Cynthia Jacobson, Allen Community College’s new vice president for student affairs, has come a long way from her hometown of Clarrisa, Minn., but feels right at home in the familiarity of the Midwest.
Her hometown of Clarissa is a farming community, and Jacobson said she has never lived in a city larger than Wichita. Jacobson, a graduate of the University of South Dakota, was the director of information technology business services with Friends University in Wichita before moving to Iola. After searching nationwide for a position with a higher education institution, Jacobson was attracted to the idea of working with the college.
“Allen Community College was really a good fit for me,” Jacobson said. “At a smaller institution it is easy to get to know the faculty, staff and students.”
She said she looks to add to an already stellar student service program. Her position encompasses multiple departments including student life, housing, financial aid, admissions and marketing. Jacobson said the different ages and backgrounds of the students who attend a smaller college such as ACC make for a very interesting place to work. She said her goals are to give students the best experiences and options when studying at the college.
“I want to make sure we bring good quality programs,” Jacobson said. “The challenge remains constant, how can we make processes better for students?”
Jon Marshall, vice president for academic affairs at the college, said he has enjoyed working with Jacobson since she took her position with student affairs. Jacobson has already begun working with the financial aid program at the college to help make its processes more efficient. Marshal said approximately 80 percent of ACC students rely on some sort of financial aid.
Marshall said Jacobson’s past experiences will help bring fresh outlooks for the administration at the college.
“It is exciting to have Cynthia because of the variety and perspective that she brings,” Marshall said. “It only adds to the college and makes it a richer place.”
Marshall said he expects to see significant impact from Jacobson’s contributions within one or two years of her employment. He said her impact is evident because she already has engaged “gently but directly” into processes with the college.
“Cynthia has a world of experience and it’s already starting to pay off,” said John Masterson, president of ACC.
Masterson said processes in the college are very important — specifically when considering reporting information on current students. He explained there can be heavy consequences if the information is handled incorrectly and that Jacobson has a good understanding of the process.
Outside of work, Jacobson said she has enjoyed becoming familiar with Iola. She said while a small community is a familiar environment, there still is a significant transition to her new location. However, she explained the people of Iola have made this a very easy one.
Jacobson said she has been busy since she started her job in early August, but there has been time to tend to some of her favorite hobbies — which include reading, shopping for antiques and walking her dog, Apollo.
