| 0:00:02.45 | 24.3s | David Williams | I think right now with, with everything going on right, right now, I think customer service is gonna be most important. Um, you got to show people that you care. You gotta show people that you're gonna be there. You gotta, these students going into our education, they're scared. They don't know what to do. They don't know where to turn, and we have to make sure that we're versed in our, in, in what we know in our knowledge. Um, we have to be able to, to help these students to see. |
| 0:00:40.18 | 56.4s | Ingrid Nuttall | Hi everybody. Welcome to another episode of Heard. On today's show, we spoke with David Williams, law school registrar at North Carolina Central University, or NCCU for short in Durham, North Carolina. NCCU is a historically black college and university or HBCU, and David shared his passion for customer service and how it was influenced by his own experience attending an HBCU. We talked about customer service as less of a function of the workplace and more of an attitude and experience that can make all the difference in creating a sense of inclusion for students and everyone. David talked about his hands-on approach, how he leverages technology during busy times, and how his background as a music educator helped him with patience. We also touched on gender dynamics and customer service experiences, which is a topic we gave little time to in this episode but really want to explore more. All right, that's a lot. Let's get started. |
| 0:01:40.84 | 3.5s | Ingrid Nuttall | Hi everybody. Welcome to Heard. I'm Ingrid Nuttall. |
| 0:01:44.84 | 1.2s | Portia LaMarr | I'm Portia Lamar, |
| 0:01:46.44 | 1.4s | Tashana Curtis | and I'm Tashana Curtis, |
| 0:01:47.87 | 7.0s | Ingrid Nuttall | and I'm using my best radio voice to welcome David Williams to the podcast. Welcome to her, David. |
| 0:01:55.2 | 1.9s | Portia LaMarr | David's here. I |
| 0:01:56.88 | 7.6s | David Williams | mean, I mean, I wasn't ready for that. You got me to write on it. I was not ready for it, but hey, I love it. Go right on here. Yes, |
| 0:02:04.97 | 20.8s | Portia LaMarr | it is great. Her voice is wonderful, um, David. Uh, before he gets to fully introduce himself where he works, if he chooses to say that, you can cut that part out. But um I love how Ros Perry, Ros Perry has affectionately called him D Will now. Do, does everybody call you D Will? |
| 0:02:26.42 | 4.9s | David Williams | They do not. Yeah, but you know, because it's Ros, I let her do what she do. |
| 0:02:32.2 | 15.9s | Portia LaMarr | I love it. She's like Dwheel, um, but anyhow, yes, welcome David. Um, we're so excited to have you on this episode. Uh, but we would love for you to give us a little bit of your background, tell us where you're from, what you do, and higher ed, all of that. |
| 0:02:48.30 | 79.5s | David Williams | OK. Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me today. I really appreciate it and I'm excited about this conversation, so I'm looking forward to see where we go here. Uh, so my name is David Williams. I'm originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Um, growing up, um, I grew up, um, on the west side of Atlanta. Uh, so definitely very familiar with HBCUs. I grew up around the AUC, which is Clark Atlanta, uh Morris Brown, Morehouse, Spellman, in those good old times in the late 90s. Uh, definitely got a chance to do a lot of the um Uh, HBCU world back in the day. I also marched in the band too as well. Showsty band, one of my favorite bands of all time, has always been Morris Brown, uh, so I definitely looked up to them. Um, I came up to North Carolina, um, to actually go to college. Um, I went to Elizabeth City State University, uh, received my bachelor's, uh, music education. Um, I was a teacher for 10 years, uh, before coming into higher education. Um, in higher education, I've worked in admissions and I've worked in career services and now I work as the law registrar at North Carolina Central University, uh, School of Law. And so I enjoy what I do. Uh, definitely have met a lot of people along the way like the, uh, one of the beautiful young ladies here, um, and one of the organizations that I'm in, uh, but yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to kind of talking to you guys and give you my background of everything. |
| 0:04:08.28 | 17.6s | Portia LaMarr | Awesome. I, it sounds, I mean, I can't wait to like, I, I like hearing all of the positions you've held or places that you worked in because I know that you're gonna have a lot to talk about, uh, customer service and that I, I can't wait to dive into that. But before we get into that, what made you choose an HBCU to work at? |
