EmmaLe Davis

Staff Q & A

Hometown: Midlothian, TX (Dallas/Ft. Worth area for those unfamiliar with Texas!)

Title: Director of Assessment, Division of Student Affairs

Years of Service (UofA): 10 year at the U of A, 3 in this position, 7 in Housing before that.

Education:

• Bachelors from the University of Oklahoma in Meteorology with minors in Broadcasting, Math, and Computer Programming
• Masters also from the University of Oklahoma in Higher Education
• Doctorate from the University of Arkansas in Higher Education
• Graduate Certificate from the Sam M. Walton College of Business in Business Analytics 
• Bachelor of Arts in History

How long have you been at the University of Arkansas in Student Affairs? What have you enjoyed most about your time here?

I have been in Student Affairs all 10 years I have been at the U of A. The thing I have enjoyed the most about my time here has been all the people I have had the privilege of working with over the years. Everyone is very kind and helpful and very clearly focused on helping students be successful.

Tell us a little about your role in Student Affairs. What brings you joy in this role?

I think what people associate most with my role is that I am the primary student data manager for the Division, so anytime you need information about a particular student or group of students, I’m your person. I also spend a lot of time doing analysis on our data to help identify students who are at risk of not retaining and to assess the effectiveness of our programs and services on campus. I also work with all the different offices within the Division to help them set goals for their work and figure out how to share their successes with the world and how to make tweaks where needed to improve the work they are doing. I am also the main manager of HogSync and serve on a variety of Divisional committees. What brings me joy in this role is that I get to see departments at their very best and get the unfiltered version of pride in the work that we do. Getting to hear folks talk about what they are doing and the joy it brings them is without a doubt my favorite part of my job because it reminds me that we are all here working toward a common goal.

What is the greatest misconception people have about Student Affairs and how do you break that?

I think the biggest misconception about Student Affairs people have is that we have no connection to the classroom. So many times, we are seen as just the “pizza party crew” and there are so many people on campus that don’t see the role we truly play in contributing to student success. I think we break that misconception by doing a better a better job of telling our story and explicitly drawing that connection for those who don’t see it on their own.

What do you like to do with your time outside of the University?

I really enjoy cooking and baking (and really just food in general), so getting to do things where there is good food involved are things that make me happy. I also enjoy playing Animal Crossing and reading. I also like to stay active, so the miles and miles of trails in Fayetteville are something I am very thankful for!

What do you hope students and colleagues will remember about your interactions?

I view a lot of what I do in my role as support to the entire Division, so I would hope that people see me as someone who is always willing to lend a helping hand, someone who will show up, and someone who is worthy of their trust. I always strive to be a good team player and someone who brings fun to the work we do, even when many people may not find assessment all that fun.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let our readers know?

Many may already know this, but I have a degree in meteorology and am somewhat of a hobbyist meteorologist. If you ever have questions about the weather (or need a forecast done for a program), let me know!