:
• Writing and Learning Commons,
• One-Stop Student Service Center
• Registrar’s Office
• Academic Advising
• Disability Services
• Student Support Services
• First Year Experience (FYE)
• Mentoring and Persistence Services (MAPS)
• WCU’s summer sessions.
• works with a team to create a strategic plan for the Division of Academic Affairs.
• Manages the budget for the division
• Meetings
 WHY A CAREER IN STUDENT
AFFAIRS?
• Passion for assisting students and making a positive change
 VALUABLE COURSES
• Higher education administration
• Organizational Theory
• History of Higher Education
 PHILOSOPHY
• Personal Philosophy: “When people say you can’t, prove them that you can,
use them as motivation.”
• Philosophy of higher education: “If we admit them, we should make sure we
graduate them” (Davis, 2016).
 STRENGTHS
Dr. Davis Me Position

• Restorative • Restorative
• Empathy
• Developer
• Positivity
• Developer
• Learner
• Relator
• Futuristic
• Input
• Activator
• Learner
• Relator
• Strategic • Restorative

• Strategic
 CAREER GOALS
• Continue working in the same position with the same responsibilities
• No desire to move up…..Not lazy
• Maybe work at another institution in future years doing the same job
 DECISIONS
• Has made decisions in favor of students where staff may have not agreed
with, but at that time felt it was the right decision.
• Has made decisions where the student may not agree with but did what he
felt was the best solution.

Satisfactions
• Helping students overcome issues
• Seeing students graduate after working with them
• Working on a sense of accomplishment
 HOW HAS THE JOB AFFECTED
LIFESTYLE?
• Dr. Davis was social and active in the community with his previous job.
• Involvement diminish now because of travel time and environment
• The area struggles with diversity
• More time now to do personal things
• More time to do personal things but area does not lend itself for single
African American man to do the things he once used to do.
 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
• Student Affairs is a growing profession.
• Many jobs in this field
• It is when the career progresses the you may be limited to the next step
• Seek mentors outside of the institution
• Do not judge others
• Work hard
 DR. LOWELL DAVIS
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success
550 E HF Robinson
(828) 227-2670
lkdavis@wcu.edu