Name: Lusharon Wiley
Job Title: Senior Associate Dean of Students, Director of Case Management Services, Student Ombudsperson
Hometown: Valdosta, GA
Her Campus UWF: How long have you been with UWF?
Dr. Lusharcon Wiley: September 1, 1993
HC: Name some of the roles that you play here at UWF.
LW: One of my roles here is to create an atmosphere where people are included and feel important.
HC: What is the most challenging part of your job?
LW: Student issues that seem insurmountable. I have learned that there will be times where the outcome simply won’t be what I would like but in that moment it’s the best answer.
HC: Why do you take on this job?
LW: I was always working to resolve issues that student had. So eventually what I did turned into case management, so in a way I created my own job.
HC: What are some of the biggest changes that you have seen while you were here at UWF? Favorite and not so favorite.
LW: I’ve really enjoyed the growth, expansion and inclusion of new programs here at UWF. I am excited about the new STEM programs that are being run by women! I love the new buildings that are being built. Having females as the presidents of the university is a plus. I think the thing that I dislike the most is how the university is judged by the state. Often we don’t meet the state matrices because of our location. The university needs to evaluate itself based upon its own merits.
HC: I found that you spoke here at UWF and the topic of your dialogue was, “Women and Leadership or Nice Girls Don’t Become Provosts.” What was that about?
LW: Oh wow you pulled that out of a hat! The president at that time may have been Morris Marks. That topic stemmed from the idea that women have been trained to be self evasive. We have not been trained to talk about the merits that we have or what we do and it’s time that we stand up for a seat at the table. Not only do we need a seat at the table, but we also need to speak at the table.
HC: Is there something that you are very passionate about?
LW: The Argo Pantry is a program I oversee and has a big piece of my heart. This program doesn’t receive any funding from the university; it is run on essentially all by the hearts of faculty, staff and students here at UWF.
HC: Do you have a role model or someone you looked up to while growing up?
LW: My mother was one of my biggest role models. In my childhood community, Little Miami, my mother was always welcoming to anyone who came along. In addition to my mother, I have to say all of the older women in my life were also my role models. People say that experience is the best teacher but it doesn’t have to be your own experience to teach you.
HC: If you could pick one moment to call your favorite here at UWF, what would it be and why?
LW: The inclusion spotlight is something I have created. We have been able to focus on people that have been doing great work. It’s not necessarily work that is done on a global level but work that affects our community. Much of what we do can have a ripple effect that eventually can touch the world.
HC: If you could tell all UWF women one thing what would it be?
LW: Don’t apologize for having an opinion, but make sure that your opinion is informed. Say it. Own it. Be that person.
HC: Is there anything that I haven’t asked you that you would like us to know about you?
LW: In addition to the work that I do that is dear to my heart, multicultural confidence; inclusion; discussing the undiscussable, I also have my own goals that are important to me. My passion is actually in stage and theater, so in 2016 I had a dream come true. I had the opportunity to put on my one woman show called, “Lasharon Unleashed”. In my show I told stories of my life, the language of my community and the lessons that I learned. I think that it is important to have that part of you that isn’t confined in your traditional work, to also develop those parts of us makes us the happiest.
Thumbnail courtesy of Michael Spooneybarger/ Pensacola Today