Students gather in the Upham Administration building with President Annarelli. Photo by Penh Alicandro ’22
Every month, 17 student leaders from across the Eckerd College campus gather together to form the President’s Student Leader Advisory Council. This group works as a liaison between the President’s Office and the student body—discussing challenges, solutions and plans for the College’s future.
Council members are from all areas of Eckerd’s campus, with representatives from Residence Life, the Eckerd College Organization of Students, the Culture Council, Religious Life, the Search and Rescue Team, and many others. Each month, one member of the council proposes a topic to discuss—such as accessibility, DEIB efforts or student-athlete relations.
The council’s main goal this academic year has been to lessen the distance between members of the administration and the student body. So far, the council has hosted several Cookies in Upham events in the Upham Administration building, where the president’s offices are located.
“We’ve been trying to make [Upham] feel more approachable and accessible for students, so it’s not so big and scary,” says council co-chair Aidan McKinnon, a senior marine science student from Edmond, Oklahoma.
The Advisory Council was formed two years ago when President James Annarelli, Ph.D., took the helm.
The president “wanted to hear from students themselves and have them at the table to problem-solve,” says Anne Wetmore ’94, chief of staff and secretary to the board. “We also wanted to connect students with staff on campus who can influence a variety of issues students are interested in.”
Council members do more, however, than liaise between students and administrators and advise Annarelli. Last year, they also had an opportunity to interview candidates for the vital staff position of vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty. “We did not hold back,” says Maddie Reifsteck, president of ECOS and a senior creative writing and marine science student from Portland, Oregon. “Something else that I think is an advantage of being on the council is that [President] Annarelli trusts us enough and trusts our opinions enough to [have wanted] us to be part of that search.” The position was filled by Christine Wooley, Ph.D., on Sept. 1, 2023.
In May, nine council members will graduate, leaving spaces open for new members to join, usually after being recommended by faculty or staff because of their leadership experience and interest in campus affairs. Making the connection between passionate students and members of the administration is a key part of the council, Maddie says, and can be mutually beneficial.
“The faculty and the executive officers that we’ve invited into that room have felt like students are showing an interest and engaging in a way that maybe they don’t always get to see,” Maddie adds. “Executive Staff and administration cares about students here and wants to hear their opinions, but also they’re seeing that there are students on campus who really care about the decisions that they are making.”
