A day in the life for ETSU Dean of Students

Being Dean of Students isn’t an easy job, but according to the man currently holding the position, it’s never a boring one.
Jeff Howard became Dean of Students Nov. 1, 2014.
“I supervise several areas,” Howard said. “Though I work really close with the advisement resource center (ARC) and the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) as team leader, I also supervise student family programs, student conduct, student publications, and the ACTS office.”
One of the biggest projects Howard is working on right now is the Culp renovation and addition.
“We have elected an architectural design firm,” Howard said. “We will start having programming meetings this semester. Tons of students are involved in this process, we are actually talking about every single space and what’s needed, and putting it on paper and designing what that space will look like and what is translates into for the architectural rendering.”
Howard also supervises SGA, soon he will help with Civility week, the spring concert as well as elections for SGA.
“There are no two days that are alike, every single day is different,” Howard said. “I may get called into something that involves a student situation, if there was an emergency or if we have a situation on campus. So every day is different, which does make it more exciting because you never know what to expect, and just when you think you’ve seen it all something new comes along.”
In his free time, Howard enjoys hiking, reading and history.
“I really thought I wanted to pursue history and teaching,” Howard said. “When I worked as resident director as a graduate assistant, I decided that I maybe wanted to go into student affairs. That graduate assistantship really changed my trajectory.”
Howard earned an undergraduate degree in history and political science, a graduate degree in history, as well as a doctoral degree in education leadership.
Before he came to ETSU, Howard was hired in student affairs positions at Carson-Newman and The University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
On top of all the good Howard does in and around the university, he is also a member of several honor societies, including Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi. He is also involved in many personal memberships, some including First Families of Tennessee, Tennessee Society/Kings Mountain Chapter of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, as well as Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity, where he served on the national board of directors and was nominated to serve for two terms as the national vice president for education.