Scott Flanagin

Staff Q & A

Hometown: Mountain Home, Arkansas

Title: Executive Director of Communications, Division of Student Affairs

Years of Service: 15 years

Education: University of Missouri, Bachelor of Journalism (emphasis in Photojournalism) awarded May 1990

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 with the University of Arkansas for almost 16 years. I was the first person to be hired into my position, which was then director of communications, back in Jan. 2006. I enjoy so many things about being in Student Affairs – The students are amazing. I love working with young talented graphic designers, photographers, and videographers, and helping them find their way on campus and then into their first career. And there are days when I still get goosebumps walking down the hill after work to the Pit parking lot and looking at the football stadium and the wild band of Hogs statue. I also love Student Media – the Traveler, Razorback Yearbook, UATV, KXUA, Hill Magazine and the Main Hill ad agency – which oversight of the area was added to my responsibilities several years ago. I worked for the Traveler as an undergraduate and love what these students do and how they are stewarded by the director of Student Media, Robyn Starling-Ledbetter.

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

My role is being responsible for the communications from the Division of Student Affairs to the campus community and beyond. This means helping to tell the story of the great things that our staff in Student Affairs do every day. Part of telling that story is using social media accounts such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I also act as the spokesperson for the Division working with news reporters who may come calling for something great or maybe not so great.

What gives me the most joy in this role is working with my student staff, known as UA Productions. This talented group of creative students help me accomplish the goal of  promoting Student Affairs, but are really just great people with whom I get to work. I love watching these students progress from young, sometimes naïve freshman to confident graduating seniors ready to take on their first job after college, and helping them achieve their goals as they move from one stage of life to another.

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

I think people just don’t really know what Student Affairs is. So, they may not have a misconception about it, but just no knowledge at all. On campus, I feel people think we just “do programs,” and house and feed students. All of those things are true, but Student Affairs does all the jobs on campus that no one else wants to do. And we do them because we love students and want them to have the best University of Arkansas Experience they can have. I also think that some people on campus lose site of the fact that the ONLY reason we are all here are students! We should do whatever we can each day to help students feel they belong here, know that they matter, and provide them the best we have to offer of ourselves. And that is what Student Affairs professionals do all day, every day.

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

I love spending time with my wife Jackie and our two dogs Baxter and Rosie, and getting to hang out with our grown son Cassidy, who also works on campus.

I collect vinyl records and have a sizeable collection that I share with more than 8,000 followers on my Instagram account @SoundtrackSunday Managing that account takes a lot of time but really brings me joy. “Crate digging” for vinyl records in a thrift store or record store is my favorite pastime. So, you’ll likely find me in a thrift store on the weekends looking for that next cool record that I didn’t know I needed!

I also love spending time grilling and griddling – just cooking on my back porch.

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

I hope that colleagues feel that I always help them with whatever they need; that I am a professional and offer them great advice; and that I am kind and caring and treat them with respect.

As for students, hopefully they feel I was the best boss they ever had (I have actually been told this several times by students). I hope they feel supported in every way by me, both in the world of work and outside of work. And that they remember their time in my area as one of the best times in their lives where they really learned about themselves, the world, work and more.

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

Student Affairs staff are great colleagues and some of the best people on campus. They genuinely care about each other and about how students are doing – not just in school but in their whole lives. We have had several people lead the Division and the University over the nearly 16 years I have been here, and the one thing that always holds true – the love and dedication of Student Affairs staff!