Matt Meyers

Staff Q & A

Hometown: Born in Denver, CO, grew up in Keller, TX, would claim Fayetteville, AR as where I’m from

Title: Associate Director, New Student & Family Programs

Years of Service (UofA): Graduate Assistant from 2013-2014, full time staff member since fall 2014.

Education:

• B.A. Psychology (2013)
• M.Ed. Higher Education & Student Affairs (2015)
• current Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in the Higher Education program

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 on campus since 2009 and started working in student affairs as a graduate assistant in 2013. I’ve been working full time since October 2014. I’ve most enjoyed the ability to continue to work with R.O.C.K. Camp and extended orientation and transition programs because that’s what first introduced me to the student affairs field when I was a student at the U of A.

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

I serve as the associate director for New Student and Family Programs. In this role, I oversee various new student initiatives that are geared toward providing resources and support to incoming and transfer students. The largest programs are R.O.C.K. Camp and A-Week, which we have continued to adapt to focus on specific student needs during this transition period.

I enjoy working with and developing paraprofessional graduate assistants as they are developing skills and educational philosophies in relation to their own passions and careers in student affairs.

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

I think the biggest disconnect is not fully understanding what it means when we say, “We meet our students where they’re at.” Our student participants and student leaders are all at very different places personally, academically and socially, and we have to learn to do our job by adapting our programs – and ourselves – on a nearly daily basis to be truly effective in supporting students. Sometimes that means meeting with them on a weekend or at 9 p.m., sometimes it’s providing resources and advice, and other times it’s just being someone they can vent to and making them feel like there’s a place where they can feel comfortable talking about their lives.

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

Anyone who’s wandered into my office knows that I’m a huge Marvel fan. I’m a movie buff, I love antagonizing my wife and dogs with home renovation projects, and I am on the constant hunt to find a good cup of black coffee.

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

I hope they take away the fact that our office deeply cares about providing students with the best possible transition to the U of A, and we do our best to carefully think through every aspect of the student experience to try to ensure the best outcomes.