Greenfeld Heads Advising Office
By Fran Rensbarger
Stephen Greenfeld has taken the reins of Student Academic Affairs and Advising,
a new office that was created when the offices of Academic Support and Advising
Services, and Student Academic Affairs merged. He brings to George Mason an enthusiasm
about both the new structure for student advising and the direction in which the
university is headed.
With the new office, the delivery of student academic services will be streamlined
through the coordination and partnership between the two offices, says Greenfeld.
“I was attracted to the position for its combining leadership over these
two closely related student academic functions. Communication and collaboration
among academic administrative offices greatly enhance the quality of their delivery
of student services.”
He also sees the university in a dynamic period of growth. “With the
expansion of recruitment for talented applicants, I have also seen a concomitant
commitment to student retention—a definite plus. The university understands
the important role that effective academic advisement plays in the retention effort.
In addition, I have felt a genuine sense of collegiality among the administration
and faculty at Mason.”
Greenfeld’s goals as director of the new office include providing “a
comprehensive program of developmental academic advisement available to all students.”
He expects to see the advisement program’s visibility grow, as well as the
advisement center’s role as a university-wide resource. “Most importantly,
needs-based programming, determined by empirical analysis, will be developed to
improve George Mason University student persistence to graduation.”
Greenfeld brings eight years of experience as director of academic advisement
positions: for the last four years at the ethnically diverse Bronx Community College
(BCC) and for the previous four at a four-year private institution, Marymount
Manhattan College. At BCC, he established and maintained an advisement center,
developed a program of faculty advisement, and planned and managed strategies
and activities to provide a comprehensive program of academic advisement for all
students. In addition, Greenfeld has written on a variety of advisement issues,
including second-semester advisement as a retention tool. Greenfeld earned his
Ph.D. in English literature at Columbia University in New York in 1992, and has
taught English, comparative literature, and composition for more than 10 years.
“Along with impressive academic credentials and experience, Dr. Greenfeld
has been a leader in developing innovative approaches to retention issues,”
says Linda Schwartzstein, vice provost for academic affairs. “He has implemented
seamless advising across his current institution and has dramatically improved
use of data analysis for advising and retention. Dr. Greenfeld was a recipient
of the 2002 Outstanding Academic Administrator Award given by the National Academic
Advisement Association.”
From his experience as director of academic advising, he has gained understanding
from the trenches how administrative processes address student need, Greenfeld
says. “At BCC, I established and staffed a new advisement center and developed
several programs customized to meet student needs. In both directorships, I have
integrated student academic affairs with my work in academic advisement.”
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