Every
vote counts for Boeglin
By Michael
Padilla
Winning
an election by one vote was a defining moment for UNM Dean of
Students Randy Boeglin. That win, he says, led him to where
he is today.
If
I would have lost I probably would not have continued working
in the student services field, he says. At that time,
Boeglin was an undergraduate student at UNM and vying for hall
governor at Coronado Hall.
Since then
Boeglin has been committed to helping and guiding students.
After working at Frostberg State University and Colorado Northwestern
Community College, Boeglin returned to UNM where he has stayed
27 years.
I
find motivation and passion making a difference in peoples
lives, Boeglin said. On a daily basis, people who
work in student affairs, like me, have the opportunity to create
an environment where students can flourish.
Often times,
he says, people give him a compassionate pat on the back when
he tells them that he is Dean of Students and say, you
must have a tough job.
But, he
says, I sometimes have to pinch myself to realize that
I am getting paid for this job, he says. There are
more upsides than there are downsides.
Boeglin
said the media and public focus more on traumatic and dramatic
events that students get involved with and often fail to recognize
the institutions philanthropy. His advice is to try to
change these perceptions and celebrate successes.
We
need to sell who we really are, he says.
Boeglin
notes that student roles have changed. Within the last
15 years there has been a dramatic change in the nature of student
lives. Years ago the role of students was carved out of life,
Boeglin says. It was a set-aside period when you werent
a child and you werent an adult. Students immersed themselves
in a university.
We
have to work with students now and help them with time management,
work around their schedules and do our best to help them,
he says, adding that most students have many financial and family
obligations.
Be caring,
compassionate and try to be more forgiving, he advises.
Boeglin
oversees the entire Dean of Students office which includes,
Student Activities Center, Residence Life, Loborientation, Lobo
Network and student discipline. He also works closely with ASUNM
leaders.
Boeglin
has a bachelors and masters degree, both from UNM.
He received an award for the graduating senior with the highest
GPA in the Arts and Sciences.
He visits
his mother and sister in Carlsbad and he heads north to fish.
Boeglin
considers his wife Patsy to be his role-model and most influential
person in his life. He met her at a parking lot dance behind
Coronado Hall in 1964. She is now a teacher at La Cueva High
School. They have two children, Eric and Shelly, and one grandchild.
He says
he goes with the flow, but often makes sure that the flow is
going in the right direction. With his flow changed by one vote,
he is grateful to be where he is today.
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