CLC has welcomed a new Dean of Student Affairs, Gregory R. Singleton! During his time here, he looks to uplift the student body with his 37 years of experience working in higher education.
As Dean of Student Affairs he has oversight over a multitude of areas that fall under the realm of student affairs, ranging from health and wellness services to counseling and athletics. Singleton has worked at five colleges; he began at the University of Memphis. Although he did not have his master’s degree at the time, he was given the opportunity to study at the University while he was working.
“I was blessed to be the candidate that was chosen” Singleton said, “I stayed at the University of Memphis for seven years. I went to school at night, and I got a master’s degree while working.”
He then moved to Purdue University as an Associate Dean and Director of Judicial Affairs. After Purdue University, he worked at Austin P. State University as an Associate Vice President Dean of Students for 17 years, and Student Affairs President at the University on two different occasions.
As a student, Singleton can relate with CLC students because he himself started his higher education journey at a community college! He obtained his associate’s degree at Jackson State Community College then transferred to University of Memphis as an elementary education major. While studying for his associate’s degree, he was extremely involved on campus through his passions for tennis and acting. When he transferred to the University of Memphis he joined a fraternity called Kappa Alpha.
“When I joined Kappa Alpha I instantly had a whole chapter full of brothers.” Singleton said, “ I grew up in a really small town of about 4,300 people so going to a college of about 22,000 students at the time? I was lost. Joining Kappa Alpha really opened a lot of doors for me into getting engaged on campus.”
While in Kappa Alpha, he was hesitant to teach in schools. However, his mentor, Mindy Sopher–who worked in the student affairs realm–encouraged him to begin thinking about working in student affairs. His mentor led him towards the right path that aligned with his passions and utilizing his background education .
For students going into the workforce, he encourages them to “find something you’re passionate about because then you’ll be good at it. If you’re not passionate or you don’t love your job, you’re not going to be very productive.”
Singleton also emphasizes that being involved on campus has a strong impact on their futures. He believes the difference between a college experience and a collegiate experience, is their involvement within the college. He views a college experience as an experience that any student could have. Anyone can show up to class and leave.
He feels that Students who simply engage in the college experience “will not have the same connection to CLC if that’s what they choose to do.” He feels that a student that who has a collegiate experience is “someone who takes the initiative to be engaged and involved on campus while attending class.” Singleton believes that students that are more involved display skills like time management, initiative, and proven leadership which are desired traits from employers. Being a member or executive of a club or organization here at CLC will increase students’ potential in the future.
Singleton believes in serving students and doing anything he can to enhance their educational and extracurricular experience. With his open door policy students can come to his office without an appointment. Feedback is important in order to learn how to gradually improve the student experiences. He currently serves on an assessment task force for the CLC’s University Center to assess student satisfaction. It’s aiming to improve current programs the campus has.
As a member of the assessment task force, Singleton often asks students around campus what they think about the college, “Most of the time if you ask a student what they think, they will tell you. Student feedback is great because it gives me clarity for what students are looking for.”
Singleton and the rest of his team utilize student feedback from multiple departments to elevate student learning and experiences on college campuses. As the Dean of Student Affairs, he has experience with a variety of cases with students–both good and bad.
“While I worked at the University of Miami, a student of mine drowned in the lake which resulted in Miami’s anti-hazing law. I investigated his death and found out it was a fraternity hazing incident”
Tragedies like these are rare, but when they occur, Singleton mentions that student deaths leave the most impact on him. “Although tragedies like these stick out to me, they make me much more empathetic and sensitive to student needs and mental health–along with concerns people have, how people are treated, and making sure students know they always have someone or an office they can talk to.”
Singleton plans to make his presence on campus known, and he has successfully done so with our Student Government Association (SGA). At Austin P. State University, he advised SGA for 16 years, and a legacy award was named after him: the Gregory R. Singleton Legacy Award. At CLC, he does not advise SGA, but he sits in on the weekly Monday meetings to hear current concerns students have.
“To be honest with you, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else other than what I do. I’ve always loved working in student affairs my whole career. I’ve never felt like I’m going into a job, to me it just feels like I’m going home because I love working with students.”
As the new Dean of Student Affairs, Singleton has time to build upon the foundation of CLC to create the lively campus he envisions for the future. Students and staff cannot wait to see what Singleton has to offer!
