Ep. 16 - Rodney Mondor, University of Southern Maine

🎙️ From Mascot Suits to Dean’s Office: Say Yes (and Hold On)

This episode of The Pickup Meeting is a full-tilt ride with Rodney Mondor, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Southern Maine. Rodney’s career journey zigzags through academic advising, orientation, student affairs leadership, crisis response, Greek life, career services, and yes, literally being a mascot. 🐾

Along the way, Brody and Kevin unpack procrastination, graduation feels, student success, leadership, burnout, and why colleges are wildly complicated places that students are expected to magically understand. Rodney shares hard-earned wisdom about saying yes to opportunity, walking campus to stay connected, supporting the “whole student,” and how raising your hand (sometimes repeatedly) can change the entire trajectory of your career.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Transcript

Kevin Thomas  
All right, so before we get into anything serious today, I need to ask you something very important. 

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Oh, boy, this never ends. 

Kevin Thomas  
Brody, how do you feel about mascots?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
like, emotionally or philosophically? What are you getting at?

Kevin Thomas  
Listen, this is a real struggle, because, you know, like, I'm not a fan of mascots, but today's guest was literally a mascot.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Stop, like professionally?

Kevin Thomas  
Full suit, full commitment, full spirit. 

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
That explains a lot already, for sure. 

Kevin Thomas  
And somehow that experience makes perfect sense for someone who's now a Dean of Students,

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Honestly, I trust him more already.

Kevin Thomas  
All right, roll the music.

Kevin Thomas  
And away we go. Welcome to The Pickup Meeting. I am excited about today. This isn't going to be a good time, don't you think?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
It's been a while since we've chatted with this guest, but he's an old friend of both of ours.

Kevin Thomas  
I know in in listen, I the things that occur in this podcast, allowing us to just connect in different ways. And until we were talking about having this guest on, I didn't really think about the fact that our paths met at different times. You know, back in the 1900s you all connected, and in some ways, and then much later in life, as I got older and caught up with you guys a bit, we connected. And so this is like a full circuit circle moment.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
It is a full circle moment, Miami University, right? Oxford, Ohio, the Red Hawks. Yes, the mid 90s. They weren't even the Red Hawks back then.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, mid 90s, or, as I like to call it, High School. Thanks for that reminder. It's always age jokes of some sort. So listen, you know, like the year is started. How do you transition away from my high school years? I had hair, I was in a swing choir, right? A little dancing and singing at the same time. But, but one of the things that I think that we both struggle with, and is pretty real sometimes procrastination.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, that's true. Procrastination is a thing, and we're kind of up against it this week, right? We've got, both got some deadlines going on. You and I were chatting this morning, kind of on the on the Zoom, about how Man, I hate being up against it, but somehow, some way, we get it done.

Kevin Thomas  
I really dislike having a time frame in which something's due and feeling completely overwhelmed by it, but also not doing enough to be proactive in that to ensure that I don't feel that way.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Well, the good news is it's not because we're lazy or we're not good at work, right? Like all that research on procrastination, but I was thinking about this the other day when I when I share with other folks about procrastination, I always recommend this TED talk, the guy that talks about the Instant Gratification Monkey and the Panic Monster. Have you seen that TED Talk? Oh, it's great.

Kevin Thomas  
All right, when we when we share this episode, you're going to share that link too. And then...

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
The guy tells this great story about writing this paper at the last minute as an undergraduate, and then talks about how procrastination is really about just, you know, we can deal with the deadlines that are, you know, set, but it's the deadlines in our life that aren't set where procrastination can really hurt us. And it's pretty great. I would recommend it.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, I'm have to check it out. I like it.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
You're good. 

Kevin Thomas  
I am thinking about this and we had a story happen that we think is really funny, and we do, and we've got to edit this in some ways, because the language was a little little fierce, but I'm going to lay this, this story out, and then you're going to correct me with all the things I get wrong that you don't believe occurred. But you and I were chatting before you were you were heading down to Evansville for a weekend. Yeah, and on a previous episode, you and I had talked about this, where one of the things that drives me crazy in life is noise pollution?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yes, when people are talking out loud on a speaker phone, for example, people aren't wearing their headphones.

Kevin Thomas  
Watching YouTube videos or whatever they think is funny. Haha. Here's a cat video. Look how cute. I don't need to hear it. Noise pollution should be illegal. You should go to jail. But. That's where I get to, and that's how this story starts, because I were talking, yeah, lock him up. He'd be in jail all the damn time. And so Brody and I are talking, and we're having conversations about a variety of things. And in my mind, this happens. He says, Hey, I'm about to go in the store, just so you know. And I think, well, how nice of him to let me know that he might not be talking like himself. It may feel off. It may feel unusual. 

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I had to get some cat food. So I'm going into the Petco. I go to get this special cat food. I don't have my headphones with me, but I don't know that. But, like, Petco isn't a place where there's tons of people at like, a four o'clock in the afternoon on any given day. So, you know, I I just, we make it work, right? I stay away from people. We're having this conversation. I grab my

Kevin Thomas  
We're talking about all the things. And then you say, at that moment, hey, I'm about to check out. I'm not give me a second. And so I'm sitting here, it was in my office, just very calmly talking. And then the person says, that'll be $75.74 and without hesitation, I say, gosh darn. Except I don't say, gosh darn. I say, GD, is that cat food made of effing gold?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yes, and to everybody in line, to the cashier.

Kevin Thomas  
To everyone at which point it just goes to complete silence. Complete silence.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
The lady's face is priceless. You couldn't see it, no, but I can hear it, the first words out of her mouth were, well, I think it's gonna feed your cats for a few weeks.

Kevin Thomas  
Like she thought that I was your angry partner in life, and that you were coming home with way too much cat food, and she was trying to save you in that moment.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
And so we all had a great laugh.

Kevin Thomas  
That's the end of the story.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
We all are jail. Remember that. That's the end of the story, right?