| 0:04:26.29 | 99.8s | David Williams | Uh, well, most importantly was, again, being in Atlanta, you know, I, I think Atlanta, especially back, back in the late 90s, is definitely the black mecca. Uh, so I got a chance to see a lot of black professional people, uh, being around the HBCUs, like I said, my high school is living down the street from the AUC. So I got a chance to, to kind of see that culture, you know, being a part of a, a marching band too as well that had that black culture. I could not see myself really going anywhere else. Um, so, I mean, I felt like it was just an important thing for me and my family. Um, my dad actually went to an HBCU. He went to Wiley College in, uh, Marshall, Texas. And, well, my mom, she didn't go to HBCU but uh she did go to college too as well, but she did push me to go to college and so going to college, I just, I want to go somewhere that would feel right for me, uh, being around other black professionals that were trying to do something with their lives, um, that was very important to me. And I feel like, you know, even when I came to college, you know, it was definitely a different experience. So, uh, one story I wanna definitely tell about, you know, one reason why it makes me feel like I was at home at HBCU. So again, I went to Elizabeth City State University, uh, in, in North Carolina. And when I first got here, I say I was in the marching band, of course, going through band camp and things like that. Uh, my birthday is in September. And when I first got here, I kinda didn't really want to talk to nobody, you know, I'm away from home, I'm 9 hours away from home, and my birthday is coming up and You know, some of my, my people that I were in the band with, they literally had a birthday party for me. And, you know, so that's one of the things that kind of made me really feel like I was at home. I was like, wow, you know what I'm saying? Like, I never really had anybody do and I barely know these people. So, you know, and, and that really made me feel like I was at home and and made me feel like I, I made the right choice. |
| 0:06:06.41 | 61.9s | Portia LaMarr | Yeah, I agree. Um, I feel, I, I did for those that may not know, I graduated from HBCU in which people don't like to classify this school as an HBCU which I think is rude, um, but it is nonetheless, and that is Tennessee State University. Um, there's a lot of history behind why they don't, but, um. It's whatever, yeah, uh, yes, so, uh, but it, it is a, it's. I know we talk a lot about code switching and, you know, in certain areas, you have to be a certain way and in other areas, you don't have to do that at the HBCU. Um, it is immediate. Acceptance, I'll say that. Um, and I feel like we have said a lot of words of feeling at home and acceptance and all of that to me rolls up to customer service, you know what I mean? Like it's, it's, it's how you are perceived at an institution and how any and everyone is willing to help you. And I don't know, David, have you had the opportunity to work at other institutions outside of HBCUs? |
| 0:07:08.67 | 135.6s | David Williams | I have, uh, actually the institution that I'm working at currently. Uh, this is the first HBCU experience that I worked, that I have worked at. Um, but yeah, I have worked at, uh, two other institutions, um, that were PWIs, and I would say the experience was, uh, much different. Uh, 11 thing I will say that, um, definitely the, the African Americans or people of color at these institutions, um, I feel like they were drawn to me because at the end of the day, like I said, I'm gonna always be me. And I'm always keep it real with them. And, you know, a lot of them may not have felt as comfortable going to others, but having that conversation with me, and that's why I feel like I was successful with those institutions. Um, the only thing about being at those institutions that is different than, than, than working at HBCU is I can't be myself and I know how I am, you know, I keep it real with my students. I give them that look, I get them that I can find them. I will, you know, I will call them, I will text them, I will say, you know, hey, look, what we doing? Um, and so I know that, you know, working at a PW I could definitely do that. Um, I've had some people that kind of say, uh, not necessarily that I'm too loud or I'm too brash and stuff. It's like, uh, well, you need to calm down some. I'm like, what you mean calm down. I mean, this is who I am. Am I, am I not supposed to be who I am? And so, um, I would say to me, that's definitely some of the differences that I, that I've had working at other institutions. I mean, yeah, they might have more. Money, sometimes they have more resources and things like that. But I never felt the love and the, and the acceptance and feel like that. I'm giving back um like I do with the HBCU that I am currently. I feel like I have the opportunity to give back to, to something that I've learned. My dad and my mom were definitely uh strong on education. My dad was uh working. In the library and definitely, uh, he taught me a lot about education and so I feel like this is my way of giving back and um for people to understand, you know, that you do have people that look like you, they can do what I do. So that's why the most important for me, definitely working at HBCU. This is, this is uh a great experience. I've had some things that I want to fight. I've had some times that I want I wanna uh kind of, kind of give up to as well, but I know what the reason why I'm here is to uh. You know, to serve, serve, uh, black and brown people. |
