LIVE From South College - Knoxville Dean Melanie Yerk & Our Program Rankings

Summary  In this episode of the Live From South College podcast, host Kathleen Stockham interviews Dr. Melanie Yerk, the Dean of Academic and Student Services at South College Knoxville. They discuss the multifaceted role of the Dean, focusing on student support from enrollment to graduation. Dr. Yerk shares insights on the challenges students face, the importance of personalized support, and the rewarding nature of witnessing student success. The conversation also touches on Dr. Yerk's journey in higher education, her daily responsibilities, and the emotional aspects of her role, including difficult conversations with students and the joy of celebrating their achievements.

Takeaways

• The Dean of Academic and Student Services plays a crucial role in supporting students from enrollment to graduation.
• Personalized support is essential as every student has unique needs.
• Academic struggles are common, and the Dean helps students navigate these challenges.
• Seeing students overcome adversity is the most gratifying part of being a Dean.
• The journey to becoming a healthcare professional can be life-changing for students.
• Daily responsibilities vary greatly depending on student needs and institutional demands.
• Difficult conversations with students are necessary but can lead to rewarding outcomes.
• Celebrating student achievements is a highlight of the Dean's role.
• The importance of having the right attitude in education and leadership.
• Healthcare education is a calling for many, including Dr. Yerck.

titles

• Empowering Students at South College
• The Multifaceted Role of a Dean

Sound Bites

• "The dean is your rock."
• "No two days look the same."
• "I would go into pharmacy."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to South College and Dean's Role

03:12 Supporting Students from Enrollment to Graduation

05:42 Navigating Academic Challenges and Support Systems

08:48 The Journey of a Dean: Personal and Professional Insights

11:42 Difficult Conversations and Rewarding Outcomes

14:19 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations

19:43 SouthCollege_1224_PodcastSpot.mp3

21:19 Celebrating Academic Achievements at South College

23:08 Looking Ahead: Future Endeavors and Opportunities

Got a question? Have some feedback? Email us at SouthCollegePodcast@south.edu or come visit us at www.south.edu.  Follow us on social media too.  The Live from South College Podcast is your source for all South College activity including new student information, deeps dive’s into our 100+ programs, and concentrations,  “Tools of the Trade,” and even Live on location from all of our campuses! Great interviews with Faculty, Staff, Deans and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words. From Certificates all the way to Doctoral degrees, catch up with “Live from South College” for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. 

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT –  “Dean’s List” –with Knoxville Dean,  Dr Melanie Yerk & Our Program Rankings

Kathleen Stockham (00:24)

Welcome to the Live From South College podcast. I'm your host Kathleen Stockham. The Live From South College podcast is your source for all South College activity, including new student information, deep dives into our hundred plus programs and concentrations, tools of the trade, and even live on location from all of our campuses. Great interviews with faculty, staff, deans, and hear from the South College students and alumni in their own words.

from certificates all the way to doctoral degrees, catch up with live from South College for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. As part of our Dean's List series, my guest today truly embodies what it means to be a servant leader for our students. It is my pleasure to welcome South College Knoxville's Dean of Students, Dr. Melanie Yerk. Hi, Dr. Yerk.

Melanie Yerk (01:17)

Good morning Kathleen, thank you for having me.

Kathleen Stockham (01:20)

All right, so academic deans have a wide variety of responsibilities at all of our campuses. Knoxville in particular has two physical campuses that sit separate from each other. So tell me, what is the role of the Dean of Students at South College?

Melanie Yerk (01:39)

Sure, well the role of the Dean is very multifaceted. Essentially, we support students from their enrollment through graduation. The minute students come in, we meet them at the welcome sessions. We get to know them, we get to know their programs, we get to know their stories. Ideally, we get to know each and every student and we take them from that starting point to the finish line and beyond through their board pass exams.

through graduate school options if they're looking to consider that, and beyond, career paths, different questions they may have about local partners, but really it's being there for the student for whatever needs they have. Every student is different, everyone is an individual, and their needs are different. So some students come in very prepared, some may have had a few years since high school, and they might need additional tutoring support.

Our role as the Dean is to meet with students, meet with our student services teams, really get to know where we can support students and offer them those support systems to help them be the most successful and complete their programs, feel good about their programs, score very, very high on their pass rates, on their board exams, and then enter their profession.

A lot of students, for example, in nursing, they continue to build on from an associate level to a bachelor level, graduate level, and some even enter at the practical nursing certificate level prior to their degree program. So a lot of our programs have that stair-step nature, and students don't really know next steps, and they're not sure who to talk to on occasion. So, the dean is that person.