Kevin Thomas  
There's not a person I've told that story to that they're not like one that's that's a pricey cat food purchase, and two, that have said, you all are out of your minds, and noise pollution is a jailable offense.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
So many years do I? Do I spend in jail for that?

Kevin Thomas  
For that particular one, I mean, it was a Petco. So like, Let's do 30 days. Okay? 30 days in jail. Noise pollution jail. I love the cat noises there. Oh, that's fantastic. I can get it somebody allergic to cats.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
We did literally laugh about this for 30 minutes. I had a headache when I got home. I was laughing so hard,

Kevin Thomas  
it's still funny. I just told somebody while I was at lunch, and they're like, that's an amazing story, and that you guys should not, you know, tell the full language version of that. Hey. So as we pivot closer to our guests. This was a surprise moment for us, because I thought the noise pollution thing you would remember. But what are moments that still leave you in feels that surprise you like that was one that I didn't expect to be laughing and crying so hard that day. What are the feels moments that can still kind of surprise you?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I'm going to turn this back on you because you were talking about graduation the other day.

Kevin Thomas  
Oh, graduation is the best. It is the best time of the year. And there's not a single time the President here at UCA, President Houston Davis, does something at commencement ceremonies where he'll have graduate stand up, and then he lists certain things, and you're sitting on stage, and he says, if you're a first time graduate, first generation student, please rise. And you see, like the groups of folks stand up and like you can see something different in their face and their eyes. And every time, I just get the feels, sometimes emotional, just like get tears in my eyes. It is such a powerful moment.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yes, and I feel differently about graduation, because like 2007 to 2020 I was in the platform party of every graduation ceremony at the University of Southern Indiana. What an honor I would say, oh, five ceremonies a day like plus the graduate ceremony. I mean, my two daughters both graduated from the University of Southern Indiana. And my two favorite graduations, as it should be, were the two where I was sitting in the stands watching them graduate. And I definitely felt something on those days. So I can agree that as a ceremony, it's fantastic, but if I don't go to another graduation where I'm not celebrating my kid or my grandkids graduation, it'll be just fine by me.

Kevin Thomas  
Just fine. Listen, you know, in those moments. It's good to know that there are people on the stage that are sitting there going, Hey, I know you've worked hard for four or five, sixty years, but can you hurry it? Hurry this thing along?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Kevin, I'm telling you, one of the things we used to do is the readers would read the names, and you'd have different readers from time to time, year to year, and you'd be sitting next to your person, and you'd go, Oh, come on now, read a little faster. And I love graduation. I love what graduation means for students. Let me give you an example, right? This got me in the fields I went to. We had 10 student support services, 10 trio graduates, graduating in the fall here, and our project director asked me to come to the luncheon that they do for these students, and listening to them tell their stories about how trio impacted them and what they're going to do next. Now that gets you, and I was just in awe of of what these students have accomplished. And just, Oh, it got me, left me in the fields, for sure. And so that stuff I love, right? Like hearing the stories and making sure that we honor those stories and those accomplishments really do matter a lot. I just prefer to not do it at the graduation ceremony.

Kevin Thomas  
So stories and overcoming powerful pomp and circumstance, less powerful. Thumbs down from brochures. Got it, got it. Well, we're all thumbs up here on our guest today. Yes, we are, no doubt, and I would say that we're really, really pumped to have with us. Rodney Mondor, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Southern Maine. Rodney and I have known each other for off and on, 10 to 12 years, I think in that range. And Rodney brings a deep experience in student affairs, leadership, crisis response and student well being. And he also happens to be one of the most unexpected back stories, and it hits me every time, and yes, fully mascot related, but it hits me every time. But Rodney, we are so glad to have you here on the show.

Rodney Mondor  
It was great to be here. Everything sounds you hear me clear enough. You guys are killing me. I do have to say one of the things, um, I was on the stage party. I read names for like, seven years, and now I'm the co chair for commencement. So I run the whole thing.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Oh my gosh, it does too.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, same thing, right? Like, I love, I love this season. This on Saturday, our commencements were Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, I'm sitting there scrolling LinkedIn, and I typed in hashtag commencement so I can see, like, other schools banners and different things they're doing, because I'm trying to get better.

Rodney Mondor  
So funny story on that, you know, like, when you're driving on the road and you see the construction workers and they're like, there's like, there's like, four people in the hole and five people standing outside scratching their head. And you're like, What are they doing? I realized, as the co chair, and I love our facilities people and the union workers of the civic center who put it together, but I literally have to stay there as they're raising the seal and go, you know, that's not center right? Do you not see it? And I have to, like, watch everything.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Move it six feet to the left. Kevin, I was thinking about this. Maybe it's PTSD for me, like my graduation ceremony Indian University in 1993 it was like 95 degrees at 10 o'clock in the morning, we were in the football stadium, which means on the ground, it's probably 110 degrees. And the keynote speaker was this famous musician from Russia who I don't think he spoke English the whole time. He talked like, I'm like, What am I doing here? Congratulations on your four years of hard work here. Now go sit in 100 degree temperatures with a big regalia and your hat and your mortar board and congratulations. And by the way, here's a speaker that you're not going to understand.

Kevin Thomas  
You know what? Though this was, this was really what was happening, is they're like, oh, yeah, you think you're smart. Do you speak Russian? Yes, it's true. No, get a master's degree. 

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
And of course, you know, you follow all the social media on IU right now you see, like, Hillary Clinton speaking, and, you know, all these speaking. And I'm like, I got the famous Russian musician, fantastic.

Kevin Thomas  
You did. Well, listen, they knew that you were gonna want to buy an album someday of the famous Russian musician, exactly, Rodney, it's been a few years. And so I think that folks that know you may not. Know about the journey you've been on, and so our connection occurred after you and Brody's in grad school time frame, but you know you've transitioned from roles in advising and now more heavily in student affairs, and your current position as an AVP and Dean of Students, how did you get here? How did this happen?