| 0:09:26.17 | 52.0s | Tashana Curtis | I can say work, I, I understand what you're saying because when I worked at the HBCU this, it's more like a family vibe, a family feeling, and I always laugh like I remember this one family, the son graduated and then the next go around, the new class come in and this young man came to me and said, my brother told me to come look for you because you'll help me the rest of my matriculation. And it becomes generational, you know, next thing you know you're seeing the cousins. Because you helped the cousin before them, like the whole family just wants you because you've been that kind person to them. You've been that person to, even though this is not my field, let me show you the other way to go. So I understand what you're saying that and it's, it's a beautiful thing. Yeah, |
| 0:10:18.22 | 45.9s | Portia LaMarr | and I think that um and I don't know how. Ingrid, I'm not about to make you the spokesperson of all the white people, but uh I just feel like, I think that a lot of um black people or people of color may do that more often. And it doesn't matter what school you're at. I know that uh my stepson went to PWI and I'm immediately reaching out to who I know on trying to figure out who they know that worked there that could give my child this type of attention that they may or may not need, but just to know that someone is there and I think that that is done a lot. And, and in the higher end in in our community. I don't wanna, again, I don't want to be the spokes person for all black people, but we seek out and find that help. |
| 0:11:05.11 | 68.4s | David Williams | Uh, I can say, uh, one of my mentors, uh, Mr. Sessoms, uh, when I first got to this city, uh, definitely he was one of those people that just say, oh, OK, come here, let me, you, you're a black man. Let me work with you and give you all these resources and things you want to do. One thing I can say, uh, that, that I had a different experience than everyone else, and the reason why is because I was in the band, uh, so I kind of got preferential treatment, especially when it came to like the registering and doing the financial aid and I, I'm grateful for that. I'm just gonna say that. Um, but also I'm having, you know, a person like Mr. Simpson I was able to say, hey, uh, you can't go here or you can't do this. Also, I worked in the mail room for all 4 years that I was at City too as well, and, um, the, the guy that I used to work with, like I was able to go in there and do my homework and he was like, as long as I get my work done, I get everything else done, but it was things like that kind of helped me uh get through my, my experience. My band director also was from Atlanta. And so he's one of the reason why I came to this city, uh, as well, but, um, we definitely want to make sure that we all graduate and that we were successful. And so to have these black men that were around that will help me be successful, that is one of the things that I feel like helped me to graduate and be a better person. |
| 0:12:15.50 | 70.8s | Ingrid Nuttall | Yeah, so, so I'm thinking about my college experience, um. And it's, I think the answer is you don't have to, like, as a white person, I don't have to seek out that kind of connection and support. It's already there. So, but the effect is the same. It's just I don't have to work for it. So it's like, it's, it's all already there, um, and people do help you and move barriers out of your way because you are able to make them feel comfortable because of the way that you are and you're able to do it like really easily because you don't have to. Go so far, you, you don't have to code switch, cause the code it's your code. So I think the kind of mind flip of it all is. Understanding that that's what's going on, and then asking yourself, is that like I know that feels good for me, but maybe that's not OK. Um, in fact, it's definitely not OK when it comes to the service of people, so yeah. Um, so I can't, I, I think I can on that front, Portia. I think I can speak for all white people. |
| 0:13:26.77 | 19.4s | Portia LaMarr | No, but it makes sense because it's the same way with a, um, if you are at an HBCU because now I don't have to seek out for it because it's right there, um, and but I don't know a cause don't get it twisted listeners. There are minorities that are at HBCUs, so I don't know what they do. |
| 0:13:46.17 | 1.6s | Ingrid Nuttall | You mean minority white people? |
