SSU Unveils New “SSU Forward” Committee

 

Savannah State University Unveils New “SSU Forward” Committee

Savannah State University (SSU) recently assembled a university-wide committee to foster greater communication and cohesion across departments to address topics that effect the entire campus community.

The SSU Forward Committee will determine and prioritize issues of interest, collect input and brainstorm creative solutions and report back to the President and SSU leadership team to increase the institution’s responsiveness to the needs of its students, faculty, staff, and community.

“The SSU Forward Committee is a very important initiative to create synergy across departments so we can move forward together,” said SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander.

To ensure a fair and balanced approach, Alexander appointed two co-chairs, one from the faculty side and one from the staff side.

Committee Co-chair Dr. Andrea Moore is Professor of Biology and immediate past president of the Faculty Senate. Moore has a long history at the institution having graduated from SSU in 2001 and having taught at the university for 11 years.

“Savannah State is my alma mater and many of my family members graduated from here as well,” Moore said. “I bleed blue and orange. That’s why it’s important to me that we address our community’s needs with complete transparency and efficiency so all of our departments can work better together.”

Fellow Co-chair Flora Devine is SSU’s Chief Legal Officer. She has worked at the university for six years and is also a certified mediator and facilitator, skills that may prove useful as the committee tackles complex topics. Among the topics the committee will discuss, Devine hopes to address how to navigate conflict and increase a sense of belonging and wellness among the faculty and staff.

“Our ultimate goal as educators is to create an environment where students can thrive,” Devine said. “If our faculty and staff are not thriving then our students can’t thrive. We want to create an environment where students can be successful, and our faculty and staff can achieve their goals as well.”

The Committee is comprised of various faculty and staff members who represent the university’s diverse interests. Moore said the committee members are well suited to the task because of their long history with the university and their extensive connections to students and the community.

Members of the SSU Forward Committee include:

• Shed Dawson (Student Affairs)
• Dana Daniels (Human Resources)
• Opio Mashariki (Athletics)
• Marius Davis (Alumni Relations)
• Jessi Travis (Budgets, Payroll & Procurement)
• Katelyn Green (Student Government President)
• Dr. Antonio Velazquez (COST)
• Dr. Sherri Serdikoff (CLASS)
• Dr. Dale Cake (COBA)

Moore and Devine plan to convene the first committee meeting this summer to brainstorm the agenda and how to progress as a committee. Moore said she is looking forward to receiving input from all of the committee members and building solutions together.

“As the co-chairs, we’re not here to tell them solutions,” Moore said. “We’re not going to try to control the outcome from the top down and expect everyone to get on board. In SSU’s history it’s when all the stakeholders come together to work as a team that our mission has been successful.”