Rodney Mondor  
Just be wait long enough. I think you know, everyone else just disappears and you're left standing.

Kevin Thomas  
Dean of Students. Last Man Standing.

Rodney Mondor  
You know, be careful what you wish for. Because when I interviewed for grad school, I was at University of Louisville interviewing for their their program, and I didn't get in, but they asked me where they I saw myself in 10 years. And I was like, oh, dean of students at a small liberal arts school. They're like, why that? And so I want to be with students and help students. And help students. I don't want to deal with all that administrative BS, which I think is why I didn't get into Louisville. I was like, okay, but here I am. It took me 25 years, but, you know, not 10. I think part of it was in the course I all my positions in higher ed really were being prepared when opportunity knocked, and so I didn't know what I wanted to do going to college. And my senior year, my Dean of Student Activities just asked, What do you like? And I said, I like what I'm doing now. I was an RA. I was a senior school Honor Society. I was a student alumni association. I was on the press. I was doing all this. I was the BMC, and he's like, Well, you know, there's this, there's this profession, you can go get your Masters. I went, what? So I went and took my GREs and boom, boom, boom. And then it just kind of, I got a lot of no's because of my undergraduate GPA, and I ended up at the University of South Carolina for my master's program. But in that I was work. I was again at its I had some some, some time in between. And I in January of 90, I think it was January of 90. I went over to Miami to visit a friend who was a college buddy who was going to school there, John de Ross. And while I was there, the hall, Director of Brandon Hall, and they needed an RD. And I was like, I was an RA for three years in the lead RA for a year, and they're like, boom, and I so I basically didn't go back to Maine and got that job. So it was always these, these weird opportunities, just kind of freak. And I started at the University of Southern Maine, 28 years ago, and it was, I was I was walking, I was at an ATM taught, and I ran into someone. I said, Hey, what's going on at the university? I saw a story, and they said, you know, they need someone like you who's got this Greek Life student leadership and understanding. They're trying to really work with the program there. And they had a failed search. You should go talk to the dean at that point. So I sent him, and this was in the 90s, so this was before really email and all that stuff. So I called and met with him, had coffee, and the next day he said, The job's yours. And so I was like, okay, so I was, I was the director of Greek Life and Leadership Development, and then the university was in change, and every time there was change, they said, We need someone to kind of do this. And I literally said I can do it. And I moved into activities, and I was assistant dean of students. And then they said they need someone in the career services to kind of talk about professional life development and how to use your education and how to prepare, and we were going into a new core curriculum, so they wanted me to kind of use that, so I moved over to career services and started going to classes to talk about how to use the core to explore and figure that out. And from there, I popped my well in between, after graduate school, I did end up back at Miami, and so I was working in the as a first year advisor, and that's where met Brody and all of the others, and went through this incredible experience. It was an incredible time. But that period really wasn't was was influential, because when I applied to advising, they knew me, but they only knew me from the career side and from there, and they're like, Oh, you'd be great if you had academic advising experience. And then they read my resume, and so that's how I got into advising, and I did that for 12 years. Then we had more changes, and they said we need someone to take our orientation program. And revamp it. And I was like, I'll do it. And I that was my focus. And so it was just kind of those things. And then we had a Dean of Students switch over, and we had an interim, and then the interim pulled out. And so I kind of like applied, and was like, I'll keep it quiet. And if he doesn't stay in. I will push for but otherwise, he pulled out of the search. So I, you know, I said, Well, I'm in it. Actually, I was not the first choice. So I kind of, again, it was, they had four, four candidates. I was number four. They brought three to campus, and they told me this, right? And then, then also they call me and they says, well, one of them has taken is left, dropped out of the search, so now you're number three, so we'll bring you in. I was like, okay, and then I interviewed, and they offered it to someone else, and then all of a sudden, the next day, that person rescinded their acceptance and said, No, I've decided not to take the job. And so I get called in, like, you're the dean. And like, if you want it, oh, like, Okay.

Kevin Thomas  
Wow, I tell you your story, right? And like, I remember this from our time in NACADA, because I think some of the NACADA involvement is similar to what you're talking about from career, is that you raise your hand, right? Like you said, Oh, I'll do that. Oh, you need help here. I'll be here. And so there's like a story of, like, persistence and doing the extra things that stand out to points that when opportunities come along, you are considered and thought of and wanted and desired and all that's great. The other thing that stood out to me is that I felt like a freshman there for a minute because I had to think what BMOC meant. And then I got to big man on campus, and I was like, Okay, I really took me a while that answer. And so I felt like that freshman that was learning things, and all the code, all the talk, and BMOC, I was like, I don't know what that is, but I'm gonna find it in my head and and figure it out in this very moment. So for for listeners at home, BMO, see big man on campus.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
You know, Rodney, I was thinking about Miami, like, I think about my professional life a lot, and those positions, those already positions in the 90s where you were doing academic advising and housing, I'm like, there could not have been a preparation, a better preparation, for all of the things that you've been involved in and I'm so grateful for that opportunity. I know that they don't do it that way at Miami anymore, but gosh darn it, right, running a residence hall, working with RA, seeing students outside of the classroom, and then also serving as the academic advisor for a certain number of those folks in the halls. Can you speak to that a little bit more how great you thought that experience was, because you mentioned it early in your response. And I just loved my time. And that worked so much.

