After serving in an interim position since Jan. 2011, Tom Tiberi was officially announced the Director of Student Life, effective as of June 20.
Tiberi has been working for UB since 1992, where he worked up the ranks within UB's Campus Living department. The former resident hall director and senior associate for university apartments looks forward to his future at UB in a position that allows him to interact directly with students - something his past positions didn't emphasize
"[Being the Director of Student Life] puts me in great communication with students and I really look forward to doing that a lot more," Tiberi said. "It was a great year and a half of doing that and it's just going to continue."
Tiberi will continue to direct the Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement, marching band, student activities, student unions, Greek Affairs, and the Intercultural Diversity center - all of which make up UB Student Life.
In his tenure, Tiberi feels he was able to improve and strengthen relationships with students through better communication with student governments, fraternities and sororities. Tiberi's department worked to strengthen student governments through leadership training initiatives, especially with the Student Association's executive board.
"[UB Student Life was able to work] with them a lot more closely than we have been able to in the past. So in the end, the organization will definitely be stronger," Tiberi said.
But Tiberi wants all students, not just E-board members, to take advantage of the training and personal development programs. He feels Student Life can do a lot more, and wants to tap into the department's expertise to help the general student body become better leaders.
During his interim position, Tiberi made sure Student Life was working on improving the physical plan of the Student Union and updating the Student Union Theater.
As the Director of Student Life, Tiberi is responsible for "providing the right services in support of the student experience," and he also has to make sure the appropriate resources are available to employ those services. The department also reaches out to student groups by disbursing advisement, training, and learning opportunities, according to Tiberi.
"[Student Life is] a part of the bigger picture of providing a good student experience to the students of UB," Tiberi said. "Certainly the primary reason students are here is for academic purposes, but there's a whole other side to college life of extracurricular activities we play a role in - be it social involvement to learning to new skills, to finding new talents outside of the classroom - Student Life puts a lot of those opportunities in students' hands."
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