| 0:13:48.39 | 2.2s | Portia LaMarr | It they're considered minority because |
| 0:13:51.66 | 9.0s | Tashana Curtis | they are, they really are, and they get scholarships and they get the grants like HBCUs that if it was reversed the same thing. |
| 0:14:01.15 | 52.6s | David Williams | Yeah, that's one thing I was gonna kind of mission to as well. So like, uh, my wife works over in the nursing department and she says a lot of times they come right over to our office and the first thing they ask about is a minority scholarship, and I'm like, wow, that's wow. But yeah, we do the, the one thing I can't always say about our space that, you know. A lot of people don't understand. We always are welcome to have others in our spaces, even if we have not been welcome in other spaces. Um, even though over here at the law school, we have one of the most diverse law schools there is, and we've been, you know, we're actually one of the top, uh, spots for that too as well. So we are welcoming all people. So it's not just for black and brown people. We want to welcome any and everybody that want to get an education. Um, thing you have to understand is that, yeah, you're being welcomed into our space, but please understand that you are coming into a culture that you need to understand to as well. So, Um, I think that, you know, we, we love to bring our people here, and we also wanna be able to help others to as well. At the end of the day it's by getting an education. |
| 0:14:54.71 | 65.5s | Ingrid Nuttall | One of the things I've been thinking about in terms of a registrar's office supporting the student experience is. That we have an opportunity to help students learn how to be good consumers in a way that will help them above and beyond their, however many years they're going to be there. So It isn't, it's sort of like turning that, um, well, did you read the thing we sent you? Did you look, it's turning that around into a customer service approach and and being like, I mean, the world is gonna put a lot, is gonna bury the lead on you a lot. And so it's important to be a good Like, informed consumer. And I'm wondering also particularly, so to that end, David, like working at law school, I'm, I'm interested in your thoughts on that and sort of how you balance the wanting to help with helping those folks be good consumers, um, and knowledgeable in the way that that they will have to be as, you know, full blown adults. |
| 0:16:00.66 | 124.8s | David Williams | So one thing that I, I love to do at the beginning of the year, um, I used to have group meetings with every class, uh, and kind of break down everything. Cause one of the things that I, that I enjoy about my job is, first, I'm your first entry when you come in cause I'm making sure you get all your classes, but not first entry because admission is gonna be your first entry. But once you come into the law school, um, I'm pretty much your person that's gonna make sure you get all your classes. But not only that, I'm also gonna be the person that's gonna make sure that you get out here with your, get out here with your degree. And so, um, you know, a lot of the times I end up being an advisor. Sometimes I end up being a, uh, uh, a counselor. Sometimes I end up being a mentor, sometimes I end up being all kinds of things because again, people feel comfortable coming here and having that conversation with me. And that's one reason why I like, uh, being in this space. Um, I said, a lot of students even after our, uh, our first assessments of the law school, um, we had some students that just had some that kind of. Trying to feel, trying to figure out what's going on. And the best thing I can do for them is listen. You know, again, I haven't been through the process and I tell them straight up, hey, I haven't been through the process, but I'd be more than happy to listen, listen, but also tell you where else you can go. Uh, we have great people upstairs and students says. Some reason the students just don't feel like going to them sometimes cause sometimes they may not be as nice and uh straightforward things as I am. But I, my thing about it is I wanna make sure that you get what you need so you can get out here. And I tell students that all the time, you know, not only do I want you to get out here with your, with your GPA or get out here with your courses, but as you come out here with some knowledge. I want you to be able to come out here and help out the people that's here too as well. So I always talk to some of the older folks to see how can they help some of the younger people in when they come in. So, I think it's, it's, it's definitely a collective, but one thing being in, being in this role is, is just definitely important to kind of steer them the right way from the beginning. I like having those beginning meetings, meeting with everybody face to face and say, hey, look. This is what it is. These are the resources that I have for you. These are the things that you can do. And I, I think most of the students do appreciate that. |
