ADEA leadership encourages growth, connection for staff
Two School of Dentistry staff members have taken on leadership roles in the American Dental Education Association's Admissions, Financial Aid and Student Affairs (ADEA AFASA) section.
Susan Wold, MS, assistant director of the Office of Admissions, is in her third year of leadership in a three-year cycle. She first served as secretary before transitioning to chair-elect, and is currently chair of her section.
Wold decided to apply for the leadership role after attending the fall and spring meetings. “I found the meetings to be extremely beneficial in building my network with other dental school admissions officers, and deepening my knowledge of best practices and innovations in dental school admissions,” she said. “Becoming a leader seemed like a great opportunity to be of service and develop my network and skills further.”
Shannon Gilligan Wehr, senior student support associate in the Office of Student and Resident Affairs, is the section’s chair-elect, following in Wold’s cycle of leadership.
Wold and Gilligan Wehr’s leadership roles include planning the annual fall meeting and AFASA-specific programming, planning town halls, serving as delegates and coordinating with ADEA.
Both Wold and Gilligan Wehr have found the work meaningful and impactful from a growth and networking perspective.
“Being able to partner with other student support professionals from across the country to advocate for the needs of our members has been meaningful,” said Gilligan Wehr. “We hold a unique role within dental education, and the needs of oral health learners are different than many other areas in higher education, so I have appreciated the ability to learn from and with colleagues in similar roles. I have been able to share how we do things at the University of Minnesota, and have learned new approaches for offering support based on what other dental schools are providing.”
Wold agrees, and has also gained new support networks through the experience. “It has been a positive experience for me, getting to know my colleagues at other dental schools well,” she said. “I have been able to positively influence the culture of our section, where we are working toward hosting meetings that emphasize getting to know your colleagues and sharing information, so we can all do our work better. While we are technically competitors for the same students, we are not in competition with one another.”
In addition to support and networking, leadership has given them the opportunity to advocate and shape the future of ADEA.
“I hope to be an advocate for the unique position admissions, student affairs and financial aid professionals play in dental education,” Gilligan Wehr reflected. “Being able to ‘see’ ADEA from a member and an association staff member perspective has helped me understand why decisions are made, and allowed me to provide suggestions for ways to include our members in the planning and educational offerings available.”
Wold, similarly, has enjoyed having “a direct line to voice the opinions, comments and concerns of our membership” to ADEA leadership.
And perhaps best of all, leadership has helped Wold and Gilligan Wehr grow and become the best professionals they can be, while equipping them with a team of colleagues beyond the school. “I have gained a better understanding of our unique approach to dental education, as well as the ways we are similar to other schools,” Gilligan Wehr said. “We all have our own challenges, and learning from others who have experienced something similar is appreciated.”
For Wold, “it has been enjoyable to connect with colleagues outside of the meetings and get to know them better. I now have multiple colleagues I can text with questions, and building that network as a professional has been invaluable.”
Wold and Gilligan Wehr both consider this experience to be impactful and exciting, and hope to see other School of Dentistry staff colleagues follow in their footsteps.
“Serving as a leader within AFASA has not been as scary or daunting as I would have thought,” said Gilligan Wehr. “If you have the excitement and desire to make a difference, it’s a great way to get involved. Reach out to those serving in roles that interest you. Put yourself out there, because you never know what may result from saying ‘yes’ to an opportunity.”