There was no question that Vice chancellor Sam DeWeese would end up working in higher education. He told me that “I literally grew up in a house that was across the street from the Ball State campus. My parents were both involved at Ball State in different capacities.” The K-12 school DeWeese attended was even operated by Ball State, and served as a training ground for Ball State student teachers. “I spent my entire adolescence on a college campus and I loved the idea of getting to be around people who were pursuing an education. I really can’t imagine doing anything else.”
I was able to ask Vice Chancellor DeWeese when and where he attended college. He attended Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, obtaining a bachelor’s of science in public management, and then he attended Ball State to pursue a master’s of science degree in information communication sciences. “I pursued my master’s degree immediately following my undergraduate degree and after I finished at Ball State, I worked in all three areas.”
I wanted to know if DeWeese initially chose to pursue education, or the public sector in general as a career. He said, “I always wanted to work in the public sector; I looked for jobs in government, politics, and higher education. I worked for the Indiana Department of Commerce, Office of International Trade, in Sydney, Australia.” He then switched to his “role with the Indiana Democratic Party. Now,” he says, “I am at Ivy Tech.” Luckily for us, he states that “Ivy Tech has been the most rewarding and the most fun!”
Ivy Tech may have been the most rewarding job for DeWeese, but how exactly did he get his start with Ivy Tech? “After I worked at the Indiana Democratic Party, I had a friend who worked at Ivy Tech in Workforce and Economic Development (WED) which is now called Corporate College, organizing customized training for local businesses.” That friend made him aware of an open position at WED, because he knew DeWeese wanted to work in higher education. “WED was a great place to start at Ivy Tech because the role required me to think on my feet and work autonomously.”
But did DeWeese picture himself working in the department of Student Affairs? He states, “I did. I liked the idea of working with students and helping them reach their goals. I never knew how much was involved in the different areas of student affairs until I moved out of WED and to student affairs.” DeWeese tells me that every day is different, and every day brings a new challenge. In addition, he says, “It definitely would not be as rewarding if we didn’t have the team we have at Ivy Tech. Everyone is so helpful and good at what they do.”
How do you define student affairs?
I have always said that it is the arm of the college that focuses on work “outside of the classroom.”
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
Working with students!
What is one piece of advice you would like the student body to know?
Being involved and not being afraid to try new things, meeting new people, talking with your instructors, and taking yourself out of your comfort zone is what college is all about. If I could speak to myself when I was in college, I would tell myself to get involved.
What is your philosophy for handling student issues?
Nothing can ever be resolved if you don’t listen. Don’t be afraid of the gray…nothing is ever clear cut or has either a right or wrong answer.