Rodney Mondor  
I would have probably done that job forever if there. I think, I mean, I think for me, the part of it was that component of understanding the whole student, you know, so as a hall director, you spend a lot of time to Kevin, who, you know, broke a window because he might have had a little too much to drink Friday night. Now we're dealing with it the next day, versus having the academic side where it's Kevin who broke the window Friday night after a few drinks, who grades have been slipping or is in a major that they don't want, which we saw a lot of that Miami. And so there's a lot of struggles. So you've had this well rounded picture. And that is always been kind of like my mantra of understanding, you know, like it's more than just what is presented to you. It's like the Ask the follow up questions and and what have you. And that was really interesting was when I defended my my master's comprehensive, with my faculty advisor and another advisor, they were trying to get some information, and they read the question wrong, so they asked me a question that wasn't relevant to the the actual comprehensive. And when I called them out of it, I think they got pissed, and so they decided to ask me some arbitrary question. They said, Oh, well, now that you're going, because I already had my job at Miami before I finished my graduation. And they said, if you're going to Miami, what event that happened in the 20th century will influence you? And I was like, I was like, completely thrown off, you know, because I've been doing all this other history stuff. And then they were like, Kent State, and I said, the riots. And he goes, Oh, yeah. How do you think that's going to apply to you at Miami? And I'm like, if it will, but it probably yes. I said, Well, you know that a student sitting in the classroom is just not just that person sitting there. They bring a lot of baggage. They bring stories. They bring that and and that's how it's always impacted me. And I Miami was perfect for that. And I try to do that every time I meet with students, it's like, don't take what's presented, but go deeper and see if you can figure out what's up. And that was best part of working at Miami, I think, was that that experience.

Kevin Thomas  
This is also one of these things for our listeners today, that. Sometimes the questions don't have to be so complicated. What event of the 20th century like? What if your answer was like, well, the Great Depression. What are we doing?

Rodney Mondor  
Well, my follow up with my neighbor said, and I'm like, looking at, I did go far? I went I give up. Did something just happen in the news? I'm so brain dead right now.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Is there supposed to be a right answer here? Or are you just judging me like, come on? .

Rodney Mondor  
Well, I know afterwards they had a scotch. This basically made me wait 15 minutes in the hallway, brought me back in and said, you pass. And I was done like woohoo.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
1900s man, Kevin, you just don't understand.

Kevin Thomas  
I don't. I kept thinking about this story that was like, well, fifth grade was cool at that point, you know, I don't know.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Pre internet education. Man, super fun.

Kevin Thomas  
That's right, Rodney, you're also in a position right now that I have a great deal of admiration and empathy for. I think that's the right phrasing. There are probably other words that would fit here, because I think that what you do is one of the worst jobs that you can have on campus, because it's so hard and it the layers right from even when you said 25 years ago that this is what you wanted to do 25 years later, the amount of policy and procedure and documentation and discipline and judicial and all of these things that it's become so I asked that terrible intro part of this question to get to this point, what are the things that you love about your job that that balance out those things that we all know are not easy. Parts that you know are those top priorities that you have.

Rodney Mondor  
I'm big on being proactive as much as possible, instead of reactive. So like trying to figure out what students need to know and help them beforehand, one of the things that has always been a part of me, and part of it's because I'm ADHD, you know, diagnosed. I'd like I can't sit still, is that I always am walking around campus, always going to offices. I prefer it. I hated zoom land. It's crazy, but I love that I can just walk around. I walk around the dining hall. I go see students. They come to me, and I get to hear their stories, you know, the good and the bad. So the good times is I get to hear the good stories more when I'm walking around campus, versus them coming to my office, because then it's always bad and like, Okay, how do we fix this? And you know, I I wish I was a serious drinker, but I'm not. So I don't go home and say, take one. I just I go to the gym. But it's, it's really being able to connect with the students and hearing their stories, and then when they get an aha moment, you know? And for me, it was that senior, it was literally December of my senior year, when finally someone said to me, Well, what is it you like doing? Not what do you want to be when you grow up, but what is it you like to do and and so that is the part of it, talking with students, and kind of watching them grow, and seeing them go from that first year to their senior year. So I love it, you know, orientation, and seeing that first day and then commencement, and seeing them, you know, all grown up so to speak, and ready to go out there and make a difference. It is a tough job, but I do love my interactions with the students. It's just so much fun. And I guess there's hot there's points to be having a selfie with the dean and getting it posted on the Dean of Students Instagram. 

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
We need Matt to take a screenshot right now, like, Let's go smile. You know, Rodney, we talked about all of the experiences your time at Miami, but you've also had experiences outside of traditional administration. And we, we we kind of joked about the mascot thing. And, you know, Kevin's afraid of mascots, so, so we just just continue to acknowledge that that kind of freaks him out. Like even, I think saying the word mascot is maybe not putting him in a good frame of mind, but, but like things like that, public speaking, acting, how, how have those kinds of experiences influence your leadership style.

Rodney Mondor  
I was actually just thinking about that the other day, like, all the list of things that I have done that I could say I've done without lying, you know, like two truths and a lie. Like I could tell you a few things, and you probably, you know, like I danced on Broadway. I i met the president of the United States. I What else the other one I have an IMDB page. It's like, okay, which are all true? You know? It's like, think it's part of it is taking advantage of life, and so I've always been. In that way of like, say yes, and I get these incredible opportunities. And so I've always practiced that, and I try to show that. I tried to be very public with that, to students, to saying, Say Yes, try things. Don't be afraid. You get these incredible opportunities. And that's all these opportunities were just because I tried. And so I was basically the mascot thing came was I did a day like the USMs day at the sea dogs. And I said, Hey, let's, let's have a barbecue go there barbecue area. We'll get staff to go. And so I wore the USMs mascot to do that. And I had hung out with slugger, who their slugger was, as their sea dog, and and from that, they're like, Oh, we like that. Can you come back? We can do another thing with kickball. And I played the games. Like, Sure, I'll do it. I mean, I was just having fun. I had the time. Like, what's going on? Like, young I wear the suit. I did it in college. And then they said, well, we need a replacement. Will you come and audition? So I did. And because I've done things before, like, the music they pick. I knew the song, and I knew how it ended, and it had this, like, big bow, so I was acting as if I was, you know, because of my acting, I knew how to engage people, and, you know, to be that way. And at the end, I knew how the song ended, and I decided to go all for it. And I did, like this little star figure, spinning everything, and fell right back, almost broke my tailbone, and they thought, they said that was the coolest thing, and they offered, they gave me the job, and 10 years I was doing it for 10 years.