| 0:18:07.25 | 50.4s | Portia LaMarr | I think that is a, I think what you said, David, and what Ingrid said that hit a lot, good consumers and then David, you're trying to like help them be good consumers because as we know, being in these roles is not for the faint of heart. It's not, it is not. So how or what are your thoughts or, or how do you uh Keep yourself from getting burnt out because we hear these, sometimes you hear the same stories over and over again, which lessens your empathy and then turns down your customer service knob a little bit more every time because you're like, I cannot. I got reports, I got all this stuff and here you are asking me the same question that 10 other students have asked me. Um, which, which happens, that's real life, you know, how do you combat those feelings? |
| 0:18:58.16 | 105.3s | David Williams | Uh, one thing that I do on a daily basis is I actually take a 30-minute walk around campus during lunch. Um, so I walk around campus every day, rain, uh, sleet, snow. I'm out there or at least in the gym somewhere kind of walking around, getting my thoughts together. Uh, one thing I can say, I'm happy to have a great support system and my wife. Um, she does help support me too as well. Um, but so when I do have students they come in and kind of talk, I understand sometimes they just want to talk. Sometimes they want somebody to listen to it and I don't mind listening to them. Like I said, I haven't been through the process, so I don't wanna kind of say, hey, do this, this and the other, or I will send. To a seasoned professor that I know that can't, that is person and whatever the topic is or whatever they're trying to do so they can, um, even as I have 3 right now getting ready for their, getting ready for their, uh, getting ready for the bar, I try to tell a lot of them, hey, this subject that you know that you're struggling right now, you need to go sit down and talk to AYC or try to get this stuff together before you get in there. Um, so I, I find it, I find it enjoyable for me. Uh, like my office is in the basement of, of my building. I take the stairs everywhere I go. I'm nearly greeted by students in the hallway asking multiple questions throughout the time, and that's something that I just, just come to understand. You sometimes when I'm, I'm, I'm eating lunch. Hey, Ms. Williams, I got a question. OK. You see I'm eating lunch, but You know, but I let them know too as well, or whatever they got going on. So I think a lot of those students do appreciate that, um, that I am a personable person and, and they understand that compared to some of the stuff that they deal with, even with some of the professors. So then they have somebody that's gonna be able to answer some questions and keep them calm, and I keep myself calm by at least going ahead and walking in and expressing myself. And also I do therapy too as well. Um, if I feel like I'm just at the pressure that I, that I need to kind of step away for a minute, I'll step away. |
| 0:20:44.14 | 39.9s | Tashana Curtis | Mhm, I, I just was chuckling to myself because I know before, you know, like on the weekends, if you see a student, they'll ask you questions in the supermarket because they're just so used to you, you're so friendly with them and when you just said that, it just made me remember. I remember being at um You know that movie theater down here in Atlanta where I think that I don't even know the name of it, but anyway, a student was working there and he saw me and he was like over the megaphone like Miss Curtis and I'm like, oh, don't do that like don't do that. But |
| 0:21:24.2 | 8.0s | Portia LaMarr | that is hilarious but that's a good way to get a line tackle real quick. |
| 0:21:33.8 | 6.3s | David Williams | So on the weekends, definitely I, I definitely take the time. If I see somebody out here, how you doing? I'll see you on Monday. Yeah. |
| 0:21:41.76 | 83.2s | Ingrid Nuttall | Um, I, so. Before we got on this call, I told you, I told you all that I had gotten like a last minute phone call about something, and it was about, it was actually about customer service. So backstory and then question, um. One of my team members wants to, I think it's a really good idea we have implemented a, a, um, chatbot for that reads our knowledge-based articles so that students can interact with it and get them really quickly, like, why haven't I gotten my diploma, whatever the question is. And um my team member wanted to take it a step further to help put the chatbot even more in front of students for a bunch of general inquiries. When we're talking about customer service here, it is so very person centered. Like it is so very relationship centered and community centered. And I know that, um, we're going to have a conversation soon about AI. AI, you know, really only works well if there's people at the center of it. So David, I guess I'm wondering for you, how you balance or use technology to sort of enhance the customer service experience and what you have found to be good that still keeps that like person personal relationship at the center of what it is you're trying to build in your community. |
