Myles Named Executive Director of Milburn Center
April 16, 2013
OBU has named Carrie Myles as executive director of the Milburn Center, which encompasses the Student Success Center and the newly formed Academic Advising Center on campus. Myles, who also will serve as director of academic advising, is transitioning from her role as associate director of admissions at OBU.
In conjunction with the new role, OBU is renaming The Milburn Center for Student Success simply as The Milburn Center. The Milburn Center will house the Academic Advising Center and the Student Success Center and will serve as the central location both physically and philosophically for all things related to students' academic persistence and progress, said Bruce Perkins, dean of enrollment management. OBU administrators developed the Academic Advising Center to fulfill objectives of the university's strategic plan.
"As discussions progressed regarding the creation of the Academic Advising Center, it became obvious that its tasks would be natural compliments to those of the Student Success Center in terms of hours of operation, use of physical space, and utilization of student workers," Perkins said. "Of course, the two centers share the overall objective of helping students successfully progress toward completion of their academic programs culminating in timely graduation."
Myles earned a bachelor's degree in family psychology from OBU in 2000. She earned a master's degree in adult and higher education and student affairs from the University of Oklahoma in 2010.
In June 2000, she began working as an admissions counselor at OBU. In August 2002, she was promoted to assistant director of admissions, and in August 2005, she was promoted to associate director of admissions. She begins her role in academic advising immediately, while continuing to work with transfer students in Admissions until August.
With the launch of the Academic Advising Center, students who are undeclared and those who have been identified as high retention risks initially will be assigned to the center for academic advising by the Academic Advising Center staff and other OBU personnel as needed. These students will be reassigned to faculty advisors upon declaring a major field of study or when otherwise appropriate related to their academic success. Students with declared majors will continue to be assigned to appropriate faculty advisors within their major fields of study.
Monica Mullins will continue her work as director of OBU's Student Success Center, which opened its doors in September 2008. The center employs students who serve their fellow students and conducts thousands of student sessions each semester.
"This structure enables both Monica and Carrie to work out of their strengths and presents the potential for incredible synergy," Perkins said. "They will leverage their long-standing friendship, mutual respect, institutional history and knowledge, and complementary strengths. The result will be one of the finest models of a continuum of student achievement beginning with college preparedness and culminating in successful completion of a college degree."