'Pop-up With the Prez' debuts at LCC

By Julie Newell
Editor in Chief

LCC President Dr. Steve Robinson has started a new event called “Pop-Up with the Prez.” During the events, he goes somewhere on campus and sets up a casual area where students, faculty and staff can hang out and talk with him about anything.

“It is something that I did at my previous college,” Robinson said. “The idea is to get out of the office and have organic, kind of authentic interactions with students, faculty and staff.”

This event started Wednesday, Feb. 23, in the Gannon Highway, where Robinson had the opportunity to chat with various LCC people.

“This is a really great thing,” LCC Academic Affairs Project Manager Rafeeq McGiveron said. “The idea of a president of a college coming out and being able to talk to people is great.”

Robinson explained how he came up with this idea.

 “The idea came from this; I had a bunch of very outgoing friends who were college presidents and they would just drop in on students,” Robinson said. “They’d see a student studying and interrupt them and want to talk to them or sit down with students who are eating lunch and invite themselves. Every time I tried that it just didn’t feel authentic.

“I’d feel like I was bothering somebody or stalking somebody, so I said, ‘What if I just had a big sign that said come talk to me’ and then students can opt in. Not every random student is going to want to have a conversation with the president.”

LCC Academic Success Coach Frank Taylor said he likes the idea.

 “I think the ability to communicate with, in essence, a CEO and have those broader level discussions is invaluable,” Taylor said.

LCC Psychology Professor and Accreditation Liaison Mark Kelland said he hopes more students will start showing up once the word gets out about the event.

A full schedule of when and where the president will be next can be found on LCC’s website.