If you're not sure who to go to on your campus, the dean, if they don't know the answer, will point you in the right direction and get you in front of that associate dean or program director for that program that will know the answer. It’s start to finish.

Kathleen Stockham (03:46)

So that all sounds really great. How does a student find you?

Melanie Yerk (03:51)

Excellent question. So they can call, they can email. Our information is published on day one in the welcome session. So they can come in, they'll have our information and they can choose to call, email or stop by if there's something urgent and pressing and we're both available. Both the student and myself will go ahead and meet that time and address their issues. So we're very easy to find. We roam around the campus quite often. We'll be in classrooms.

will be at all of the events, but certainly our contact information is readily available and it's always great to just reach out to us as the dean, as the academic leader, if they're unsure.

Kathleen Stockham (04:33)

What are your key suggestions for students that feel like they need help? They have a concerning question. They're maybe feeling a little lost or they're just not really sure where to turn. what is your best suggestion for them?

Melanie Yerk (04:48)

Definitely the dean is your rock. We're here from the beginning till the end, your college mom or dad, if you will, to take you from, like we said, start to finish. But along the way, the students are also provided with an academic advisor or a faculty advisor. That person is a great point of contact here at South College for students to connect with, ask those day-to-day questions.

If it's a question about a homework assignment, the faculty member is the best place to start. If it's a question about where to find tutoring resources, the student advisor, or myself as the dean, we can point that student in the right direction, get tutoring, for example, set up for them, and really get them whatever resource they need in place for them.

I would say the academic dean and the advisors are going to be that day-to-day interaction.

Kathleen Stockham (05:46)

Okay, well, there are times when maybe it's not a great conversation. So I know when I was in school, if you got something from the dean, it was kind of like, dun, da, dun, dun. Okay, something bad is happening. So, there are times when you do have to get involved when maybe things aren't going well. So what are those situations?

Melanie Yerk (06:05)

Sure, so if students struggle academically and maybe they haven't made the grades that they desire or that are needed for their program, that is when my office would get involved. I would reach out, talk with the student about their plan of action to get back on track. If they need to submit an appeal to continue their enrollment, which does happen on occasion, we guide them through that process. We help them know what that looks like - what re-enrollment might look like if they have to take time off and really find the best course of action. If it's the time now for them to continue, we help them get back on track right away. If they need to take time off because of a family emergency or a personal situation, we certainly make a plan for them to get back on track within a few months or whatever time that is needed. So we certainly want, we commit to our students early on and we are committed through the end.

So that is part of it. Life is going to happen. Struggles will happen. And they have different levels. Some students do encounter that where we have to meet about those not so pleasant conversations. It could be just, need help in my chemistry class because this is very challenging and let's get you a tutor. But it could be, I didn't pass my chemistry class or I need a higher grade to get into PA school. So let's talk about how we rectify that to help the student achieve their goal in the end.

We certainly help them with whatever the situation is and it may seem daunting, but it's certainly not worth your to help them.

Kathleen Stockham (07:41)

Yeah, so that's got to be really satisfying when you have a student who's come to you in a tough situation, a grade or they're struggling, but then you see them recover. Tell me a little bit about that. How satisfying is that to you on a professional but personal level too to see a student rise to meet that kind of adversity?

Melanie Yerk (08:03)

absolutely. That is the most gratifying part of my job. Certainly to see students come in and maybe have gaps in their prior knowledge, maybe not have the support system that other students have, but make it through because they find their inner desire. They find that fire within, that grit, if you will, and they dig deep and they find it and we help them find it because they may not know where to go for the tutoring or the resources.

or the writing center, but we certainly know. And that is one of the great things about South College is that we're small enough to know our students well and have those resources in place, but we're large enough to have a great presence in the community and have great relationships. So I think that it's very fulfilling and it's something that we do on the daily as a dean. We certainly interact with students and help them get back on track because everyone is going to struggle, whether it's a minor struggle with

I don't feel like I'm learning this material or I haven't been successful in this course or in this term. And most everything we can come back from as long as we're willing to keep trying and learning.

Kathleen Stockham (09:13)

Yeah, that's amazing. And that's the kind of gratification, I think, from a professional standpoint that we all look for in this journey as we are in the higher ed areas. helping these students. Really, our motto is helping your dreams find direction. So I love that. let's talk about you for a minute. So tell me about your journey to becoming a dean at one of our largest campuses. Tell me about how you got here.

