University Names Candidates to New Student Affairs Positions

By Justin Wier

Youngstown State University has named candidates for its new student affairs positions.

Eddie Howard, previously vice president for student affairs at Augusta Technical College in Georgia, was appointed associate vice president for student experience on May 11. He will begin his tenure next Monday.

Michael Reagle, previously associate vice president for student life at Eastern Kentucky University, is being recommended to the YSU Board of Trustees to be appointed as associate vice president for student success tomorrow.

Jack Fahey, vice president for student affairs at YSU, said he thought the searches went well.

“We had quality candidates. We had a lot of people attend open forum sessions and ask good questions and send good comments. We were very, very pleased with the campus interest in the positions as well as the quality of folks that applied,” Fahey said.

Howard also held positions in student affairs offices at Augusta State University, Georgia College and State University and the University of Louisville. He served as acting assistant vice president for student life and director of student activities for Augusta State University, director for student activities at Georgia College and State University and assistant director of services and greek adviser for the University of Louisville.

Gary Swegan, associate vice president of enrollment planning and management, chaired the search committee for the student experience position.

“He [Howard] came through the process with a great deal of support from every group that he saw. I think he was viewed as very dynamic and he’s had a really broad array of different experiences,” Swegan said.

He noted that Howard has worked with commuter populations in the past. The administration has stated one of their goals with this position is to get commuting students more involved in on-campus activities.

“He’s accustomed to working with the kind of student we tend to have at YSU,” Swegan said.

Fahey said he can’t wait for Howard to get here.

“I think he’s going to do a great job with our students. Everyone reacted very, very positively to him,” Fahey said.

Reagle held positions at Howard Payne University, California Baptist University, and California State University Fresno. He served as dean of students for Howard Payne University, associate dean of students for California Baptist University and Resident Director for California State University Fresno.

Reagle was initially considered for the associate vice president for student experience before being added as a candidate for the associate vice president for student success.

“Michael Reagle is an outstanding candidate, and, in fact, that is ultimately what interested the committee that ran the other search. He just did such an outstanding job,” Swegan said.

Fahey said Reagle was very impressed with the university and when he learned he was not going to be appointed to the student experience position, he became interested in serving as associate vice president for student success.

“We were very interested in his skills and his abilities, and we were happy when he did submit his application because we feel like he had a lot to offer, and he was very, very impressive when he was here, although just got eked out by [Howard],” Fahey said.

Swegan said the search committee for the student success position decided to add him to the list of candidates after he interviewed for, and failed to obtain, the student experience position.

“The committee wanted to go back in after interviewing several candidates for the position that they didn’t feel were quite the right fit,” Swegan said. “Reagle was invited back to campus to interview for this second position and knocked it dead.”

Swegan was also pleased with the results of the search.

“I think we have two tremendous, tremendous candidates, and I’m thrilled that we ended up getting them both,” Swegan said.