Diane Recinos, President of Berkeley College | CEOs You Should Know

Diane Recinos, President of Berkeley College | CEOs You Should Know

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, everyone, This is Steve Dallison and welcome to bisweet
edition of CEOs. You should know I am thrilled and
excited to be joined by doctor Diane Diane Rissino's President
of Berkeley College. Diane, thank you so much for coming
in today.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thank you for having me Steve.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
We're excited to jump in. Let's start off by sharing
a little bit about your journey at Berkeley College and
how your career and higher education has really evolved over
the last thirty years.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Sounds good, well, thanks again for having me this morning.
I'm really excited to not only talk about my journey
but also share some things about Berkeley College. I started
at Berkeley College over thirty two years ago. It has
been rewarding. The experience has been filled with opportunities to

(00:45):
grow and to contribute. Starting as the director of Financial
Aid at the time, I had the privilege of really
supporting students firsthand and a step in their college career
that is probably extremely nerve wracking and kind of an
unknown to many students. So being able to meet with

(01:05):
students package them with financial aid was extremely gratifying. From
that experience, I had the opportunity to move into other
leadership areas. After that, I began working with technology and
I was a project manager for a major upgrade at
the college using our student integrated system, which really entailed

(01:29):
all the different departments at the college. And I feel
that this position really leveraged me as an employee that
would be looked upon for advancement. And I say that
because I was exposed to every aspect of the college
through this technology. We had an extremely successful upgrade, and

(01:53):
then I was able to move into another technology position
where I was a business systems analyst, really looking at
all the different intricacies of the offices to see how
we could implement technology. So this was in the two thousands,
and then shortly after that, I became a campus operating

(02:16):
officer for one of our campuses and then moved into
another COO role at another location, and then after that
I really catapulted into a senior vice president position of
enrollment management, student success and then ultimately the presidency. So
it has been quite the journey, but I've really appreciated

(02:39):
every opportunity that I've had along the way. It's been
extremely gratifying and to see not only my role change
over the years, but just the different ways that I
could interact and help our students.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
That's awesome. What an impressive journey. Congratulations. So what initially
drew you to the institution and what has kept to
you really passionate about the mission.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I think, aside from a colleague that I met
somewhere else who called me up and asked me if
I wanted to come and interview for the Director of
Financial Aid position, I really appreciated the student focus that
Berkeley had, the fact that it was a career focused education,

(03:22):
meaning that students were learning something that they would immediately
go out into the workforce and apply. But just that
philosophy of students centered really drew me to the institution.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
I love that career focus is extremely important when you're
choosing an education. So that's a great factor that you
guys do have. Really, So, now you mentioned earlier one
of those leadership roles was really in enrollment right and
overseeing the student success. Piggybacking off White just said, what
has been the most rewarding part of overseeing this critical

(03:56):
area of the student experience?

Speaker 2 (03:58):
I would say the most vording part is witnessing students
achieve milestones that they once thought were out of reach.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Enrollment management and student success are not just operations of
the institution, but they're about understanding students holistically and supporting
them in a way in which they need to be
supported to gain confidence. So I would say just seeing
students come in and start not have that confidence, the

(04:30):
ultimately graduate and walk away shoulders, high head up and
just tons of confidence is extremely rewarding.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
That's awesome. That must be extremely rewarding. You really emphasize
the importance of being a role model to students. How
do you personally embody that philosophy and how do you
encourage others within the organization to do the same right?

Speaker 2 (04:51):
I think honestly, being at the college for as long
as I've been at the college and then starting literally
from the ground and working my way up, I really
do try to lead by example, whether through its transparency,
continuous learning, or creating a culture of collaboration. For students,

(05:12):
I do make it a point to be accessible and
to show them that I do genuinely care about their progress.
And for colleagues, I encourage the value of teamwork, professionalism,
empathy as we collectively shape the next generation of students.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
That's awesome. I think you're doing a great job by
leading by example, and your journey obviously is a great
testament to being a true role model there, So congrats
on that.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
I know you mentioned earlier one of the positions along
the way was really embracing technology, and I know for
you even to this day, technology and analytics are part
of your core leadership approach. How have these tools really
shaped your strategies and helped enhance student outcomes and the
institution's overall efficiencies.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, I would say technology and analytics for us have
been game changers in how we approach student outcomes and
institutional effectiveness. By leveraging data, we've been able to identify trends,
anticipate challenges, and create personalized interventions for students. So technology

(06:19):
has also helped us streamline processes which I was able
to experience very early on in my career, and then
just making education more accessible and efficient while enhancing the
overall student experience.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
That's great. I know something else you've been very instrumental
at at Berkeley College is really the mission to have
long lifetime success for the students. What is your vision
for the institution's future and how do you plan to
accomplish that.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
So my vision for Berkeley College is to be a
leader in career focused education. This includes expanding our corporate
learning partnerships where companies can rely on us to educate
their workforce through discounted tuition as well as customized training programs.
We're also focused on growing our hands on learning opportunities

(07:12):
to ensure that students gain practical experience that sets them
up for success in their careers. And then also the
vision to build on our strong foundation of online learning.
We really do need to meet the students kind of
where they are and evolve with online education.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
One hundred percent. And speaking of that, obviously there's a
lot of advancements in technology with higher education online education
being one of them. How do you foresee Berkeley College
continuing to adapt to those trends and continue to have
that be such a key player in the education space.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Sure? Yeah. The best part is Berkeley College has been
at the forefront of online education for over twenty five years.
So we've adapted by continuously updating our digital platforms, incorporating
hybrid learning, and providing strong support systems for online students.