Melanie Yerk (09:40)

So I started my career in higher education in 2000 and worked as an instructor on the faculty side for six years and completed my doctorate and transitioned into a dean role. And that was in 2006 for a healthcare school. I began my career working with nursing students primarily and other healthcare majors as well and have really stayed in the healthcare.

higher education arena for my career. now 18 and a half, almost 18 and a half years working in that, in that, I guess, profession. I don't want to say market because healthcare education is such a need, but nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, pharmacy, just the array of healthcare programs. And it has been my, I think my calling in life to help students

that may be not the traditional student achieve those same goals and dreams that more privileged students may have had the chance to have. And it's so nice to see lives change. So for me, changing a life, taking somebody who might be working entry level healthcare, and they become a nurse, they become a nurse practitioner, they become a PA, their lives change, their families' lives change.

It makes a transition in their quality of life. So for me, that is why I've done it. That's how I got here. I started out as a faculty member, like I said, moved into administration 18 and a half years ago, and I've worked for four large schools, primarily in Florida and now in Tennessee, and can't see myself doing anything else. Healthcare education and higher education is really where my heart is.

Kathleen Stockham (11:31)

I love that. kind of on the same theme, what does a typical day look like for you? I mean, you have to sit between two campuses that are, about what, seven and a half miles from each other here in Knoxville. what does a typical day feel like for you on the most part?

Melanie Yerk (11:48)

Well, I think no two days are the same. And I think that's because the student is at the center of everything we do. So whatever the student need is, whatever's going on during that particular week, the first day of the classes looks very different than finals week. Different level of energy, different type of energy. And so we certainly meet the need. We meet the students where they are. We meet the needs of the institution at that given time. So no two days look the same.

But I would say every day looks very centered on our student population, our faculty, making sure they have all of their needs met so they can train our students most effectively, make sure our labs look great and are operating well, make sure that everything on the campuses academically is in place to make the learning experience optimal. So it takes a lot to do that and no two days, like I said, look the same.

And the campuses have different programs, so they're a little different. But it's all about the student every day, visiting them. If I'm not with students in my office or faculty, I like to visit the classrooms, be in the hallways, and be present so that they know we're there to support them, both the faculty, staff, of course, and the students.

Kathleen Stockham (13:05)

Yeah. So let's kind of look at a dichotomy. What's the most difficult message you've ever had to give a student?

Melanie Yerk (13:14)

that they were dismissed from their program and they just couldn't return. Students are given a chance to appeal if the appeal is accepted and they come back and they just don't meet that academic rigor. Sometimes it's not for lack of trying, it's just that they're not the right fit for that program. Perhaps they can't stand the sight of blood and they want to be a nurse. I've had that happen. And it's heartbreaking because you have to be able to endure bodily fluid exposures in certain professions.

and you have to be able to endure certain challenges and it's not for everyone. Not every career is for everyone. So having that conversation, helping a student find maybe a different major that they feel more comfortable with when their heart is set on one, but they just don't, you know, they just don't meet either the academic rigor or they just personally don't like parts of the job that that's going to lead them to. So.

I think having that conversation and helping students realign their goals can be hard at first, but once you help them, you know, adjust that way of thinking, then that is also very rewarding.

Kathleen Stockham (14:23)

Yeah. So on the other side of the spectrum, what's like the most exciting, best message you've ever been able to give a student that you just felt great about?

Melanie Yerk (14:32)

so many, so many of those stories. I've had students, not here at South per se, but in my prior experiences with students, where students were living in their cars for the last few months of their program. And I've had that happen twice, where I've had students living in their cars just to get through. And when they come out and they graduate, giving them that piece of paper as they walk across the stage, seeing them pass their NCLEX to become a nurse.

Seeing them now, a year later driving a Lexus and having their own place to live is just so fulfilling because they have made that happen for themselves. So that is so rewarding. That is a life changed and not just their life, but their family's lives, their children's lives. So changing lives to me is the most rewarding thing. So delivering that message of you have made it, now let's get you through the boards. Okay, now you have the boards passed.

Now  let's get you that dream job. Now you have that amazing job and maybe you got a sign on bonus because that's how good you are. Their confidence and their lifestyle changing is just so rewarding.

Kathleen Stockham (15:43)

I love that. You are in the perfect job, by the way. What do you like to do in your spare time? When you have spare time, which doesn't sound like you have a lot of it, but what do like to do?

Melanie Yerk (15:45)

Sure. Well, I do love my job, so I do spend quite a bit of time here with the students and the faculty naturally. I think most deans will tell you that same story. But I do love spending time with my family, my husband. We have two dogs that are really like our children and our extended family, our parents, grandparents. It's always very nice to spend time with our family.

And I love spending time outdoors, whether it's hiking a mountain or being on a beach. So for me, just being outdoors and seeing the beauty of Mother Nature is so rewarding.

