DeKALB – Sarah Marsh is the new associate dean of the College of Business. Marsh spoke to the Northern Star about herself and her goals as associate dean. She was recently hired in July.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND?
“I came to NIU after I got my Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. So I’ve been here over 25 years. And so I have been a professor in the Management Department. So where I teach the business capstone courses for teaching management capstone course for ongoing majors,” Marsh said. “And I’ve served as department chair for 15 years, and I’ve taught in about every program, undergraduate, graduate program in the College of Business, almost, but not quite every program.”
WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE AS ASSOCIATE DEAN?
“I’m really focused on academic affairs and student success so I spend a lot of time working with faculty and others about our academic programs curriculum. I’m involved in the Student Success Center here in the college. I’m really trying to develop ways to help our students be more successful,” Marsh said. “I’m involved with the Impact Lab, which involves things like the Special Learning Center and the Belief Initiative and Passport program.”
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AS ASSOCIATE DEAN?
“Academic affairs and curriculum, you know, our student success center. I’m involved in that, the Impact Lab, the experimental learning center, the Belief Initiative, the Passport program,” Marsh said. “And then I’m here to support the dean, you know, in helping the college advance commission. And so those are, I guess that would be the big brown umbrella of my responsibilities.”
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS ASSOCIATE DEAN?
“I’m super focused on helping our students be successful both in the classroom and after they graduate. And so I’m excited to kind of draw together all of the resources that we have here in the college and really advance that mission of student success to the highest degree,” Marsh said. “So I think I feel really good about the college and its student focus and its focus on student success. And I hope to accomplish even more collaboration for that purpose.”
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION?
“The students. Yeah, you’re the reason I keep going. You know, particularly NIU students are, you know, they’re smart, they’re focused, they’re really motivated to make a better place for themselves and the world and their families in the world. And that’s something I really enjoy being part of,” Marsh said.
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WORK? HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE?
“Outside of work I’m a big gardener, flower gardener, I’m a big reader. So I would say in the gardening season I’m a gardener and in the winter I’m a big reader. And in terms of work-life balance, the most important way that I try to keep balance is I just don’t keep my email open on the weekend, right,” Marsh said.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE NIU STUDENTS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
“I think it’s to know how committed I am and others here in the College of Business to helping them create and advance and develop while they’re here so that they can go off and live the lives that they want to live, both from a career perspective and from a personal perspective,” Marsh said. “So I want them to know that I and everyone here in the College is here for them, and so they should understand what an incredible resource that is and hope they take advantage of it.”
