Natalie Correa/The Hofstra Chronicle

Hofstra University has long been central to Jessica Eads’ life, from growing up around the university, attending school here and even bringing her children to the daycare center. Being so connected to Hofstra has been key to her approach as an administrator.

“When things go awry, I take it personally,” said Eads, the vice president of student enrollment, engagement and success at Hofstra.

As a Long Island native from Smithtown, Eads partook in the commuter experience for her four years as an undergraduate student. In the beginning, the adjustment to college was hard for her.

“It was my job on campus that helped me network and really find my groove and my group of people,” Eads said. This position, in addition to clubs and student research, helped to ground Eads on campus and help her find herself at Hofstra.

Eads didn’t plan to go into admissions as a career.

“I’ll tell you; nobody wakes up in the morning and says, ‘When I grow up, I want to be in admissions,’” Eads said. “It is something you stumble upon.”

Eads’ job on campus – working under former men’s basketball coach Jay Wright as a tutor for the men’s basketball team – gave her a first taste of the power of enrollment.

“I watched how athletic recruitment and athletic success allowed for students to really change their life,” she said.

After graduating, Eads worked for a year outside of Hofstra before returning to the university. She took a job as a research assistant and soon after started a position as an administrator, working largely with the basketball team.

Initially, she thought she would become a sports psychologist but came to the realization that higher education administration might be a path for her.

“I thought maybe I could take this sports recruitment thing and tweak it into admissions,” Eads said.

From there, Eads worked in Enrollment Services for MBA/EMBA recruitment and later assumed roles as the vice president of enrollment management and the dean of admission and financial aid. Her work in enrollment was focused on how to get students to the university, but working solely in the beginning stage of a student’s experience had its drawbacks.

“You [would] build real relationships with students, and then it was kind of over,” Eads said. “That didn’t work for me.”

As of this fall, the Departments of Enrollment and Student Affairs have combined to form the Division of Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success. The merger of the departments into one has allowed Eads to feel more active in ensuring students are getting a worthwhile experience.

It has also allowed Eads to build more meaningful relationships, but doing so hasn’t been easy, especially when relying on traditional methods of communication.

“[Students] aren’t coming to office hours,” Eads said. “Students aren’t reading emails, [so] how do I get in the moment with students and get really raw and authentic feedback?”

Projects like the VP100 chat, a facilitated group chat with Eads, are intended to be easy ways for students to reach out with praise or criticism.

“It’s a great way for us to direct our energy and direct our goals,” Eads said.

This group chat results from senior leadership attempting to be more transparent with students. While the group chat is successful, Eads suspects that other methods, like open office hours, are misunderstood. Overall, Eads is looking at more informal methods of communication.

“Office hours is not going to the principal’s office,” Eads said. “It is truly an opportunity to discuss things. I think there are things that we as administrators need to reimagine. How do we open ourselves up to the student body?”

As a parent of a first-year student, Eads has been able to see the importance of this from a new perspective: seeing how prospective students respond to enrollment outreach and learning alongside her eldest about available resources. She has been able to better understand the importance of redefining how administration communicates opportunities and resources to students.

Ultimately, Eads’ biggest takeaway from this time has been to “just call your parents, or your family unit, every once in a while, because it matters.”

Outside of Hofstra, Eads is a big yoga and Pilates person. “It helps me realize that while I can’t make everyone happy all the time, at least I am coming from a place of goodness,” she said.

Eads integrates that energy in her office with classical piano radio and essential oils that welcome you as you step in. Additionally, she loves sports, which was evident with her initial career plans. Coming from an Italian family, she also loves to cook, which she has been able to do with first-generation college students at dinners she hosts.

A key focus Eads has is to inspire with positivity.

“I think it’s just, how do we make today better than yesterday? And do it for others, not for yourself,” Eads said. “If we do it right, we can change the world.”