Eric Kirby

Assistant Professor of Management and Business Law

  • Cedar City UT UNITED STATES

Specializing in student success strategies, civil litigation, and student retention and first year experience in higher education

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Biography

Dr. Eric Kirby is an Assistant Professor of Management, Leadership, and Business Law in the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business at Southern Utah University.
Kirby brings over 20 years of leadership and managerial experience from the private and public sectors. He has developed a wide-array of leadership perspectives and managerial insights while practicing law, working in the construction industry and in the federal court system, managing numerous departments and employees at SUU, and starting businesses. Kirby successfully passed the bar exams in three states and interned, clerked, and worked in numerous capacities within the legal field. While practicing law for nearly a decade, Kirby’s practice primarily focused on business law, civil litigation, and construction law. More recently, Kirby served as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at SUU where he managed a myriad of departments and helped create innovative campus-wide programs which increased institutional retention and completion rates to historical highs and garnered national recognition.
Kirby is the co-author of a management and leadership book focused on retention and persistence in higher education. He co-hosts a weekly podcast series discussing innovative management and leadership tools for higher education and interviewing industry leaders from across the nation to discuss their best thinking on the challenges and opportunities within higher education. His research interests include innovative and unique retention and completion practices, leadership development, and the success of marginalized student populations (with a particular focus on Native American students). He has given presentations, workshops, and consult with various organizations across the nation on leadership development, managing generational differences (Gen Z), management/leadership strategies, organizational restructure, employee retention, and shifting business culture.
Kirby is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for scholastic excellence, distinguished advising and mentoring, commitment to excellence, achievement in experiential learning, distinguished integration, distinguished service awards, and for being a campus influencer.
He has a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University, a Master’s degree in Administration and a Juris Doctorate (law degree) from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Global Leadership from the College of Business at Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech).

Spotlight

1 min

Higher Education Innovation: SUU’s Assistant Coaches for Excellence and Success (ACES) Program

On Episode 98 of Solutions for Higher Education, Southern Utah University's President Scott L Wyatt and Steve Meredith sit down with SUU’s Dr. Eric Kirby, assistant vice president for student affairs and Ryan Bailey, coordinator of completion and student success. They discuss SUU’s main retention strategy, the Assistant Coaches for Excellence and Success (ACES), a peer mentoring program for first year students."The ACES are basically the 'one stop shop' for all incoming students, no ifs, ands, or buts about it," said Dr. Kirby. "The ACE contacts their incoming student within 24 hours of that student ’depositing’ at SUU and basically says that much. 'I am your one stop shop; I am your end all and be all of anything you need. I may not know the answers, but I’m going to get you where you need to go.'""It’s not personalized meaning we just know their name. The ACES are ready and willing to truly offer a unique, personalized experience for every single student who is in their cohort. It’s something that is really cool to see in action and it changes lives. These students feel it from the very first outreach and they know they’ve got someone on campus that cares about them."Dr. Eric Kirby serves as assistant vice president for student affairs and leads campus retention, completion, and student success initiatives, as well as directly overseeing various student success programs.

Eric Kirby

1 min

Sophomore Retention Rates Increased Through SOAR Program

With numbers booming for first-year students, Southern Utah University turned to their sophomore students with the intention to boost their retention rates. It is through efforts to increase these retention rates and enhance the second year experience, that SUU created the SOAR program.Along with SUU's completion ACES (Assistant Coaches for Excellence & Success), SOAR also features nine core competencies: Communication Skills, Teamwork/Collaboration, Leadership, Creativity and Problem Solving, Professional Development, Information Technology, Intercultural Perspective, Career Management, and Financial Management. In concert with these competencies, students can participate in seminars on financial security, networking, and resume building. Each competency is designed for students to get the most out of their education and prepare themselves for life after college.According to Eric Kirby, assistant vice president for student affairs (Completion and Student Success), “Southern Utah University increased retention of first-year students by 9% over the past three years.” Because retention for first-year students has increased by so much, SUU turned their focus to sophomores at SUU.Through the SOAR program, students at SUU have received many opportunities to grow and develop not only as students but as people. The SOAR program engages sophomores by providing opportunities for learning as well as increasing the retention of second-year students.Dr. Eric Kirby is committed to supporting all students as they learn to become successful and effective leaders on campus and in the community. He is available for an interview, simply visit his profile.

