Pace Spotlight: Jeff Barnett Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean for Students

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What attracted you to Pace?

I was drawn to Pace for many reasons. My career has focused on the access, success, and graduation of low-income students, and of the transformative promise that higher education provides. Knowing that Pace is committed and recognizes supporting students’ upward social mobility was something that aligns with my personal and professional values. I felt additionally attracted to several of the university’s strategic pillars: commitment to becoming an anti-racist university, and to becoming a student-centered university. These principles and goals align with my work as a Student Affairs Educator.

How do you contribute to the success of Pace?

At Pace, I hope that my systems-focused strategic planning approach and collaborative practice have helped the university in strengthening and advancing our current policies and practices. As a result, important partnerships and collaborative coalitions across the institution to help achieve our shared goals have been established. Student Affairs folks also handle emergencies and crisis management rather often. I’ve been grateful to have the opportunity to serve our talented staff within the Division of Student Affairs and impact positive changes on the institutional level. And most of all, my team and I work diligently to ensure that our students feel a strong sense of belonging, have reliable support systems and see how much we care as a result of our work.

What is your favorite aspect of working in Student Affairs?

At the heart of Student Affairs are the students themselves. They are our namesake and purpose for being. I often tell students that we work for them in terms of providing support systems, compassion, advocacy, and giving them a voice. I love that at Pace, colleagues across the institution approach students and their experience in quite the same way. In addition to connecting with, mentoring and serving the Student Affairs team, supporting hundreds of events per year, and watching our staff grow as professionals, my favorite part of any day is making the time to talk and connect with students.

What hobbies/activities do you like to participate outside of work?

My wife and I have become green thumbs, often tending to our tomato, eggplant, cucumber, and herb garden. We often go hiking on the weekend, exploring the river towns of the Hudson Valley, and cheer our kids on at their sporting events. With the help of my staff, I am inspired to get back into running again.

If there is anything else, that you would like to share with the Pace Community?

There are remarkable people at Pace – students, faculty, and staff! If we can continue to work closely together, communicate clearly and often, and break down organizational silos, there is nothing we can’t achieve. Community is at the heart of our success in Student Affairs.