October 2022 Newsletter

Greetings from Radford University! 

My name is Bruce Hayden and I serve as the Associate Dean of Students. In addition to my role as Associate Dean, I am a proud Highlander Alum (class of 93 and 95).  My wife and son are both Radford Alum and my daughter is currently a junior at Radford University Carillion. 

I was asked to submit an article due to my unique connections I have to RU. When I agreed to write this article, I thought this will be easy I could easily pull out a couple of nuggets of wisdom to share with Radford families.  I could talk about developmental theory of this age student or about how being connected to organizations and the community can lead to higher retention and graduation rates. 

All of this information is important and can be interesting but then it hit me, what would I want to hear as a parent or family member?  I thought about what advice I could give given my unique perspective as an Alumni, Administrator, and parent.  It then dawned on me, that during all my conversations with students, and even my own kids there was one common denominator.  That common denominator is support. 

One of the most important things a family member can do to help their student succeed is to let them know you support them and are there for them.  Students will go through a lot of different experiences and struggles in college, some of them positive and some of them challenging. Letting them know you are in their corner goes a long way.

Tips for supporting your student:

• Talk to them about the resources on campus that can help support them academically and emotionally. The Dean of Students office is a great office to start with and can connect students to resources.
• Ask them about there classes. Instead of asking “How are you doing in your Chemistry class?”  which will usually get the answer of “fine”. Say instead, “What are you learning in your Chemistry class?”.
• Give them the ability and grace to solve a problem. If you are like me, when situations come up with my kids I want to tell them how to fix it.  I have to stop myself and ask them, what do they think needs to happen. We then develop a plan and I let them take ownership and have them try to resolve it. 
• Let them know no matter what you are proud of them.  So many times, students place their own self-worth in academics and lets be honest college is hard.  Small wins are important to a students self-esteem.

Raising a student in college is hard and can produce its own challenges. Remember that the Dean of Students Office is here to partner with you and advocate for your students success.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

In Highlander Spirit,

Bruce Hayden, Associate Dean of Students 

Tanner Barrs, Senior Business Management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship, Abingdon VA

When a student decides they want to play collegiate athletics, they must make big decisions earlier than their peers. When I was looking at schools, Radford seemed right for me because it felt like home. It is only 1 hour and 20 minutes from where I grew up, so it seemed like a great spot for me. The class sizes were exactly what I was looking for because it felt like my professors really cared about me and got to know me. I was never interested in going to a large school, and Radford was a great fit. Being closer to home, I knew people that had attended Radford that I spoke to before I made my decision, and they only had great things to say. Everyone always spoke so highly of Radford, so I had a good mindset when I came to tour and that’s then I knew it was the school I wanted to attend.

Being on the Baseball team, I was involved right when I got to campus. Through my sport I had the opportunity to meet some great people right away, and from that I was able to get further involved. I became a member of FCA with Radford Athletics, which gave a different way to get to know people that are a part of many of our D1 teams. I have also been able to become involved through my business major. I am a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. I feel like this honor society has helped me network with many people and help with my growth as a professional.

A person who has been very important to my time at Radford is Allison McCoy. She is our Director of Student Athlete Support Services. Allison is a person who I can always talk to and rely on. She has made such a significant difference during my college career because she has helped me with all the resources that I have needed during my three years here and I know that she will always be there when I need someone.

If I was giving a freshman advice, I would tell them to really focus on getting involved. It’s a great way to meet new people, make lifelong friends, and know people in the professional world after college. I would also really stress focusing on grades during freshman year. It’s very easy to slack and not focus since there is not as much structure as there is in high school, but keeping a good GPA early makes it so much less stressful later in college.

I am very thankful that I have chosen Radford to be my home for four years and I will always speak highly of the staff, the campus, and the other students.