Eric Kirby

2 min

Solving the Retention Puzzle - Keeping Students Enrolled in Higher Education

Colleges and universities around the country are struggling to keep first-year students engaged and enrolled year after year. Only 61% of first-year students who started in 2015 returned to the same institution in 2016, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse.However, Southern Utah University has not only found a way to increase its first-year student retention, but continues to build momentum and excitement across campus. In just two years, from 2015-2017, the University went from a stagnant 64% retention rate to 71%, a record high for the institution. The change didn’t happen overnight and took a team of dedicated professionals countless hours to figure out how to stop the declining numbers that dropped from 69% to 64% from 2008-2015. Starting the process, Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Utah University, Dr. Jared Tippets, began calling students to figure out why they left SUU. “We found that they were struggling with finances, sense of belonging, schedules, stress, roommates, employment the list goes on and on. After years of trying everything outlined in the literature, and still experiencing stagnant and declining retention rates, it was clear we had to try something different.”Enlisting the help of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at SUU, Dr. Eric Kirby, the two went back to the drawing board. “The feedback we received fueled a complete overhaul of our onboarding process, first-year experience, advising model, financial assistance, and peer-mentoring program,” said Kirby. “We shifted our thinking, adjusted our approach, and adopted a new paradigm.”The pair distilled their retention strategy into their ASCEND model: Affordability, Support, Culture, Engagement, Nudges, and Data. This strategy was used to rethink and restructure the orientation program, campus engagement, and academic advising.Dr. Jared Tippets and Dr. Eric Kirby are both committed to supporting all students as they learn to become successful and effective leaders on campus and in the community. They are available for an interview, simply visit their profiles. Source:

Eric KirbyJared Tippets

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Industry Expertise

Education/Learning
Research
Legal Services
Management Consulting

Areas of Expertise

Non Traditional Students in Higher Education
Second Year Retention in HIgher Education
Student Success Strategies
Student Retention in Higher Education
Political Science
First Year Experience, Higher Education
Event Planning & Management
Constitutional Law
Civil Litigation
Administration in Higher Education

Education

University of Denver

J.D.

Law

Indiana Institute of Technology

Ph.D.

Global Leadership and Academic Administration

University of Denver

M.S.

Administration

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Accomplishments

Commitment to Excellence

Southern Utah University Thunderbird Award

Five-time Legal Rising Star

Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers

Board of Trustees Award of Excellence

2016

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Languages

  • Spanish

Media Appearances

Sophomore Retention Rates Increase Through SOAR Program

SUU News  online

2019-02-27

According to Eric Kirby, assistant vice president for student affairs (Completion and Student Success), “Southern Utah University increased retention of first-year students by 9% over the past three years.” Because retention for first-year students has increased by so much, SUU turned their focus to sophomores at SUU.

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Solving the Retention Puzzle

SUU News  online

2018-07-16

Colleges and universities around the country are struggling to keep first-year students engaged and enrolled year after year. Only 61% of first-year students who started in 2015 returned to the same institution in 2016, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse.

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Utah Court of Appeals visits SUU

The Spectrum  online

2016-01-28

This is the second time the Court of Appeals has come to the university and the sixth time to Cedar City to hear oral arguments.
Eric Kirby, executive director of completion and student success at SUU, said the proceedings gave students an in-depth look at Utah’s court system.
“This will provide an education opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to give them a unique perspective on our justice system,” Kirby said.

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Articles

Retention challenges for indigenous Peruvian college students on Beca 18 scholarship and strategies to improve their experiences and academic success

Taylor & Francis

Eric Kirby, Yulia Tolstikov-Mast & Jennie L. Walker

2020-03-16

This paper analyzes challenges indigenous Peruvian college students face in completing their studies, based on field research that included interviews with Peruvian higher education leaders, administrators, researchers, and faculty, and a review of published research. Since 2012, the government of Peru has sponsored Beca 18, a comprehensive scholarship designed to attract and support students from underrepresented populations, namely impoverished and largely indigenous communities.

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Courses

ACCT 3350 Business Law and Ethics

A study of our legal system including the Constitution, administrative law, torts, crimes, labor law, antitrust, consumer protection, environmental law, international securities, contracts, UCC Art. 2, property, bailments, business organizations, agency, and intellectual property. Also includes coverage of social responsibility and ethical issues as they relate to business within society.

UNIV 1020 Strategies for Success

This variable topics course explores subjects geared toward student success. Sample topics include career exploration, job search preparation, exploring vocabulary development, and in-depth academic skill development.

UNIV 1020 Peer Leadership Skills

This course was designed for orientation leaders to develop the new orientation system, Thunder Academy, peer-to-peer mentoring skills, and leadership/professional development.

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