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Podcast: S8 Ep. 29
Date: October 14, 2025
Title: ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Moment: ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø's Dean of Students talks Homecoming 2025 | S8 Ep. 29
Host: John Rollins

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JOHN ROLLINS: Welcome to the ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Moment, where we showcase all the great things happening with ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø faculty, staff, students, and alumni. I'm John Rollins, Associate Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs here at ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø, and I want to welcome you all to this week's show. My guest today comes to ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø with over 20 years of experience in higher education leadership, having started here at ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø as dean of students in 2024. Dr. Elizabeth De La Rosa is here today to tell us more about her role as dean of students and to talk about one of the most eventful, spirit-filled weeks here on campus — Lamar Homecoming Week. Welcome to the show, Dr. De La Rosa, and thanks for joining me today on the podcast.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Well, thanks for having me. I’m really excited to be here. Next week, on October 15, will mark one year since I first stepped foot on this campus. It has been a very fulfilling year — and how exciting that my anniversary falls on Homecoming Week!

JOHN: That is very cool, and I didn't know it had been a year.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Yes.

JOHN: That literally flew by.

DR. DE LA ROSA:  Yes, it has gone by very quickly.

JOHN: Very awesome! Well, we’re glad to have you here today. We’re going to talk about your role here on campus and Homecoming Week, like we said. So, let’s start with that — I already hinted at it, but let’s have you explain more about your role as dean of students. What all does that entail?

DR. DE LA ROSA: Our dean of students position here at Lamar oversees students — so it includes many of the offices and departments that work directly with them. My primary focus right now is Housing and Residential Living — everything that has to do with Cardinal Village and all of our residents who live on campus. I’ve been involved with that from the start. I got to be part of the move-in day process, and I love walking the halls, hearing from students, and seeing what their experience is like, being in the ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Dining Hall with them, enjoying those moments, and learning from what they share. I also work very closely with our Conduct and Care Office and our director of conduct and care. Yes, that does include discipline, but really and truly, it’s more about wraparound services and care for our students, making sure they have the resources they need and that we’re able to connect them. A lot of times, I find,  and this has been true throughout the years,  when we have a conduct situation, there’s always an underlying issue. More often than not, it’s stress-related or comes from being overwhelmed. Our students are carrying so many responsibilities, and sometimes we all just have a bad day, right? That’s the piece we focus on in our Conduct and Care Office: really looking at the whole student. What’s going on? How did you get here? How can we help you? How can we get you past this? That’s the part that means the most to me, and it’s one of the things I’m definitely bringing to the table at Lamar. I can’t say it’s directly because of me. It’s a group effort but we are seeing a decline in conduct issues and are really connecting our students with all the great resources available to them. I think especially for our first-time students, they just don’t know what’s out there. If you’re new to Lamar, you just don’t know. Sometimes we assume — and this happened to me as a freshman — that because someone is from the area or the community, they already know everything the university has to offer. That’s not always true. Our residential students have a leg up because we’re there with them, but our commuter students need a little extra help and connection. That’s one of the main projects we’re working on through Student Affairs right now, making sure our commuter students have the same or a similar experience as our residential students.

JOHN: I love that, and I wholeheartedly agree. You know, I just wrapped up teaching a Cardinal Communities class, and a lot of those freshmen are from the area — yet they didn’t know about all the services on campus, from the Rec to the Setzer Center to even the events happening in the Quad throughout the semester. It was really eye-opening. The Student Health Center, all of it. But I love what you said about the, I think you called it, wraparound services, that holistic approach to conduct and care. And then housing a.k.a. the dorms, right? You’re involved with all of that.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Yes, I’m involved with all of that, and I also get to work with CAB, our Cardinals Activities Board, as well as all of our student organizations and everything that happens in the Setzer Student Center. That’s the fun part, all the fun stuff! We’re gearing up for Homecoming, and there’s always something going on. One of the big things we’re really focusing on this year — keeping in mind our residential students, commuter students, and all the different populations — is offering a variety of events and activities so students have choices. They can choose to go to this event or that event. When you look at our schedules across the university, you’ll see there’s a wide range of activities and events happening all over campus that students can take part in. Sometimes you can even bring your family or friends, there’s just so much going on. I think back to my own college days and my daughter’s college experience, and that’s really what it’s all about: getting involved, finding the things that you connect with, and building your community from there.

JOHN: I love that. I love the way you worded that. So let’s take it back just a little, I want to offer you the opportunity to introduce yourself. That can include your educational background, a brief bio, or whatever you’d like to share.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Alright. Well, as you mentioned, I have over 20 years of experience in higher education, specifically in student affairs. When I was an undergraduate student, I was very involved in our Student Activities Board at my university and continued that work through my graduate studies. From there, I just naturally landed in the field — my first professional role was a few years later, and I’ve really been all over the place since then. I’ve worked at a community college in Nebraska, a four-year institution in New Mexico, another four-year institution out in West Texas, a community college in Houston, and then I landed here last year. It’s been such a variety of experiences, and I really appreciate that because it helps me see how all those different environments connect to what our students experience now. Education-wise, my degrees are all over the place. I have a bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in business, a master’s degree in communications, and I wrapped it all up just a year ago with a doctorate in educational leadership. Students often ask me, “How did you get this job?” or “What kind of degree do you need?” And my answer is always: you just have to have a passion for working with students. The degrees are great — and I use every single one of them every day — but the reality is that they’re all purposeful in different ways. It’s about the context and the people, and if you can tie all that together, that’s what makes the work meaningful.

