Southern Utah University Thunderbird Award

Commitment to Excellence

Five-time Legal Rising Star

Board of Trustees Award of Excellence

Advisor of the Year

Outstanding Mentor

Gerald R. Sherratt Award

SUU Campus Influencer Award

SUU’s Distinguished Service Award

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

Episode 1: Introducing the ASCEND podcast

ASCEND to Higher Retention Rates: Practical Strategies for Increasing Student Retention, Completion, and Student Success

Southern Utah University is a caring campus community where students come to explore their interests and prepare for meaningful careers and life experiences. With more than 145 undergraduate programs* and 18 graduate and certificate programs across six academic colleges, SUU proudly offers world-class, project-based learning opportunities where students gain professional experience before entering the job market.

Located in the world’s best backyard, SUU is the University of the Parks thanks to its close proximity to several outdoor recreational areas and its educational partnerships with the National Park Service. SUU’s safe, residential campus allows students - more than 10,000 - to create lifelong friendships along with once-in-a-lifetime outdoor adventures in conjunction with innovative academic endeavors.

Southern Utah University

ACCT 3350 Business Law and Ethics

UNIV 1020 Strategies for Success

UNIV 1020 Peer Leadership Skills

UNIV 1050 College Student Success

UNIV 1057 Student-Athlete College Success

UNIV 4920 Leadership & Professional Development

UNIV 4920 State Legislature and Leadership

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).

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

Spanish

TK Consulting

ASCEND Podcast

Sophomore Retention Rates Increase Through SOAR Program

Solving the Retention Puzzle

Utah Court of Appeals visits SUU

Utah Intercollegiate Legislature gives students hands-on experience

Stewart, Robles have a lot in common in first congressional debate

Alumni Spotlight: Eric Kirby

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.  

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. 

Solving the Retention Puzzle - Keeping Students Enrolled in Higher Education 

Dr. Eric Kirby, assistant professor at SUU

Dr. Eric Kirby, assistant professor at SUU at TedxSUU 2019

higher-education-innovation-suus-assistant-coaches-for-excellence-and-success-aces-program-

Assistant Professor of Management and Business Law

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.  

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

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 &amp; 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.

Sophomore Retention Rates Increased Through SOAR Program 

solving-the-retention-puzzle-keeping-students-enrolled-in-higher-education-

Vice President for Student Affairs

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:

Because of the passion, investment, devotion and dedication of SUU educators their students leave their classrooms with more than grade, but with a friend and mentor. SUU professors go out of their way to serve their students, to learn their goals, and to be their friends, not because it’s their job, but because it’s what they love.

Thank you to all of our SUU educators and the personalized attention you give…lesson after lesson, unit after unit, year after year. We're fortunate to have had you in our lives, and we can't wait to see what the future will bring because of the work you're doing today.

They are why you should choose SUU.

Thank you to the following professors included in the video:
Eric Kirby, Executive Director; Completion and Student Success
Jonathan Puente, Executive Director; Access and Inclusion
Mary Pearson, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Joshua Price, Assistant Professor of Economics
Jacqueline Grant, Assistant Professor of Biology
Nathan Werner, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Peter Sham, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Kay Andersen, Professor of Dance/Department Chair
Kevin Stein, Associate Professor of Communication
Todd Mack, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Michelle Grimes, Assistant Professor of Child Clinical Psychology

Producer: Jessica Young
Videographer: Josh Wolfe, Royce Gillens
Editor: Josh Wolfe
Assistant producer: Porter Sproul

http://www.suu.edu

Southern Utah University
351 West University Boulevard
Cedar City, UT 84720
435.586.7700

students professors appreciation

Why Choose SUU - Personalized Attention

http://eab.com/ssms

Eric Kirby from Southern Utah University shared how his in-depth work with Native American students helped him identify hidden causes of their disengagement from the university. One of his moments of realization was that Paiute students were not using university resources intended for all Native American students because those resources were housed in a "chapter house"—and "chapter house" is a Navajo term, not a Paiute term, so the Paiute students didn’t feel like the resources were intended for them.

ConnectED: Dr. Eric Kirby, Southern Utah University, The Tavi Way to Student Success

At some point in our lives, we stop seeing elephants in the forest. Not because we get older, but because we allow our eyes to change. Instead of looking outward at other’s needs, our eyes begin to shift inward. Dr. Kirby explains that this inward shift figuratively blinds us from what leadership is about: putting other's needs ahead of our own by being willing to see elephants in the forest.  Dr. Eric Kirby currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Utah University. In this role, he leads important campus retention, completion, and student success initiatives, as well as directly oversees numerous offices. Dr. Kirby holds a B.A. in Political Science from Southern Utah University, a M.S. in Administration from the University of Denver, a J.D. in Law from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Academic Administration from Indiana Tech. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Kirby practiced law for nearly a decade after successfully passing the bar exams in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. He is fluent in Spanish and teaches a wide-array of university courses, including classes focusing on constitutional law, student development theories, criminal justice, college success, and leadership/professional development.  He is happily married with six beautiful children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The eyes of leadership: elephants in the forest | Eric Kirby | TEDxSUU

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