| 0:23:05.19 | 129.5s | David Williams | OK. I like that question actually. Uh, so, I guess I'm all about talking to people. I love to talk to people, that's just me. And so one of the things that I've done recently, actually, last year during um the Acro conference, um, I was sitting in in one of the sessions and the lady talked about a chat box. And so, you know, I was like, you know, that sounds cool. How much does it cost? And so uh she pretty much said it was free. She showed me how to set it up. And I was like, this is great. So what I do right now during registration, um, I'm actually saying, hey, do not email me, do not phone call me, send me a message through the chat box. And what I do is I put that on my own signature, but not only just doing registration if any students have any questions or anything like that, so I'm not getting tons of messages they got to go back and flip through and read through. I feel like that has been extremely Extremely helpful, especially during the registration process. Like I said, I get so many emails, I get so many phone calls. I got everybody coming in here. Um, but that's the way that I, that I try to use technology to as well. Another thing too as well is that I have uh a live guide. Uh, one of the professors actually started a live guide for the professors. Uh, when I first got here, and I was like, man, this is some great information. This is pretty much all the questions that the students asked me. So let me put it in hand the live guy. So she let me get control of it. And all the stuff that I use for the students pretty much to the law school in which I tell them, any question that you're asking me is either through the lip guide or through the handbook. And both are in this section here. So you can go and look at it. Um, again, I have that on my student you too as well. So students that have multiple ways that you can get the information that you need. Um, I also, even though it's, it's, it's not necessarily technology outside of my door, I have all these different things too as well that students can, can, can, can do. I mean, uh, can get information. So, um, I'm definitely always open to using other technology. One thing I can say, you know, um, I learned in my uh master's program is that you have to be innovative and you also have to be with the, with the times. So sometimes you have to take a, take a moment to look at what you have and how can you improve it. And so I'm always looking for new ways to improve and if technology is gonna help, I'm, I'm not one of those disposed of technology at all. |
| 0:25:15.18 | 33.7s | Portia LaMarr | I think that is so true. I think we got stuck in the email era and um. We used and abused that in some institutions are Having trouble switching over to social media or, you know, other outlets in which these students are responding quickly to that or getting the message through that or finding the answer to their question before they even ask it through that. So yeah, I like that you um uh embraced in a chatbot and use it like you immediately implemented it. |
| 0:25:49.13 | 26.8s | David Williams | Now I would love to do social media, but I, I, of course, our institution, uh, we have, uh, one specifically for the law school, and I do not run that. I can send the information to that, but, uh, I would probably use a little bit more if I had control over it and people want to ask questions and things like that. I definitely would be open to it. Like, definitely I've seen registrars office use, uh, Instagram. I also use TikTok too as well. I would definitely love to that now. I probably wouldn't run it, but you know. |
| 0:26:15.97 | 8.6s | Portia LaMarr | No. I'm just gonna put this. You have TikTok energy like you should. I mean anything |
| 0:26:25.81 | 9.5s | Ingrid Nuttall | something you don't have to do it forever, but you could just like try something because you definitely have that like that ability to be like connect with people, um, |
| 0:26:35.85 | 82.4s | Portia LaMarr | yeah, yeah, and I think so. OK, this goes back to a, a, a conversation I had with Ingrid and this will answer the question that um. Ingrid, I was talking about about a guest for the conference and I said that he's a professor and you like of his own TikTok universe. Here's what really happened, and this is too angry to answer, but also this is an idea for David. It was a woman, a professor who was just on her own personal TikTok and outlining her syllabi to her students. And she teaches, and she just so happened to teaches African American studies. TikTok is not a private thing. Yes, you can make your stuff private, but hers is public, so it went out, it went out. Anybody and everybody saw it, and people went nuts and was like, oh, this is the reading list because basically she was just telling like these are the materials you need and all that stuff. She went viral so many times in which all kind of professors from all kind of uh universities, any subject matter that they were teaching, finances, health, like just anything, they went out there and was starting to um Uh, show, showcase their courses and it became Hillman talk. |