JOHN: So let’s go ahead and jump into the Homecoming portion of our chat. Homecoming Week is here. We blinked, and now it’s here! Tell us a little bit more about it. Homecoming isn’t just the Saturday football game; there’s so much more involved.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Our students are currently in the Student Center getting ready for Homecoming. They’re decorating, putting up posters, and getting yard signs out across campus this week to let everyone know what’s coming up. We’ve got activities planned every day next week. Monday morning kicks off Homecoming. Join us out on the Quad for breakfast, music, and a fun start to the week. There’s a variety of activities happening, and one of the strongest traditions of Homecoming is the Royal Court. That’s open now, and our King and Queen candidates are out there campaigning and asking for your vote, so you’ll see them all week. Greek life is hosting events on Monday and again on Wednesday night, keeping things lively. Monday night is the bonfire. Students will meet over in Cardinal Village and then process over to the bonfire. This year, we’re adding a cool twist — miniature oil derricks! Student groups get to decorate them and show their Cardinal pride. Once at the bonfire, there’ll be a student vote, along with the fun of the fire itself and a pep rally. The band will be there too, making it a high-energy event. We’ll also introduce all of our Royal Court candidates at that time. This event is open to the public, taking place over in Boomtown, so anyone can stop by. On Tuesday, students will have the opportunity to bring back the tradition of “mums” — those Texas mums. Our CAB group will host a patio night with all the supplies needed to create your mum for Homecoming. It’s a fun, very Texas tradition. Back in my day, it was just a single flower; now they’re huge and elaborate. Wednesday brings the Career Expo, tied into Homecoming. It’s a chance for students and professionals from different industries to connect. Career Services is hosting this event. Throughout the week, keep in mind there are also softball and volleyball games happening, so there are plenty of opportunities to support our teams. We’ll wrap up the week on Friday with “Show Your Red Friday,” something we started this semester. At every home game, Friday at noon, we’ll be at the Setzer Student Center with music, snacks, and giveaways — all you need to do is wear your red to get some Cardinal swag. Finally, Homecoming concludes with the big tailgate and football game on Saturday. Hopefully, we’ll walk away with a win!

JOHN: Football’s been doing pretty fantastic lately.

DR. DE LA ROSA: They have been doing great.

JOHN: They're on a roll right now, I believe, four wins in a row, and then our first conference win last week. So yeah, we're doing pretty amazing. And hopefully the community does hear this and they come out, whether you're alumni, students, faculty, staff, just community members who hear this and are interested, we want you here in the stands supporting ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Absolutely. I mean, if you stop and think — how many of our student-athletes, our football team — I mean, some of these kiddos are from the local area.

JOHN: Yep.

DR. DE LA ROSA: And so, let's come out. Let's support them. You know, I think they're like said they're doing great, they're on a win, they're on a roll. And that is exciting for the team. It's exciting for us as a university, and it should be exciting for the community. And so, we really want to share that. And so, everyone who's out there, whatever your affiliation is, with us here at Lamar, join us. Come see what it's all about as well as you know, stopping by and just giving us your feedback and see what we can do to entice you to keep coming back.

JOHN: Exactly. That’s what I always tell people: come to one game, and I promise you, you’re going to have so much fun that you’ll want to keep coming back. I’m not even a huge sports person, but I love going to our games.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Yeah, I think college football — I mean, how cool is it that we have college football right here in our own community? I think that’s great, and not everyone can say they have that opportunity.

JOHN: Exactly. That’s a very good point. Something else I want to bring up on that community note is Big Red’s Ride, which is a classic car show. I believe that’s taking place from 10 to 2 at the Spindletop Boomtown Museum. Then, the Dishman Art Museum here on campus will be open with a fantastic exhibition. I haven’t seen it in person, but the photos look amazing — it’s almost like origami-style art. There are even some dresses that come out with butterflies and other details. It’s really, really neat, and it will all be open that day as well.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Right, exactly. The art museum will be open from 10 to 2, and during that time, the tailgate will be getting set up, with food trucks out and about. It’s a great day to start off in the morning, take in whichever events interest you, and then join us in the afternoon. There’s a little something for everyone — going back to what I said earlier, it’s about choices. All of it is available to you. We want to share who we are here at Lamar, not just with our students, but with our local community.

JOHN: So let me ask you this — we’ve got a little bit of time left. In your short time here — one year now, which congratulations, by the way — what has been your favorite thing about being a part of ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø?

DR. DE LA ROSA: Our students. You know, our students, right?

JOHN: They are fantastic.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Yeah, our students are really, really impressive. Anyone who’s been working in education for the past five years knows — we’re post-pandemic, and it’s been tough. It’s been challenging to get students excited, engaged, and wanting to be part of something. But this past year, since I’ve been here, we’ve seen an increase in engagement. Students are coming out, participating, asking for ways to get involved, and giving back. Many of our students are highly involved in community service, and they understand that coming to university isn’t just about being in the classroom — they’re gaining so much more outside of it as well. As a practitioner, that’s the goal: combining academic learning with people learning. Our students are doing just that — they’re knocking it out of the park. To me, that’s the exciting part, and I can only imagine how far we’ll continue to go.

JOHN: Very well said, and this is the time to make those connections and network. That’s a really great point, absolutely. So, Dr. De La Rosa, thanks again for joining me today on the podcast, for sharing about Lamar Homecoming and Student Affairs, and for all that you do here on our campus.

DR. DE LA ROSA: Well, thank you, John. I appreciate it. Thank you for the invitation and anything I can do to help along the way. Just let me know.

JOHN: Absolutely. Alright folks, one last reminder: all the details about Lamar Homecoming can be found at lamar.edu/homecoming. Check it out, and stop by Lamar on Saturday, October 18, to see for yourself. As we wrap up another episode, please be sure to search ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Moment wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with the events, activities, programs, and people right here at ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø. This is John Rollins, your host. Thank you for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.