Kevin Thomas  
I got lost man, you have an IMDB page, yeah. And so you were, you were literally in Night of the Living Deb, yes.

Rodney Mondor  
And see that was the other thing of just saying yes, is that the director went to college with me, so I knew the director, and he was, I mean, doing this movie, a friend told me being prepared is, you know, with technology, I had a face shot on my phone. I was able to send it to their casting director. Like, on the spot, they say, yeah, come on and do this. I go in to do, like, basically just be a an extra. The person working stunt says, knew me. He goes, used to be the sea dog. I said, Yes. He goes, Can you do stunts? Like, like, what? He goes, fall back on your back. I'm like, well, that's how I got the job. He said, Okay, you're going to be a named character, and they're going to shoot you in the head and you're going to fly back on a mat behind you. I like, Okay, I never done stunts, and then that's how I became that character. So I got a name character, and I worked with the leads. He shoots me in the head. But then they called us back and they said, Hey, can you we need some extras. So I show up. They did some extras, and pull me back because you don't see me. I've already done the shot. And on the last day, they needed help, like people all over and I run into the director. He goes, Why are you here? I said, Michelle. And said, they needed extras. If you want, I'm out. He goes, You know what? Let's make it a thing. Brings me over to makeup. Says, make him look different. And then I became a different zombie who chases the leads and eats someone. So it became this little joke that I was like, all these different people, and the camera guy goes, Oh, we've got the Rodney butt shot. Okay, we're all good.

Kevin Thomas  
Rodney played Jerry Sanchez or Chavez, right? Yeah, yeah. And Night of the Living Dev, and then this one I like a lot school administrator in the witch files, which how much of a stretch is that one?

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, yeah. And stressed out. I was a stressed out administrator.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Every day Rodney?

Rodney Mondor  
And I had one line, and I knew that the line was instrumental in the story, so it wasn't getting cut. So I didn't care. I mean, I tried my best, but I said, but even if I screw it up, it's got to be out there, because my line is key to solving the mystery.

Kevin Thomas  
That's so great. Listen, there's a lot of firsts happening here on this this episode.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, I loved when you said, take advantage of life like that's a great way to kind of frame all of your activities, and the way that we think about students experience at the university, and it's it's gotten a lot more complex and difficult for students. There's no question about that. So I was thinking about your role, and kind of what you said there, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges in supporting student success and well being today?

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, gosh, yeah, that's great question. It I mean, there's just so much more being demanded by our 18 to 20 and even a older. I mean, our population, our gender, our population, us. Them is average age is 26 but there's just so much more that is required of them in life. And it's it's not we. It's harder for most students to do the traditional go to college for break, go home for break, back and do that and just focus on that, and they can't, and they they are taking care of family, their their expenses. Now, remember, a lot has changed, and the biggest thing has changed is that all the requirements is like, for like, Brody and I. Mike, Kevin, you probably know, but Brody and I, we didn't have cell phones, we didn't have computers, we didn't...

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Those are all true statements. Kevin Thomas.

Kevin Thomas  
I know that back in the 1900s here we are again.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I didn't have a computer until I started graduate school in 1993.

Kevin Thomas  
And you probably were one of the few that had a computer in 1993.

Rodney Mondor  
Was a green screen, wasn't it wasn't a green screen?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Weighed like 50 pounds.

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, they were there. They were big, yeah, and that's the thing. It's just, there's so much more is out there. And also there's, you know, with the things that have gone on, the anxiety and stress, and you know, a lot of our students who are, who are just dealing with various accommodations that were not were swept under the rug, maybe back when, you know, back even 20 years ago, and now, like, these are real these and coming through. And the problem is, is that higher ed hasn't really changed much since Brody and I were in college and so and here we go. Now. It's like it hasn't changed to adapt to the various different the various types of learning. And I think that is also the challenge is that it's still traditional read this and spit it out sometimes.

Kevin Thomas  
Because you've sat in in so many seats. I'm curious of your approach and technique to this. But what do you see as the key efforts and effectiveness across department collaboration and higher education? You know, I think when we talk to a lot of our guests or colleagues, it'll be like, well, you know, the folks in enrollment management this, or the folks in student affairs that. Or, you know, it's just, it feels like breaking down those silos is not always the easiest thing to do, but you've sat in seats in all these silos. So how does that really work for you?

