R. Steve Dicki/University Relations
Jason O'Connor is director of student and academic services in the School of Business. He is also president of the Unclassified Senate.
CAMPUS CLOSEUPJason O'Connor - Academic services director, Unclassified Senate president
Time at current job: Seven months.
Job duties: I provide academic advising to undergraduate students. I work closely with area directors, program directors, undergraduate team and the Business Career Services Center to coordinate and implement policies, procedures and curriculum changes. I provide information to students, faculty and staff and other groups in the school, across campus and external to KU. I oversee the budget in the Student and Academic Services office and monitor spending against allocations.
What are some of the most common concerns you see with students who are seeking a career in business? Students know they want to obtain a business degree, but they are not sure of what major. The School of Business has majors in accounting, finance, information systems, management and leadership and marketing. I have found that students have a difficult time deciding which field in business to pursue.
Well-known business professionals such as Warren Buffett have been associated with the School of Business in the past few years. Has that helped recruitment/enrollment? Certainly. I believe this has helped market our school. When well-known business professionals recognize our students for their quality of work, we see an increased interest in our school.
You are also president of the Unclassified Senate. Why is the senate important to unclassified staff at KU? The senate is the elected body from the 1,900-plus unclassified staff at KU. The senate is a representative body from the five staff categories. We have staff that work in academic, administrative, information services, research and Student Success. From this representative body, we have members that chair governance and representation, professional development, public relations and elections (ad-hoc) committees. These committees respond to feedback from all unclassified staff. Our Web site, www.unclassifiedsenate.ku.edu, has more information about Unclassified Senate and how staff can get involved.
Unclassified Senate will be holding its day in the Capitol soon. What messages do you hope to get across to legislators? The University of Kansas benefits the whole state of Kansas. We will thank the legislators for supporting the higher education budget, both past support and future support. We appreciate the support to fund the deferred maintenance issues across the state.
What do you enjoy most about your profession? I enjoy working with the students. Each student at KU has unique qualities and characteristics and this is what makes KU a great place to work.
What are some aspects of your job others might not realize you're involved with? I think that some people would be surprised to know that I refer students to other professional schools and academic departments at KU. I worked in the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center for six years before moving to the School of Business. The center's office is proficient with all the majors at KU, and this training has proven to be extremely valuable. Some students are undecided about what major to pursue and they decide on business because it sounds interesting. I worked in the Career Counseling and Planning Services office when it was in the Watkins Health Center so I am comfortable providing career advice. Sometimes the best career advice is to change the major.
In your opinion, are there any misconceptions about unclassified staff at KU? I think the main misconception is what we do for KU. The unclassified staff work in academic, administrative, information services, research and Student Success areas. The unclassified staff work all across the state. We have staff that work on the Lawrence campus, Edwards Campus, School of Medicine-Wichita and the KU Medical Center.
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