Dr. Dionne Jones-Malone, Calumet College of St. Joseph’s (CCSJ) vice president of student engagement and retention, got her undergrad education in psychology.
“I was always ‘the go-to’ when my friends had problems, and then after jumping into the field of psychology about halfway through my college undergrad, I realized this is not what I want to do. But in my mind, it was too late, and I still enjoyed certain pieces of psychology,” Jones-Malone said.
In her last year at The University of Texas at Austin, Jones-Malone found a part-time job with a TRIO program called Talent Search where she recruited and trained volunteers to mentor and tutor middle and high school students.
“I was really able to interact with students who were in middle and high school, and even some of their parents, and help them to really understand the dynamics and sometimes the obstacles, just trying to maneuver through the application for college,” said Jones-Malone. “Some didn’t understand certain pieces to the puzzle, or some needed assistance with writing essays. Working through that helped me narrow down my interest.”
After graduating, Jones-Malone found herself in a college coach position where she hosted workshops about how to search for and fill out applications for scholarships, as well as understanding FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid – results and all the other pieces to the college puzzle.
Jones-Malone reflected on her upbringing and realized she had a much different experience than many students.
“I am not the first in my family to go to college. I was at a really good school and I graduated top 10% of my class. My counselors at my high school were readily available to assist with talking about scholarships and different opportunities that are available,” Jones-Malone said.
The time she spent working in the schools during that last year of college taught her that not every child has that same experience and help.
“You have students who really want to go to college, but it showed me how some schools do not have equal resources,” said Jones-Malone. “It’s always nice to see students start their freshman year and then see them walk across the stage, but I get satisfaction from seeing them get through the next semester because life throws many curves with today’s college students. I think a lot about the responsibilities college students have today versus when I was younger. They take it one semester at a time, and then eventually they see that, ‘Oh my God, I’m applying for graduation, and I’m picking out my invitations,’ and that’s the kind of stuff that I love.”
Jones-Malone noted how much higher education has changed for the better over the years.
“Instructors are not only interested in what grades their students are pulling in but also don't give harsh criticism when assignments fall short. Today's high ed. educators have a certain compassion and sensitivity for student’s lives in andoutside of the classroom,” said Jones-Malone. “Professors 20 years ago probably didn’t know a lot about their students’ personal lives. Think about now– we have counseling services. It’s now a holistic approach in working with college students. It’s not simply about being there for their academics. With my current role, I have a lot of the support structures that fall under my purview.”
She currently oversees resources like the student pantry and the contractual agreement with Crown Counseling. Jones-Malone said seeing the whole of the student is important as yes, students may be struggling with their grades, but knowing that they also deal with food insecurity gives you insight into maybe why their grades suffer.
“You know you have to address the personal in order for them to really be able to blossom or do well in academics,” said Jones-Malone.
Jones-Malone also referenced her psychology lessons about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how it relates to students needing stability outside of the classroom first.
“We have to have the basics to be our best selves. If you’re hungry or you’re homeless, you can’t be your best self in the classroom,” Jones-Malone said.
In the past, professors were only concerned about keeping students accountable for turning in acceptable work; nowadays, Jones-Malone said there is now a genuine interest and concern for their students’ wellbeing.
“It is definitely a hands-on approach where we are tracking attendance data. Especially with incoming freshmen, if you’re missing two planning sessions then someone is tracking you down,” said Jones-Malone. “Here and now, we take that next step. Who is going to be the point person to follow up? If it’s an athlete, we may go to the coach and find out if he or she has had contact with them.”
The care that Jones-Malone and the faculty at Calumet College of St. Joseph have for their students and each other can definitely be seen as a unique quality.
“Here when I tell you it’s an open door, it is an open door, and that is what I really love about being here. There’s not that bottleneck with getting things done for students. I think there’s a lot of red tape, unfortunately, when you’re in bigger institutions, because there’s just added layers,” said Jones-Malone. “If there is something I need or that a student needs, it usually just takes one or two people to look at it and get it resolved versus institutions that may be adding red tape and bureaucracy to really get things done for students. So I love that it’s a college family approach, and that everyone jumps in when there are things going on with students. I love the small environment because you really see the direct impact of your work.”
CCSJ has a clear focus on the goal of helping students succeed and seeing their potential. It matters that students leave in a more enriched and thriving condition than when they entered the doors of CCSJ.
“I really love and have grown to appreciate and have a deeper understanding of the importance of student affairs, because I feel that things that have happened over the past three to 10 years have really put student affairs back on the radar,” said Jones-Malone.
To learn more about Calumet College of St. Joseph, visit ccsj.edu.