Rodney Mondor  
I think it's helped because I know I've been there, and so I know the process, I know their policies, but at the same time, I've been able to make the connection of the fact is that we are all part of retention, recruitment, retention and enrollment as we go through. No matter what I I make. I'm very I'm friends with all our facilities. So as a student, I actually started at USM as a student worker in facilities, and so I know all the basements, all the closets, you know, it's kind of funny, and so I've worked with them, but at the same time, being able to have the conversations and show the appreciation that what they do is just as important to the recruitment and retention as the faculty member teaching the Intro to English class as residents. I was like, it's all important, and I'm constantly trying to make that I I sit in student affairs, but I do a lot of work on the Academic Affairs side. And I I am part of the orientation for all new faculty, and work with them on how to do say, classroom management is just working with students, and so I spend a lot of time promoting and I share the stories of how I am successful because of all the other departments that I work with and help. And it's like, I can't do it alone. I just know who the players are, and I know who to call, which is helpful. But in that I kind of a quick story I had. You're dealing with hold students at immunization holds and financial holds. They can't register for the spring semester, which means they can't stay in the residence hall. And so there's all these things. And so I know a lot of students by circumstance, by paper, and I see their picture, and then I see them in person, and I like, this is going to seem really weird, but I know your story, and I like and so we talked to the student, and so I said, you have these hold he turned out to be a veteran. There was a hold with his monthly payments. He wasn't getting it, so he couldn't pay his bill. He was getting he had to get his shots updated. So immunization. He came to me and he said, I got this part done. What's next? And I said, Well, let's, let's get this whole so I had to make phone calls to veteran services that I need you to send an email to student accounts to say that this is what's happened. Then he can sign a promissory note that he will pay it when they get to the back pay. And then we can remove the hold for that time and get him enrolled. So then he can now go and register and be. Able to stay on campus, and was we did all of this, and then he goes, Oh, I don't know. Is this something you can help me do? I have to have surgery on a tumor, and I'm going to be out in February, but I can't I'm going to live on campus, but I can't be commuting. Is there a way it can be in this hall so it's easier for me to get to it from class of like, you need to go Disability Services. And everybody was like, it was just like this. And this all happened in our student center, right at a table, dining table. It was cool.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, but what you're talking about is what we want the goal to be, right? So, like, your longevity at your institution is key to that. But we talk about holistic approach to student success, Student Care, student experience, right? And we talk about that wraparound service that can be there, and they're not a lot of people on a lot of campuses that can do what you just talked about, but for those people that are there, they're invaluable resources. They're invaluable leaders. They're good at connecting the dots when the dots have some real long breaks in them, and you know, yeah, it's you doing your job. It's you managing the silos, it's you managing the process. But for that student, it's ensuring their experiences as seamless as possible, so that they can get from point A to point Z and in a better time frame.

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, and colleges are complicated, and the problem is we think we've just been dealing with it. It's like, it's easy, you know, like BMOC, see, you know, like, I use BMOC, and didn't think Kevin wouldn't, you know what that means, you know, like, those are those kind of, like, funny examples. You know, we have a parking garage, and I have to remind our parking people. I said, you really need to be at the gate and teach them how to hit the button and talk about where to go, and they're like, it's a parking garage. And I said, If you drive an hour north of here and drive the next six hours, you tell me where there's another parking garage this size in the state of Maine, it doesn't exist. I mean, we have students who leave their keys in their car, in their park their driveway at night, and now we want them expected how to navigate this parking garage, and then they get frustrated. And, you know, that's just the start of everything else, because you're like, well, who's this? You know, who's the registrar? What's a Bursar? What's this? And you just have to refresh every year. And I think that's one of the downfalls of us in our field as we forget to have to do that.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, that's that's fantastic. Rodney, let's shift from students here real quick, right? I assume you supervise staff, you work with student leaders. How do you cultivate leadership in those spaces? Right? As a supervisor, as someone who might be Advising Student Government or working with the student leaders on Southern Maine's campus,

Rodney Mondor  
I do a lot of listening. And just like they, hey, what's going on? Also, part of it I try to instill my beliefs is like, you know, raise your hand. Try it. We've, I've had some time in this, in the past of people like, well, I'm overworked. You underpay me. I'm not going to do it. I can't do this. I can't do this, and I get it. I mean, there is that time you have to make a decision of, you know what you want to do. But yes, we pay poorly in higher ed and so, but that is a choice, and if you say that, then it's less likely that I'm going to give you something new to try to dabble in. So I try to encourage staff members to step out try something new, get into a committee outside of their field, outside of their area, like res like hall directors can easily get siloed into just Res Life, and then it's hard for them to find a job outside of res life if they want to do that. So you've got to get into it. So I'm always trying to find those different opportunities, like work on budgets, work on various committees, and try something, do something in academic side, and, of course, take advantage of your benefits. If your university is paying you to pays for your classes, take classes, so which I've been bad at. So that's like, the one thing I have not done very well in my course of my years.

Kevin Thomas  
So Brody, where we head into some fun questions, or you got one more?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I mean, yeah, we can definitely head to fun if you want. That's fine.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, we're not quite to the to the lightning round, but we're getting close.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh god, I've heard about this. It's epic.

Kevin Thomas  
So one of the things that I think is super interesting, and yes, this is because I have a completely irrational fear of mascots. But for the love of all, that's good. Rodney, how did this become to where at certain points you were the Easter Bunny at the White House.

Rodney Mondor  
No, I wasn't the Easter Bunny. He doesn't look like that. I was invited to wear a different costume called a wonky W, O, m, p, k, e, e, it was actually made for someone in Maine. They have a book. They have songs about the wonkys. They. Kind of like the Smurfs, but green and so you could check that out. And we were invited, after we did the Macy's Parade, invited to the egg roll with the Obama administration. So I did that. I got to do that two years in a row.

Kevin Thomas  
So you met Obama. I did meet President Obama, President Obama. And yeah, and were you as Rodney, or were you as wonky?

Rodney Mondor  
So unfortunately, the quick story I was we had special orders that at a certain time you were supposed to get off the South Lawn. And for a reason, all the all all costumes, had to get off the South Lawn. I got stuck in this pin, this pin area with kids, and lost track of time. And then I was told, Do not move. And it was when President Obama and Michelle Obama came on the ground, and I was told I had a red.on my head the entire time. I was like, okay, and I just sat on a hail bail and did not move.

Kevin Thomas  
So if you saw President Obama now, you'd be like, You don't remember me because I don't have a costume on or a red.on my head.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Wow, that's frightening.

Kevin Thomas  
It's not just Yeah, and you mentioned it. You you've done Macy's Parade how many times?

Rodney Mondor  
Seven? I think seven.

Kevin Thomas  
This is a lot, man, like in you were doing this when you and I were very close and seeing each other on a yearly basis. And I listen, I have a complete irrational fear, because I don't know who the adult is that's in the costume, and neither did the Secret Service. And so that I find it creepy that you just have some adult in a costume going around and tickling and like hanging out with kids, and we don't know who you are, but it was you, yes.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, and it goes both ways. Not to go to because this could be a whole nother segment, but there are some times where people think I was maybe not a man because of the flips and splits that I would do and I would get touched inappropriately. So don't it goes both ways. Oh, my, maybe over a drink, we can talk about the...

