Schools hire associate director of student engagement
After a monthslong search, CSB/SJU welcomed Minnesota Morris graduate Andrew Kroska to the student activities office. His work includes coordinating with clubs and campus programming, leadership development and student interaction.
In August, Andrew Kroska was hoping for two pieces of good news: a new fiancée and a new job. Luckily, he got both.
The newly engaged Kroska was hired three weeks ago as the Associate Director of Student Engagement at CSB/SJU. A graduate from the University of Minnesota at Morris, he brings a strong background of community engagement in a small liberal arts college setting to the hiring committee.
Jody Terhaar, CSB Dean of Students, said the hiring process consisted of multiple interviews, an invitation to campus and student input.
“Knowing that there were several liberal arts colleges within the state of Minnesota, I was excited to see this position open up. It was exactly what I wanted to do,” Kroska said “I wanted to work directly with students in student activities and help clubs and organizations to develop their programs.”
Kroska’s role will involve working with clubs and campus programming boards, directing the first-year experience and developing leadership abilities in students. Terhaar is excited to welcome Kroska to campus.
“He has been engaged, asking great questions and providing good ideas,” Terhaar said. “I’m excited for students to get to know him and see what his leadership will bring.”
Student Programming Assistant Julian Mares also thinks highly of Kroska and his ability towork with a small team.
“He has been very supportive of decisions and the decision-making around the office,” Mares said. “I can already tell he has strong leadership skills and that he is able to guide us in the right direction. He’s definitely a positive influence on the office so far.”
Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD) will work closely with Kroska to plan events on campus.
“In a smaller office, everyone has their hand in making sure events happen according to plan,” Mares said.
After the Involvement Fair two weeks ago, the department is looking forward to the upcoming Family Weekend.
Kroska has always appreciated CSB/SJU, since he grew up in Cold Spring. After graduating with a communication, media and rhetoric degree, he worked in admissions at the U of M in Morris for two years.
“Given the opportunity to work as a campus ambassador coordinator led me to take a look at what I was passionate about, which was working with college students,” Kroska said.
He went on to earn a graduate degree at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2018.
This year may continue to look different as the pandemic lessens.
“Many clubs and organizations weren’t even active last year. Leaders graduated. We know that there is this absence of experience and knowledge because of COVID,” Terhaar said. “We need to be rebuilding those capacities, energy, excitement and connections, which is why involvement is so incredibly important this year.”
COVID-19 continues to cast a shadow on development.
“It’s often misconstrued that higher education is slow to change, but as we can see in the last year and a half, we can change very quickly when we need to,” Kroska said. “Coming back from COVID, we have a lot of opportunities for new changes — and good changes.”
He hopes to be more direct and open in helping students plan engagement events.
“With this position being so front-facing, I need to be accessible to students, and I really want to be,” he said.
