Teri Murray, former director of student affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, has been named the school’s assistant dean of student affairs and enrollment services. Her new role, which began in December 2021, is part of a dean-led effort to build a top-notch student experience at the nationally ranked School of Education.
In merging the school’s student affairs and enrollment management services into a comprehensive student services program, Murray’s team brings together admissions, registration, career services, new student onboarding, international student services, student support and engagement, and more.
“We have a unique opportunity to look at things holistically and more strategically,” says Murray, who has 32 years of admissions and student services experience and joined SOE in 2018. “This enables us to connect with and support our students from the moment they become interested until they graduate.”
The School of Education’s focus on improving each student’s experience is part of the university’s Student Services Excellence Initiative, launched in 2016, to create a student-centric focus to ensure that students can make the most of their Johns Hopkins education.
It’s also about lessons learned since March 2020. “The pandemic illuminated the need for students to have more course flexibility, better access to mental health and other services, and a greater sense of community with faculty, staff, and each other,” Murray says.
The team brings together several talented School of Education leaders. Additional positions will be added to fully staff the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services:
- Liz Woodward, who has served as director of admissions since 2016, has been promoted to the new director of enrollment management services. She leads the school’s strategic approach to enrollment to integrate enrollment processes with a university-wide initiative to centralize systems for student accounts, registration, and financial aid.
- Cynthia White, former associate registrar before joining the JHU Student Enrollment and Accounts Management (SEAM) team, returns to SOE as the new director of student records. Cynthia first joined SOE in 2017.
- Veronique Gugliucciello, an International Teaching and Global Leadership (ITGL) Cohort faculty member, will be the international student support specialist, a role designed to enhance support and resources dedicated to our international student body.
New initiatives include enhanced customer service, streamlined application and course registration processes, and increased opportunities to collaborate with faculty. “The goal is to build trusting relationships with students to increase student satisfaction,” says Murray. “Engaging, high-performing, satisfied students are happy students, and happy students become successful graduates and alumni.”
Renovating the Education Building also offers new possibilities for a more complete student experience, as do more international students and new academic and online programs. “By shifting our focus, we can help our students be more successful, personally and professionally, and better serve them as alumni,” adds Murray, who has led SOE’s COVID-19-related student mandates and protocols, established and administers the Student Emergency Fund, worked with University resources to improve access to mental health services, and increased the level of individualized service through student affairs.
“The time for a holistic, integrated approach to the student experience is now,” says SOE dean Christopher C. Morphew, PhD. “Emboldening our students to be leaders requires that we address their needs and expectations more comprehensively and inclusively.”