(08:07):
Our philosophy is that online students really should have all
the benefits of that as an on site student, so
we ensure that we provide support services as well as
online engagement so that those students feel connected to the college.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
That's great. I'm sure the longevity of the program obviously
instantly gives you guys credibility, and I'm sure you guys
have learned so much and I've been able to adapt
and evolve it for your students.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Absolutely. We've also been recognized by US News and World
Report for the past twelve years for our online learning,
so that's something to tout about as well.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
Absolutely, congrats.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Thank you so.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
In addition to your impressive resume of different positions that
you've held at Berkeley, I know something also is that
you hold a lot of advanced degrees, one doctorate in
education and MBA. How do those e academic accomplishments really
influence your leadership style?

Speaker 2 (09:00):
Sure? First, I'll start by saying, after I got my MBA,
I said I'm never going to go back to school,
So anyone who shares that same philosophy, don't ever say it,
because it honestly, for me, I felt like that by
pursuing my doctor it really leveraged me a lot differently

(09:20):
than I would have ever thought. I honestly, at the time,
was doing it for myself. I wasn't really doing it
for career advancement. But having the MBA and the Doctor
of Education degrees really allowed me to not only have
the theoretical knowledge but also the practical application. So I

(09:42):
think the blend of the two has been invaluable for
me as a leader, decision making, strategic initiatives, and just
providing support to my team. So education is very important.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
I love that. Yes, I did it for yourself, but
in the long term you're benefiting so many different individuals
and students, So that's an awesome story to hear. Thanks
so obviously, in addition to all the positives that are happening,
we also know in higher education that there are significant
challenges in recent years. What do you see as some
of the most pressing issues and how is Berkeley College

(10:16):
addressing those?

Speaker 2 (10:18):
Sure I would say the most pressing is affordability, access,
and retention. Berkeley College addresses the affordability by offering grants
and scholarships to reduce student debt. We also provide a
very strong network of student support services. We utilize advisory boards,

(10:40):
to make sure that we know what's happening in the industry,
so making sure that our curriculum is irrelevant, talking to
different employers, getting their insights on our curriculum, our programs,
and just making sure that we're at the forefront. The
other thing that I want to just mention as well is,

(11:00):
you know, education is great, and I feel like we
provide a high level of support, but there are basic
needs that the students suffer from, such as food and
security housing. One of the things that we do at
Berkeley College is we do have food poundries at our campuses,
so we are providing an additional additional need to our

(11:23):
students as well as career closets, so our career services
department will help students with their resume, their cover letters,
but also if they don't have the clothing that they
need for interviews, they can go into any one of
our career services clothing posits and find something for an interview.

(11:44):
So it's more than just an education, it's really providing
those wrap around services that provide them that safety net
of support to get them to where they need to be.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
That's incredible. Yeah, I love your student first mindset and
I'm sure a lot of the things you mentioned really
help with student retention and overall the student success. Are
there any other additional strategies that you feel really help
those two pillars? I do.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
I think that just providing those safety nets that students
need looking for early intervention. Oftentimes we use our data
to see how a student is progressing and succeeding. If
we see that they're falling short, we're able to really
reach out to them and see what we can do

(12:32):
to provide that additional level of support so that they
don't just disappear. You know, we understand life happens, obstacles happen,
but we're really there to make sure that we're doing
everything that we possibly can to ensure their success.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
I love that you're leading into technology, which obviously we
talked about being so important, but holding that root of
your mission and talking about the empathy side and combining
the two. That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
No, thank you.

Speaker 1 (12:57):
So I always love asking this question. Obviously you've had
a very successful career in the education space. For anyone
that's listening and tuning in that might want to think
about a career and higher education, what advice would.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
You give them?

Speaker 1 (13:11):
So?

Speaker 2 (13:12):
I would say stay curious, never stop learning. Higher education
is constantly evolving. I think we've witnessed that over the
past five years. Adaptability is key. You really have to
ride the wave and not just be stuck at status quo,
build relationships, listen to diverse perspectives, and always keep the

(13:37):
student experience at the heart of your decisions.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Thank you, Dan.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
We covered a lot, and I know that there's a
lot that you are very passionate about Berkeley. But what
excites you most about the future and what about the
future excites you the most that will have a great
impact on the students in the community you've built.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, so, I think for me, I'm excited about the
opportunities to grow and helps students achieve their goals. Our
mission is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.
So there is nothing more gratifying than seeing a student
succeed at Berkeley College.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
That's awesome. Is there any other messages you want or
any other call to actions you'd like either students or
facility members or supporters of Berkeley College to know to
inspire their continued success.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, so I would say to our students, faculty and staff,
and our supporters, continue striving for excellence and embrace opportunities
for growth. Together, we can create a brighter future, not
just for Berkeley College, but the communities around us.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
I love that if someone's tuning in and they want
to learn more about Berkeley College, what's their first.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Step www dot Berkeley College.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
Due, all right, let's ask that one more time then. Okay,
So if someone's tuning in and they want to learn
more about Berkeley College, it's the first step.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
They can go to Berkeleycollege, dot edu or any of
our social media platforms at Berkeley College.

Speaker 1 (15:08):
Awesome. Well, Diane, thank you so much for coming in
such an inspirational story and journey, and I love learning
more about really the mission, about what Berkeley College represents.
I think you guys have a great mindset and it's
refreshing to hear how much you really appreciate the students
and really put them at the forefront.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
So thank you, excellent, thank you Steve.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Awesome, Well, thank you guys for tuning in. Please tune
in next week for next week's edition of CEOs. You
should know