I have done nothing but love Dr. Frank Ross since the day I met him. He is an angel, an icon, truly one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. And he has a super cute son! Interviewing him was a treat, and if you haven’t met him yet I recommend you find some time in your schedule to do so!
Her Campus (HC): Where did you go for your undergrad/ grad?
Frank Ross (FR):
BS, Psychology – Ball State University
MAE, Student Affairs in Higher Education, Western Kentucky University
MA, Adult & Community Education, Ball State University
PhD, Higher Education & Student Affairs, Indiana University
certificate, Higher Education Management Development Program, Harvard University
HC: What organizations/things were you involved in when you were an undergrad?
FR:
- University Program Board
- Orientation leader
- Psi Chi
- Psychology Club
- Art History Club
- Alpha Lambda Delta
- Sigma Nu
- Interfraternity Council
In addition to these organizations, being involved in community service was very important to me and spent quite a bit of time doing that.
The highlight of my student involvement was the year we won Greek Week. I was social chairman of my fraternity and we paired with AKA sorority. We did a step show and brought the house down and won first place in the Greek Week competition! I was Greek Week King my junior year and on Homecoming court my senior year.
HC: What things do you like to do in your freetime?
FR: What free time? :) I love spending time with my family and am enjoying visiting all the new places around Indy. It is important for me to continue contributing to the scholarship of my field. I am currently working on a new book that should be published sometime next year!
HC: There’s a rumor that your son thought that once you took this position Trip would become your personal dog. Is this rumor true?
FR: Haha—yes! On my first day of work Trip came to my office to welcome me. We took a picture and I sent it home to my son, Mason—who was visiting his grandmother in North Carolina at the time. He said “Is that my new dog for my new house?” When he finally arrived in Indianapolis he asked where his doggy was…and I had to tell him that puppy was for daddy at work. :) Mason is a HUGE Trip fan and loves to wear anything with “the doggy” on it!
HC: What attracted you to this position?
FR: I grew up in Indiana so Butler was very familiar to me. I always heard and saw the things at Butler, but I never worked here so I didn’t know first hand about it so when this opportunity came up I was like, ‘I know Butler I’d like to check this out’. But without question the number one thing that sold me was the students I met. I interviewed with the collegian before even coming here and I remember telling them that I fell in love with Butler through their eyes. The students’ excitement for this university was contagious. They just love this university so much.
HC: If you could only change Butler in one way, what way would that be?
FR: I want to make sure that all of our students have an opportunity for rich engagement as a student, especially the commuters.
HC: Many minority students, me included, view you as their best advocate and confidant in administration. Did you expect to gain our trust this quickly?
FR: No because I didn’t even think about it that way. To me it is important to create an environment that, not only are all of our students succeeding, but one where all of them strive. To see what we can do to make the university better for all of our students. I feel my job is a privilege and I take my role very seriously, and when students are having less than an amazing experience, I personalize that. And I do whatever I can to make sure students have a better experience. If through that process students develop a feeling of trust that makes me very happy. We have a lot of work to do and I say that mindful that every institution isn’t perfect, but when there are systems in place that disadvantages or inhibits people of full participation. It gets my full attention. I want to make sure all students have an opportunity.