Rosa Floyd

Staff Q & A

Hometown: Hooks, Texas

Title: Office Manager for Student Activities

Years of Service (UofA): 18+ UA, 15 in OSA

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Journalism from Southern Arkansas University (Go Muleriders!)
• Master’s in International Development from William Carey International University

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

15 years. I enjoy seeing student development over their time here. The students who start out shy and insecure, who end up being involved and engaged, confident and ready for the future, energize me!

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

As the Office Manager for OSA, I am responsible for knowing what is going on in all of the areas of our office. I keep a lot of plates spinning, have multitudes of “follow-up” lists, and serve as a professional “reminder-er” about a plethora of details. It is a job that requires both a big picture and detail-oriented perspective. Not only are no two days the same; even no two hours within a day are the same! I love the variety of work that I do; I love random questions and problem-solving; but the most joy I get is in working with our student staff at the OSA front desk. I have the privilege of supervising the BEST front desk staff on campus, and I love watching their energy, their eagerness to learn, and their diligence no matter what the project. We have very few students leave us before graduation, so often I get to work with them for 2, 3, or even 4 years. My student staff have held down the office through some difficult personal times for me, and along with my OSA family have brought me so much joy in the dailyness of life.

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

A big misconception is that what we do is “fluff.” I work to break that from the first day a new student staff member shows up. They learn that this is a leadership opportunity, and that what we do here helps to develop students for life beyond college. When an employer sees two students with similar coursework, internships, and stellar GPAs, it is often the co-curricular involvement that gives one student the edge over another. For our student staff, I like to work with them to help them be intentional about how they present the work they do. Students may not realize how office work can help them get a job in, say, an engineering field, but when I point out that they have learned time management, teamwork, and prioritizing multiple projects, they suddenly have an “aha” moment and find examples that they then bring to interviews. The student development that we do in Student Affairs is absolutely essential to the job search process.

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

My husband Michael and I love anything outdoors. We hike regularly, kayak occasionally, and are slowly working our way through finding the “Arkansas Waterfalls” in Tim Ernst’s book. We also take care of my elderly parents who live here in Fayetteville, are deeply involved in our church and community group, and are excited to get our first Friendship Family through International Students and Scholars.

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

I hope they remember that I am here to help and that if I don’t know the answer, I will either find it our find someone who knows. I’m not intimidated by questions!

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

There are no insignificant roles in Student Affairs. Whatever we do, we are touching students’ lives. Keep your eyes open beyond your work tasks and you will be amazed at the opportunities you have to make a difference in the life of a student – it might be someone crying in the bathroom who needs some encouragement, someone scared and lost who needs to know where the library is, or a student you see every day who one day decides to sit down and tell you their dreams and vision for the future. Students first, always!