Suzanne Sullivan
Class of 1989
A Passion for Higher Education
What is your current position/title, and what is your "typical" day like?
Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). No two days are alike since I support a VP who oversees a variety of offices. Lately my days have included coordinating a campus-wide hurricane relief effort (we’ve adopted a community college in Mississippi that has a Fashion Merchandising program), participating in the campus-wide Strategic Planning process, researching policy issues, responding to parents’ and students’ concerns, etc.
Can you provide a quick snapshot of the path that took you there?
Joining Hall Council and then becoming an RA at UVM started this journey. After graduating, I went across the street to Trinity College of Vermont (which, sadly, has closed). Since it was a small college, I wore many hats. I was a Hall Director, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Program Assistant for Community Service Learning. I then decided to leave higher education for a couple of years before investing time and money in graduate school.
So, I became a Service Representative at Manpower of Vermont where I placed temporary employees in glamorous, minimum-wage jobs like soap-packaging. The experience in the private sector confirmed that higher education was the path for me, so I went to the University of Rhode Island for a Master of Science in College Student Personnel. I pursued my interests in service-learning through my research and internships.
Despite my efforts to find a full-time position in Service Learning, my first job after graduate school was as a Hall Director at the University of New Hampshire. Although I was trying to avoid a live-in position, I was given the opportunity to co-coordinate the Partnership for Social Action, UNH’s service-learning program. Leading an alternative spring break trip for UNH students was a personal and professional highlight.
Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). No two days are alike since I support a VP who oversees a variety of offices. Lately my days have included coordinating a campus-wide hurricane relief effort (we’ve adopted a community college in Mississippi that has a Fashion Merchandising program), participating in the campus-wide Strategic Planning process, researching policy issues, responding to parents’ and students’ concerns, etc.
Can you provide a quick snapshot of the path that took you there?
Joining Hall Council and then becoming an RA at UVM started this journey. After graduating, I went across the street to Trinity College of Vermont (which, sadly, has closed). Since it was a small college, I wore many hats. I was a Hall Director, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Program Assistant for Community Service Learning. I then decided to leave higher education for a couple of years before investing time and money in graduate school.
So, I became a Service Representative at Manpower of Vermont where I placed temporary employees in glamorous, minimum-wage jobs like soap-packaging. The experience in the private sector confirmed that higher education was the path for me, so I went to the University of Rhode Island for a Master of Science in College Student Personnel. I pursued my interests in service-learning through my research and internships.
Despite my efforts to find a full-time position in Service Learning, my first job after graduate school was as a Hall Director at the University of New Hampshire. Although I was trying to avoid a live-in position, I was given the opportunity to co-coordinate the Partnership for Social Action, UNH’s service-learning program. Leading an alternative spring break trip for UNH students was a personal and professional highlight.
On to the SUNY system….As the Assistant Director of Student Development and Campus Activities at Purchase College, a performing/visual/liberal arts SUNY school just north of NYC, I was able to take on a generalist position where I did a little bit of everything. I developed the “jack of all trades” approach for a few years and then decided to focus on one area – which brought me to Stony Brook University, a much larger SUNY campus on Long Island. I spent the last seven years building a commuter program for this large, research university that has over 7,000 commuters. While I really enjoyed my time at Stony Brook – my personal life has taken me to New York City where I now act as the Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs at FIT: Fashion Institute of Technology. FIT is another SUNY campus, but it is unique since it is the only undergraduate SUNY campus located in Manhattan and it is a community college that also offers bachelor’s degrees and a couple of master’s degrees in specialized areas. I love being back with the creative/artsy/innovative students, and nothing beats NYC for a campus!
What do you like best about your work?
The small “victories” – when we’re able to offer assistance or make a change that impacts a student or a group of students. Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment and meaning when I’m able to be a part of a solution for a student. That may include answering a question for a concerned parent, spending time with a frustrated student and helping them solve their administrative problem or finding scholarship funds to support a student whose family lost everything in Katrina – it all matters.
Any special interests outside the workplace?
Yes! Travel, live music, exploring NYC, photography and spending time with my family and friends.
What was your major at UVM and what experiences at UVM have proved important in terms of your career?
What do you like best about your work?
The small “victories” – when we’re able to offer assistance or make a change that impacts a student or a group of students. Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment and meaning when I’m able to be a part of a solution for a student. That may include answering a question for a concerned parent, spending time with a frustrated student and helping them solve their administrative problem or finding scholarship funds to support a student whose family lost everything in Katrina – it all matters.
Any special interests outside the workplace?
Yes! Travel, live music, exploring NYC, photography and spending time with my family and friends.
What was your major at UVM and what experiences at UVM have proved important in terms of your career?
English. So many UVM experiences have been important: participation in the friendly, small class atmosphere, exposure to mentors from many fields, developing life-long friends, and the mistakes I made while there, too. I was a member of "La Maison Francaise" in the Living Learning Center; an RA in Jeanne Mance and L & L; an Admissions Rep and Co-Chair of TOWERR Senior Women's Honor Society – all of those experiences have served me well and were the beginning of a career that has often relied on networking and making informal connections.
What's the single most important tip you have for UVM students as they prepare for their careers?
Communication skills matter! Take those writing classes, participate in cross-cultural programs, practice good communication skills and please avoid using e-mail slang in professional correspondence!
Any special tips for anyone interested in your industry/field?
Follow your passions and work within Student Affairs offices that you find the most interesting, but be sure to develop skills in a variety of functional areas so that you can move beyond entry-level positions in higher education.
Any additional comments for students and/or alumni using the Career Connection?
I recommend reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point – we used it for a freshmen reader at Stony Brook a few years ago, but found that we were able to continue using the book for staff development and conversations about the roles we play in groups and how we network and spread ideas – it’s good food for thought. Best of luck!
What's the single most important tip you have for UVM students as they prepare for their careers?
Communication skills matter! Take those writing classes, participate in cross-cultural programs, practice good communication skills and please avoid using e-mail slang in professional correspondence!
Any special tips for anyone interested in your industry/field?
Follow your passions and work within Student Affairs offices that you find the most interesting, but be sure to develop skills in a variety of functional areas so that you can move beyond entry-level positions in higher education.
Any additional comments for students and/or alumni using the Career Connection?
I recommend reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point – we used it for a freshmen reader at Stony Brook a few years ago, but found that we were able to continue using the book for staff development and conversations about the roles we play in groups and how we network and spread ideas – it’s good food for thought. Best of luck!
(for UVM staff)