Volume 26, Issue 3
Tuesday October 8, 2013
The Developer: A Spotlight on Director of Student Life Amy Rosdil Written by Carlos Escamilla British Conservative politician Benjamin Disraeli once said, “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” There could hardly be a better allegory for the way Director of Student Life Amy Rosdil conducts business. Rosdil leads by taking a step back and letting her amazingly hardworking team take charge and most of the credit. Rosdil is rarely in the foreground, as demonstrated during the speech of US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez, when she was sitting at the back of the Rotunda. There are very few events at Front Range Community College’s Westminster campus that do not fall under Rosdil’s purview. Since taking her position in 2007, Rosdil has more than doubled the staff while simultaneously streamlining the efficiency and budget of the department. She is a reflection of the Student Life that won the Department of the Year Award last year and she’s only just begun. In the movie Rumor Has It…, Richard Jenkins’ character says, “There’s an old saying: ‘Nobody comes from Los Angeles. Everybody comes to Los Angeles.’ But if you do come from Los Angeles, then chances are you come from Pasadena.” Rosdil would find it difficult to argue with this statement, as she was born in Los Angeles County, just outside of Pasadena. She will always be a California Girl, loving the sun, fashion, celebrity gossip, and populous locations. She is the epitome of a social butterfly and can start a conversation with just about anyone.
Her social prowess has aided her in her professional journey that started in Portland, OR, at Concordia University. While a psychology major undergraduate, Rosdil began working with the Concordia’s Student Life sector of Higher Education. From the experience of supporting her peers, Rosdil unknowingly began training for her career. Her supervisor and mentor in the Student Life department at Concordia encouraged her to pursue an education career and told her about a Master’s degree in Higher Education. Rosdil gave the advice some serious thought but could not imagine getting the degree in Portland. Ever the Californian, Rosdil began experiencing the side effects of being under constant cloud cover. Sunlight deficiency, medically known as seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), can lead to very serious health effects and Rosdil knew she was experiencing some of the symptoms. Instead of trying to combat S.A.D. using home remedies, she took the proactive approach and moved back to the sun, attending Azusa Pacific University in Southern California for her master degree. While studying and working at Azusa Pacific University, Rosdil developed a close friendship with her supervisor that would indirectly influence the rest of her life. When her supervisor was offered a position at Baylor University, Rosdil followed and lived in Waco, TX for a time. In May 2007, she was on a flight from California back to Texas when she met Andy, a man that she would go on to
Photo by Carlos Escamilla
date and then marry. They have two children and will be celebrating their five-year anniversary this November. Rosdil’s experience at Azusa Pacific University and Baylor University taught her how to best identify and exploit her own strengths. She believes that her asserts are best left out of a classroom so she doesn’t consider herself a traditional faculty member. However, she has based her career on developing student engagement and success. When she came to FRCC in 2007, she brought her philosophy of student development with her. Her philosophy is “grounded in thinking critically around empowerment, leadership and development opportunities for students, advocating for student growth and understanding of self during the educational experience.” Rosdil’s philosophy has led her to
cultivate an atmosphere of progress and momentum. Campus Vice President Therese Brown shared her first experience with Rosdil: “Amy met with me about four years ago right after I became Campus Vice President. She took me on a tour of the student life area and shared her vision for better club space and creation of a more active, vital student center that will encourage students to stay on campus and become involved. That vision is now coming to fruition due to Amy’s steadfast vision and leadership through the student bond vote process and now the design process. When construction is complete, we will have a modern, more functional space for students.” Rosdil has always been very passionate when it comes to improving FRCC for students and her passion will pay off with the new
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