Integrated Resources for Information and Solutions (IRIS) is a hub of knowledge.
The department takes on questions about financial aid, registration, student life and much more. Four years ago, a team of advisors from what used to be the Advising Center on campus formed IRIS in order to give students one place to go to get answers.
IRIS faculty and staff communicate with other departments on campus to answer the questions of students who call, email or walk into the first floor of Lowell Heiny Hall. Their job is to find the students the answer or the best place to get the answer.
Current IRIS Director Anna Nichols is stepping down. Her farewell potluck happened on Sept. 22. Nichols was a part of the original team that expanded the new department and got funding as well as space and resources.
Nichols is stepping down to start her own business in landscaping and real estate. She will continue to work in Grand Junction, but leaves her spot at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) open after nearly 10 years of working at the school.
“I started out as the bursar in the Student Accounts department and moved my way through the ranks there for three or four years. I really loved working with students in that roll, but it was a lot more back end processing and so I told my leadership I wanted the opportunity to do something more student facing,” Nichols said.
This departure prompted CMU to fill the IRIS Director position. Applications were open for a short span of time, applicants needed to turn in a resume, cover letter and present in front of multiple administrators, including President John Marshall.
Out of six candidates, two are still in the running. Brenna Wilkerson is the current Assistant Director of IRIS and Justin Little is the Manager of Database and Systems at IRIS. Both started working for CMU in the onboarding department and continued into higher department roles.
“The interview process was pretty intense, I think it shows how much leadership values IRIS and values this position. I have been with IRIS for four years, since it started, I was one of the original IRIS advisors when it was created. I am really excited about the opportunity to lead IRIS into its next evolution,” Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson emphasized that IRIS is a unique department for a university, especially in Colorado. Instead of separate buildings and phone numbers for each department- academic advising, registrar, student accounts and financial aid to name a few- there is a centralized call center.
Little is in charge of many of the email campaigns that these departments do. He also hires students to help him with outreach calls. The job entails a lot of writing out information to remind students what they should do to stay on top of things. Little coordinates emails, texts and calls to the entire student population at CMU.
“A lot of students may have heard of IRIS but have not taken advantage of what we can offer. [We would like students to] stop in with any questions and have confidence that we will know the answer or point them in the right direction to find the answer,” Little said.
Two advisors moved on earlier in the school year, just before the Fall 2021 semester got underway. This leaves IRIS with two new advisors, Jackie Vleck and Sarah Vescio, who both previously worked in different departments at CMU. Advisor Logan Williams has held his position for about a year and a half.
Brad Krebill, Josh Russell and Mary Cummings will be retaining their current positions in IRIS. All three have been here for considerable time and will continue their work.
There is no current timeline for new positions.
“Over 100 schools across the country have a ‘one stop’ [for questions] and Colorado is starting that trend so we need to get on it if we are going to stay relevant to the future,” Nichols said.
