THE VISION
THE VOICE
MEET THE GCSW DEANS
Amber Mollhagen’s title might say Assistant Dean – but the Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) is more than the building where she’s worked for more than 20 years; it’s also a place that has held a long-time significance to her.
Dr. Mollhagen, an alum of the Graduate College of Social Work (99’) began gravitating towards the field of social work after encountering a fellow classmate at Texas Tech University. Dr. Mollhagen recalls that after reading the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics, she remembered thinking, ‘My gosh, this is it. This is home.’
Today, Dr. Mollhagen is the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs. Over her tenure, she has cultivated her interest in the intersection of social work and higher education, which has led to new opportunities for GCSW students. One example is the internship opportunity within the admissions and student affairs office, inspired in part by what values and benefits social workers can bring into higher education settings. Current Department of Admissions intern Candy Avila said, “The office has granted me autonomy and welcomed my perspective.” She added that the internship environment encourages her to explore new opportunities.
Dr. Mollhagen’s vision for the future of the Admissions and Student Affairs office melds a refined understanding of the student experience (which encompasses enrollment models and community diversity) and proactive support initiatives. Examples of these initiatives include outings to the UH Sugar Land campus, monthly Meet and Eat lunches, and professional meetups with other social work students.
"We also are using other tools, like advising systems...we kind of centralize a lot of good information for students, resource information, upcoming events, things that they need to know when they need to know them."
“Just being responsive to the different enrollment models in the way we do student engagement has been important for support. [It’s about] what strategies do you have in mind to foster a more inclusive and supportive community within the school?” She observes.
Greater attention is also placed on the one-on-one connections between students and advisors. With 500 to 600 graduate students in the GCSW, meaningful relationships with available faculty and staff become more valuable. This includes developing a success plan and utilizing existing tools for greater audience reach, “We also are using other tools, like advising systems. We have Navigate Student that we're making better use of in terms of case management and communications with students. We also use Canvas where we kind of centralize a lot of good information for students, resource information, upcoming events, things that they need to know when they need to know them.”
Beyond her passion to improve the student experience, Dr. Mollhagen is also dedicated to concurrently improving the staff experience. She notes that to do a good job of taking care of students, it’s integral that the staff is also cared for. Most recently, the GCSW Admissions and Student Affairs team underwent a restructuring that included hiring new staff. These changes emphasize the importance of supporting the college’s students and successfully encouraging better relationships between advisors and advisees.
When asked about her social work hero, Dr. Mollhagen highlighted Betty Dotts, a local heroine from Lubbock who inspired her early on. Amber met Betty while working at a food pantry early into her career. Despite only working on a volunteer basis during the AIDs and HIV crises of the ’90s, “She provided support for that community – she was ahead of her time. She’s someone who I would love to go back and talk to one more time. She’s my social work hero.”
Dr. Mollhagen’s initiative to explore social work and higher education is integral to her desired outcomes. While she might seem to be dedicated primarily to student experience, she continues to ask herself – how might we improve the experiences of everyone in the GCSW community? Whether this be in the form of schoolwide events or improving communication with staff, she believes that everything is possible. With her vision and voice, the GCSW intends on continually contributing to social work education and professional development.
With her vision and voice, the GCSW intends on continually contributing to social work education and professional development.
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