| 0:27:58.85 | 2.4s | David Williams | Yeah, that was the, yeah, OK, yeah, yeah, I heard |
| 0:28:01.28 | 53.0s | Portia LaMarr | about that. So Hillman talk became viral and everybody was following all these professors to be like, oh, and they've got a course sheet of who you can look at and what they suggest you read and all that stuff, and that's why Ingrid side conversation that one person was considered, you know, a professor, but he really was a professor in the school, but also a virtual professor. But I can see, David, that way you are connecting with your students in a law school that way just giving like little tidbits. Now of course I imagine you would have to make sure it's OK with your institution, but it then it's just like, hey, here's, I mean like you can literally post every day and be like, here's a question of the day that I had and then answer it and it's just there and all your students like if you hashtag it your school name, law school, all your students can follow you and just see it and just, it'll be. I'll make you go viral. I'll make you famous. It's fine. And I'll 20%, um, |
| 0:28:54.33 | 0.0s | David Williams | yeah, |
| 0:28:56.85 | 25.0s | David Williams | I see, I'm open to doing things like that. I'm just, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm not gonna say I'm completely tech savvy because I'm not, um, but that'd be something I definitely have. I, I don't even use TikTok myself. All I use Instagram, Facebook, and, and LinkedIn. So that's pretty much all most of the social media I got oh way and uh. Trends threads, yeah, I actually just started on threads. So yeah, that's all the, uh, on social media that I have, but I would be open to learning more. Yeah, |
| 0:29:22.1 | 22.3s | Portia LaMarr | yeah, see that's my part. It's just learning the algorithm. They're more algorithm and it's, it's weird because it's not like, oh, these are my friends, and they are always gonna see this. It is how I can get my content pushed out to the most people out there, you know, so I, it definitely can happen. We can brainstorm, but I know that your ideas, um, are very good. But what is your student population in the law school? |
| 0:29:45.3 | 4.1s | David Williams | So we have about, uh, we're around about 400 right now. |
| 0:29:49.31 | 8.1s | Portia LaMarr | OK, OK. So, uh, how would you adjust any of your approach if you were at a larger institution? Mm |
| 0:29:58.44 | 33.2s | David Williams | mm. So I'm not sure. I think that I still would have the group meetings. Um, I like being able to have those face to face meetings. Um, even when the students come in for orientation, I'm one of the people that, uh, that comes in and, and greet the people, welcome people that come in because I want to see as many people as possible. Um, hm, being at a large institution, I'm not really sure what will be different because of course, I will hopefully have a, a, a full whole staff, uh, hopefully. Well, that would probably help me, uh, you know, at least. |
| 0:30:33.45 | 8.0s | Portia LaMarr | Good thought though. So what characteristics would you look at in your staff as far as, um, having, um, the skill of customer service? |
| 0:30:41.69 | 72.2s | David Williams | So I don't want them to be able to talk to people. Think about it is you have to be, we are uh uh we are people serving. You have to be able to, well, first of all, I know your material, um. Definitely most important, and you gotta be able to talk to people, even if it's something that you don't know, you should be able to say, hey, let me help you go find it. Uh, you know what I'm saying, so you just have to be that, that outgoing person. Um, this, this is what we do. Again, we want to bring, the reason why we have these jobs is because we got students. If we don't have students because of our attitudes or the way we hold ourselves, then we got no job. I like my money. I don't. But everybody else, I like my money. I want my money to keep going. So uh I definitely want to be able to continue to talk to students and, and make them feel comfortable being here. And so that's one of the things that I, that I definitely look forward in the staff and even if they don't know all the materials and things kind of going on cause I mean when I first started here, I was, I, I literally come from admissions and the education background. I didn't even have a, a You know, I have anything being a registrar, but since I've been here, I've learned so much. And even with the staff that I have now, I try to teach them some of the things that I'm doing to as well. So when they meet with other students or talk with other students, they at least feel that this office is welcoming anybody that comes down here. |
