Empowering Students through Campus Involvement

by Erin McGonagle ’15G

“We’re leading students to understand that involvement helps them become global citizens, which will help them in their next step. This is meaningful work.”

Dean of Students Heather Lorenz ’98G has been at Southern New Hampshire University for nearly 20 years. After leaving for a year to work in corporate training, it didn’t take long for her to realize that SNHU was home.

Lorenz came to then-New Hampshire College as a graduate assistant working in student involvement, pursuing her master’s in business education with a training and development certificate. Professor Burt Kaliski opened her eyes to an entirely new profession – higher education. “Professor Kaliski helped me realize the path I ultimately wanted to take was making a difference for younger people. He solidified for me that NHC was where I wanted to be.”

Lorenz has worked in many roles at SNHU, including in residence life, student involvement, leadership development, and community standards (discipline). Now Dean of Students, she can look back through all of those lenses and know that her purpose was, and continues to be, serving students.

This year marks 50 years of student involvement at SNHU, and the opening of the William S. Green Center for Student Success this fall created a hub for student services on campus. Lorenz has been an integral part in the development and expansion of the programs housed in the Green Center, and she says that having a building dedicated to student success allows her staff to better serve the resident and commuter student populations. “For us, it’s important to understand that everybody’s journey and story is different. I’m always trying to get our staff to do the right thing to support our students. I’m constantly working with staff to ensure campus is an inclusive, educational, and fun place.”

Involvement at SNHU allows students to learn valuable life skills that employers seek, including communication skills, event planning, budgeting, conflict management, and how to run meetings. There’s an educational component and an accountability piece, resulting in the campus community speaking with inclusive language and embracing diversity. The Student Involvement staff celebrates students when they succeed and picks them up when they struggle.

“The work we do is intentional. It has a purpose and is educational. We’re leading students to understand that involvement helps them become global citizens, which will help them in their next step. This is meaningful work.”