Kevin Thomas  
There's so many layers to this one. Now, did...

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
like, swoosh, didn't, didn't they have, like, a show that had, like, the green Smurfs and they, or when the Smurfs got sick, they call them smooths. I can't remember, maybe I'm...

Rodney Mondor  
Smurfs were blue. Wompkees are green.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I swear they call them. They were green too. I don't know,

Kevin Thomas  
maybe I'm it could have been the 80s. Yeah, that wasn't. That was a long time ago. 

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, there was a lot of LSD in the 80s, I think.

Kevin Thomas  
This show has fallen off the hinges.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
I have one more serious question. Okay, go. Mr. Serious. We got to get back on track a little bit. Okay, all right. So you know you You've done so much in your career, who've been those pivotal mentors or influences in your career?

Rodney Mondor  
Oh gosh. So the first was Dean Lucy, who's the one who put me in this direction by asking the question he has since passed. He was our the Dean of Student Activities. And I, I go back to campus, and they still have this chair, I believe it. I don't know why they haven't moved it. Maybe for that same reason, there's a chair that's in his old office. And I go sit in it, and I go, this is where my whole life changed. And then after that...

Kevin Thomas  
This also speaks to the budget issues at universities that you're just keeping these chairs around for this long so.

Rodney Mondor  
Exactly, exactly. And then I mean the other one is our friend and colleague, Charlie Nutt, who really helped me grow as a professional in advising, and was has just been a friend, a colleague and a mentor, and pushed me when I needed a kick in the ass, he would give me the kick and, you know, the support, and he's just always been there. And I, you know, I'm here, I'm where I'm at now. Because he's like, don't give up. Follow your heart and and so now I'm, you know, I'm in my job of my dream job. I mean, am. And as I look at that, everyone goes, When are you going to retire? And my spouse says, I don't know if you ever will retire, because you love your job too much.

Kevin Thomas  
Isn't that a great feeling to be where you wanted to be? Yeah, where I want to be. Yeah, no, I'm just saying you're where you want to be and the position you want to be in. And so it's nice to finally to get to that point and feel that

Rodney Mondor  
I'm lucky. I am lucky and blessed. 

Kevin Thomas  
I think the job earned, and now you're gonna have to earn some of our lightning round questions.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
That doesn't get old. First question...best Miami memory.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, my God, Miami beat Bowling Green after they had a two year losing streak and the students rushed the stage and took both goal posts out, and we were finding pieces of the goal post uptown for weeks.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yes, I do remember that Miami was terrible at football.

Kevin Thomas  
Yep, yep. Brody thought you were going to go food related, I think.

Rodney Mondor  
That was the best one.

Kevin Thomas  
Alright, we're going here. Favorite comfort food. 

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, tacos. That's a good one. That's a good choice.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, are you a morning person or a night out?

Rodney Mondor  
I'm a morning person. Definitely. I'm in bed by 9:30.

Kevin Thomas  
Most underrated part of working in student affairs?

Rodney Mondor  
Underrated? Oh, I don't know. Not sure.

Kevin Thomas  
Have you been on call lately?

Rodney Mondor  
No, I am on call. But I was well when I first became dean, I was on call alone for a year, straight out. So yes, that's I'm over that.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Best campus tradition you've ever experienced?

Rodney Mondor  
Convocation at Miami was pretty cool. I don't know if they still do it, but when we would have the book, and we all gathered with the students for that. It was really cool. Yeah, it was. I tried to get that back. That was pretty cool.

Kevin Thomas  
What's your go to for relieving some stress? I go to the gym. Why you're so ripped? Yeah, stressed out just getting jacked at the gym, but you're, you're, you're, you've, you've been a runner. I don't know if you are anymore, but you were a runner at some point, and you've been very beyond going to the gym for those type of things.

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, I did the, I did the Boston Marathon, but as a military rock with a backpack. 

Kevin Thomas  
Wow. Look at you, champ. That's great.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
What's the first job you ever had?

Rodney Mondor  
The first job, like, as in my career, or like as in high school?

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
As in life, like, yeah, sure.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, my first really, like full time job is I worked at Welby Super Drugs in high school. Oh, actually, you know, I take that back, I will go as in the military. I was a bagger at the commissary on the Air Force Base, and I raised, I saved a ton of money so I could go on a summer trip to France, and I did it all on tips as a bagger.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
That's awesome. Wow, I buy this one my first car with the money I earned as a newspaper carrier.

Rodney Mondor  
Yep, that's amazing. Well, they were cheaper back then. They were cheaper back then.

Kevin Thomas  
One word colleagues would use to describe your leadership style.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, engaging.

Kevin Thomas  
That's a great word.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Most meaningful. Thank you. You've received from a student.

Rodney Mondor  
Actually, I just got a card. So I do a weekly email called the dose dean of student email, and in it, it's like highlights of what's going on, different things pick and then at the end, I have the Dean thoughts. And this year, I was writing about various topics. But in regards to, you know, getting out there, being, you know, don't take everything for what it is challenge. You know, where does this come from? Find the meaning in things. Don't rely on social media and this, and it was a little political, but not so much. But a student wrote me a hand written card and mailed it to me, saying I read your dose last week. And thought, how political, but, but in a good way, and I appreciated you being out there and putting it out. And I was like, the coolest thing that I said, Well, someone's reading it, but they sent a card. They didn't send me an email. They actually hand wrote a card so it's on my desk.

Kevin Thomas  
Isn't it amazing how a handwritten anything all of a sudden just hits you differently. Yeah, that's fantastic. If you weren't in higher ed what career might you have chosen?

