“Life outside the classroom” has become the motto of Dr. Jeffrey Kegolis, vice president for the student experience. Kegolis oversees the offices and organizations that support students outside the classroom, both on and off campus. These offices include Student Engagement, Housing and Residence Life, Student Health Services, the Counseling/Development Center, Retention and Advising, the Career Center and the Dean of Students.
After graduating with his doctorate in higher education administration, Kegolis began working at Bowling Green State University in Ohio as the assistant dean of students. In his time there, he said he often focused on student conduct work and oversaw Greek Life, enjoying those one-on-one experiences.
“When you’re higher up in an organization on a college campus, you have less frequent interaction with college students. That is a goal of mine to not become disconnected, but at the same time, I’d like to prioritize getting to know students and be visible on campus. I’m always trying to identify how to better do that,” said Kegolis.
Since coming to Marywood in July of 2023, Kegolis has worked closely with President Sister Mary Persico IHM, Ed.D.and the university’s cabinet to focus on student growth and the development of the “holistic” student.
Kegolis explained, “When I have the opportunity to connect individually, it is the most rewarding. What is relevant to a student; when they’re speaking about something with excitement, I get to see that. That kind of stuff is what drives me.”
After more than 20 years in the academic field, Kegolis recognized a significant change in how students prioritize their needs.
“Students are more inclined to focus on individual things, but still crave the opportunity to do things with friends,” said Kegolis.
He noted that since the pandemic, operations across all college campuses have shifted, and because of that, he said, the number one challenge is for administrators to think about the future of the university while simultaneously staying in tune with students’ current needs.
“It’s not about me; it’s about what’s best for our students and what’s best for the institution,” said Kegolis.
Mary Pegarella, the student experience representative for Student Government Association, meets biweekly with Kegolis to discuss both on and off-campus events.
“Dr. Kegolis is someone who is genuinely interested in the lives of students and how he can help make those lives better. He has such great ideas and dreams for this campus, and I think his presence on campus will continue to have a positive impact on student life,” said Pegarella.
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