At the beginning of its fall semester, UCA hired alumnae Jaclyn Austin as the director of Student Life.
Austin was originally hired as the associate director in July 2021.
“UCA is a unique place that many call home, just as it did when I got to campus in the fall of 2009,” Austin said to UCA News. “The chance to return to Conway and UCA in 2021 was one I’m thankful to have gotten, and now to be able to lead Student Life for the foreseeable future is something I will be forever grateful for.”
Austin’s responsibilities include supervising student life, working with registered student organizations, working with Greek life, and providing help for events such as Welcome Week, Homecoming and Family Weekend.
Austin will continue with her associate director duties, namely reviewing RSO renewals and helping with CubConnect and the event submission process.
Robin Williamson, vice president of the Division of Student Affairs, said, “The search committee did a national search, and Ms. Austin was the most qualified candidate in the pool. This coincides with my experience of her work and commitment to student development. She is a wonderful Student Affairs professional, and I am thrilled that she was selected for this position.”
Williamson joined UCA the same summer that Austin was hired as the assistant director of student life in 2021.
The goals that Austin hopes to achieve in her new position include seeing overall growth in student group interaction and student organizations and adding new teaching and programming opportunities.
“I hope to have student leaders that lean on each other outside of their own groups and know they can gain knowledge from those around them. I feel like students have been in a bubble for the last few years, so their ability to cast a larger net when they need help is something I have hope for,” Austin said.
Austin said her first job at UCA, working as a resident assistant from 2011 to 2013, led her to want to help her community.
Austin said, “I became an RA [resident assistant] because of my RA my freshman year, and I saw the positive impact that responsibility could make on students in a really big life transition period.”
Austin also worked as a graduate assistant for student life from 2013-2015. During this time, Austin helped make changes in UCA’s Greek life.
“As a graduate assistant, I helped with both IFC [Interfraternity Council] and Panhellenic Recruitment processes as well as RSO support,” Austin said. “The fall of 2013 was the first Fall Formal Recruitment for Panhellenic, so I really appreciated being able to support the office through a change to how we had done things.”
Austin joined a sorority in spring 2011.
“When I joined Tri-Sigma, I realized that the sense of belonging that came with finding a group of people where you felt like you mattered was just as important as the space you lived in or the major you’ve declared,” Austin said. “After talking to my supervisor in housing and finding out that it was a whole grad school concentration and a career option, the decision was made.”