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, I'm stuck on two. But one, I always had this fascination of being a bartender, which would kind of be cool, because you hang out with people. And the other one is, I think I would have been a pretty cool father. Attended, but it's all because of my OCD components, because I like how everything has its place. And I will sit on a flight and I just watch flight attendants, because I just love how everything has a place and goes and click and it's gone. It's like, I'm like, Ah, I'm very relieved when I watch them close all the little things,

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Well, that's amazing. Like, Dean of Students and flight attendants, two jobs I would never, ever want. And Rodney is like, let's go. I'm ready. Like, I mean, I think about flight attendants all the time. How do they never not spill anything or drop anything. They're perfect in every way. I've never had any beverage spilled on me. I've never seen that happen. Like, maybe I'm crazy, but that Job's got to be so hard.

Rodney Mondor  
Yeah, I just love, I love the part of the airports and like on the holidays are my favorite time to be in the air. I just love the buzz, and it's just so cool.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Rodney, I think it's a good one to end on, don't you? 

Kevin Thomas  
I don't even know how to go on from there,

Unknown Speaker  
And there I was sweating. I'm like, Oh, this lightning round scares me. After I've heard the other one, I had a list, and you didn't ask me any of the list.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
What was on your list? Let's just have a couple questions.

Rodney Mondor  
Oh, my God. Favorite podcast. I was like, Oh, Mr. Balance, medical mystery. 

Kevin Thomas  
Flight attendants are us? Yeah?

Rodney Mondor  
I was like, oh, like, last book you read. I was like, had all the list.

Kevin Thomas  
I love it. You're so prepared for this pickup meeting.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
That would have been a hard question for him every day. Well, Rodney, thanks so much, man, we really appreciate you being on the show.

Kevin Thomas  
It's been a joy.

Rodney Mondor  
It was good to see and hear your voices and see your faces.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, absolutely thanks, Rodney. Listen when we started this back in Well, we started the conversation about doing this, you know, early 2025 and I had my list of guests and people I wanted to get on the show. Rodney was, for sure, on that list, because he just has such a depth of experience that it's like, it's not just advising, it's not just orientation, it's not any one thing. It's just it's a collective, and I think that's what makes them such a powerful leader on this campus.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, what I admire about Rodney is something that I tried to do in my life, which is, you know, we're all just normal humans, but we're trying to live and take advantage of all life has to offer. And I just really appreciate that idea and that approach that he talked about earlier in the interview, right, like just taking advantage of life and kind of sucking the marrow out of it. And he he kind of embodies that principle so much when I knew him at Miami, just such an engaging personality, wonderful human and really a fantastic professional too.

Kevin Thomas  
Wow, yeah, and a mascot, and he's the old package, Kevin, all of it. You know, it makes me say on our top three today, we should have done top three mascots. Oh, that would have been good. It's such a missed opportunity. But I guess we still could, but then I think I'm gonna throw you off so we won't go there. Oh, I mean, it'd be easy for me.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
But what are your top three? Let's go. Let's go there. The chicken, the San Diego chicken, I think I'd have to say Fred bird. I like the Colts guy too, whatever that colts thing is, or the Pacers guy. I mean, I love both of those things. So those would be my three. Real quick.

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, Rodney is throwing in Philly. Philly. Absolutely no. Philly fanatics. Really high up there. I would my first lean and gosh, future guest, Kaiser Lowe, who I would really like to have on the show. He was gonna get mad at me at this one, but big red from Western Kentucky University. It's a big ball of spirit. You've probably seen it. Fred bird was on my list as well, and I agree with you. I think the mascot for the Colts, is it bluey? Is that right? Yeah, he's fantastic. Yeah, he's fantastic. And he throws cakes into people's faces, which it seems to be why I would fear mascots, but from afar, that's a good watch. So we'll save the top three we were going to do and just go to this one. Yeah, it's great. I do like that. That's a good way to end. No doubt about it. Yeah, I like it. And here's the thing, in the end, we're just making this stuff up as we go along. And so if it's a top three mascot list, listen, I could have said Bruce and Sugar Bear. From here at UCA, we have Bruce and sugar same birthday. That's not weird.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Yeah, we we Reggie the red bird got an overhaul on our campus a couple of months ago. People freaked out. They didn't like his eye. Guys, they they wanted the old Reggie back. I'm like, Guys, it's, it's a mascot. He looks, he looks dangerous. I like, I like my mascots to look dangerous. Kevin, I know that would scare you a little bit, but I mean, come on.

Kevin Thomas  
And I remember this from time frame at Murray State, where the mascot, Dunker, changed, and it went from Dunker to, like, steroid Dunker, right? Like, all of a sudden it was like, holy muscles Dunker. Like, I don't think horses are supposed to look like that. You've been juicing. It's carrot juice, but you've been juicing.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Or apple juice could work?

Kevin Thomas  
Yeah, I don't know what horses eat and drink. I have no idea, but I will say this, right? We didn't really touch on the crux of this issue, beyond my like, strangeness of like, who's in a mascot costume. When I was in college, the mascot was down the hall, and I did not know that. And so at every sporting event that we're going to use the words sob, that SOB would come up and would pop my hat off and just, oh, you know, like it's so funny. Look at me knocking your hat off and taking it and all these things, and everybody but me, I think, knew who the mascot was, and they thought it was all hysterical. Listen, this went on for like, quite some time, and it left some real trauma that I work out with my counselor on a very frequent basis.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
That is perfectly clear based on your explanation of what's happening, there's no doubt you've got some issues.

Kevin Thomas  
I think at one point, even after I learned who it was, they would, like, take the mascot head and I would wake up from a nap in my residence hall and the mascot head was there, a la, Godfather, like, and it's horse, like, it's horse. It just didn't have all the blood and stuff. But, you know, it was a whole lot of layers.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
A warning shot for sure. Kevin Thomas, you, you stay in line like don't mess around.

Kevin Thomas  
They're coming at me. Don't mess with Dunker.

Michael "Brody" Broshears  
Okay, enough about mascots, right? Hey, until the next pickup meeting. Keep showing up, staying curious, showing care. Be good. Do nice, whatever it is. That's it.