Kathleen Stockham (16:26)

Yeah, that's awesome. All right. here's an interesting question that I'm actually really excited to hear this answer. If you were a student all over again and we're able to change the clock and you're starting out as a student, what would you study at South College knowing what you know now?

Melanie Yerk (16:43)

That is a great question. Finding myself in healthcare education, I have thought about that, of course, you know, should I have gone into something different? And I, like some of my students, don't really enjoy bodily fluids and blood and things like that. So as much as I love nursing and have a strong passion for nursing education, I think I would go into pharmacy. And I know that sounds a little unusual, but I am just fascinated by

the chemical combinations, the chemistry behind it, and really the need for that profession and how it's changed, but how it's just so vital to our healthcare industry. Just distributing the appropriate amount of the dosages, the drugs, the different methods that they can administer. You can make little lollipops for children that can't swallow a pill.

with the medication infused. And I'm just so fascinated by pharmacy that if I had to go back, that would be the one major I think I would really admire and would like to be part of.

Kathleen Stockham (17:51)

I love that. Well, so Shameless Plug South College has a fantastic three-year PharmD program that we actually do here in Knoxville. So Shameless Plug, take a look at south.edu if you're interested in that. All right. So kind of a slightly fun question. What's the one key item you don't leave home without?

Melanie Yerk (18:11)

I would say the right attitude. You have to have the right attitude. You have to come in and leave anything else that's on your mind at the door because when you pass through those doors, it's students first. Students first and faculty and staff. You have to support your students and your team as the dean. They're looking to you to be that person and you have to be. There's no question. The right attitude, as you said, servant leadership and caring for students, really caring about

their entry point and their graduation and beyond. And I say that repeatedly because it means so much to me, not just to have them as a student today, but to see them cross that finish line, to see them become those professional individuals, to know they're gonna be working on us when we're older and we need additional healthcare. So just coming in with the right attitude every day to do that the best I can every day.

Kathleen Stockham (19:05)

that's amazing. Okay, I've decided I want to be you when I grow up. that's awesome. I feel very inspired. So this has been really fascinating. I think students at any given point, regardless of age or even experience, likely needs a little encouragement somewhere.

and just need someone to turn to. I know when I was in school, I wore out my student services person. And of course, in my advisor, I kind of felt like at some point they probably should have sent me a bill for therapy, particularly my freshman year, being away from home and realizing laundry didn't do itself and putting a book under my pillow wasn't gonna help me pass the test any better. So I kind of wish I had you in my corner when I was a freshman.

Of course that was a long time ago. So anyway, on to the next exam. Well thank you so much Dr. Yerk. I really appreciate you being here. This has been very inspirational and I know our Knoxville students are really benefiting from having you in their corner.

Melanie Yerk (20:07)

thank you, Kathleen, and thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to speak about this. I appreciate it.

Kathleen Stockham (20:13)

Well, I want to thank our Knoxville campus Dean of Students, Dr. Melanie Yerk, for being my guest and providing insight to the role of the campus deans. We will have the other deans from all of our other campuses coming up in 2025, and we're excited to bring those to you. We have some exciting news coming up on the other side of the break. Stick around, we'll be right back.

[South College Radio Ad Spot]

Kathleen Stockham (22:16)

Welcome back. Time for our parting shot. Did you know South College has received several ranking recognitions for our programs and campuses? Well, here are a few examples. College Factual ranks South College as number one in the state of Tennessee for associate level health care professions, number 10 in the Southeast region for bachelor level health care professions. We are also number three in the nation for medical assistant associate level programs. But let's go a little further.

College factual also ranks as number one in the state of Tennessee for both associates and bachelor level radiography degrees and number one for surgical technology. We are the number eight program in the nation for dental hygiene, number one in the nation for pre-nursing associate level studies. We are also very proud to be the top 23 PA that's master's level

physician assistant schools in the country. We have the number one PA program in Tennessee and ranked number four in the Southeast region for the master's in physician assistant. Niche ranked our associates in nursing or ASN number one for best colleges in nursing in Knoxville and ranked number four in the state of Tennessee.

for best colleges in Knoxville. We are so proud of these recognitions and very proud of our students and faculty for all of the hard work. You can see these and other rankings we earned on our website at south.edu. With 10 physical campuses in seven states, plus online and CBE, there is a pathway for you at South College. Hope you enjoy this latest episode of Live from South College.

Thanks for joining me. We have so much more coming your way in 2025. If you love it, give us some stars and you can always send us feedback by emailing us at southcollegepodcasts.south.edu. Have an awesome day and let your dreams find direction. See you next time.