| 0:31:54.94 | 48.4s | Ingrid Nuttall | David, I actually want to ask you about your music education, um, background. My dad has a music education background and he learned pretty quickly that he was not going to be a good music teacher when he went to school. He like, he doesn't have the patience. He had zero patience to work with students if they hadn't practiced like In particular, he's like, You got to do your thing. If you don't do your thing, I can't help you. Um, and he has said to me many times, like, it takes a very special person instead of skills when you're a musician and you're learning something that requires such discipline to be able to teach other people. So I'm curious about your thoughts on that, like with your background, how that has helped you kind of frame up the way that you approach people. |
| 0:32:43.88 | 157.0s | David Williams | That is interesting because I used to be a music teacher. Um, when I talked for 10 years, uh, that definitely was one of my things too as well, and I can definitely understand your dad there on if somebody haven't done what they're supposed to do, I'm gonna give you that look and I'll be like, what are we doing here? Um, so I can't say that's, that's one thing that kind of helped me out, um. Being in, just being in that environment. So I worked, I actually started out in middle school. And you know, in middle school, they're trying to figure out themselves, they trying to, and I'm trying to teach these kids all the things they got to do. So I can't say that uh I learned a whole, whole lot of patience. I probably came in very rigid, uh, coming from directly from undergraduate. And the crazy thing is a lot of my middle school kids when I first taught, I actually still talk to today. Uh, which is wow. Um, after that, you know, I end up, um, I end up moving to uh elementary music. Um, so I worked with the little, little kids, and for you to have that, that, that definitely taught me a lot about patience, um, because, you know, they're not gonna be on the same skill level as me working with, you know, the middle school kids, obviously, but, um, definitely it taught me a lot of patience and I also was a high school, uh, high school assistant band director while I was the elementary school teacher, so I did that kind of part time. Um, so I got a chance to get a, uh, get to both worlds. Um, that's working with the smaller kids, I said, taught me patience. So when I got with the older kids, I could be a little bit more patient, um, because with some of them, uh, when they didn't do stuff, I was going to say, hey, go run. Hey, give me these push-ups cause you need them right now, cause you didn't do what I told you to do. Uh, but I can't say, uh, just that background, it definitely helped me, uh, definitely helped me a lot and even what I'm doing right now. And it also got me into uh want to go to higher education to help people get an education. Um, a lot of those kids that I was working with, um, definitely on the high school level, being assistant high school band director, they were trying to go to college and they didn't understand, you know, the process, didn't kind of know what was going on. And I was able to talk to some of those kids and say, hey, you know, you know, you, you should be doing this or you should be doing that. Um, also in my part-time job right now, I'm a college advisor, uh, for a program called Student Youth. And which we have our students from 6th grade all the way to their first year of college, um, kind of go through the process. Um, but, you know, definitely, it's something that I've seen in myself to, to want to help. Like I said, my dad, you know, was a librarian, he helped me a lot uh with education too as well. So it's more so, uh, my way of giving back and saying, hey, I wanna be able to help people. Bro, I wanna help people learn. And so definitely, uh, in definitely in those elementary school time working with those kids, they helped me out a lot. So I'm definitely appreciative of that. Some of the teachers, uh, when I first taught, I actually still talk to today cause they're in some of the school systems that's in the area I'm in now. |
| 0:35:21.46 | 2.6s | Portia LaMarr | That's amazing. What, what, what was your instrument? |
| 0:35:24.93 | 40.2s | David Williams | Um, so I, I started off on, on trumpet. I was terrible. Um, and, and I'm cool with that. Um, I went to baritone, um, actually, uh, I actually started was a late bloomer. I started in my junior year, some reason I just, hey, let me get, let me get in it. I try, I, I did trumpet. I went to baritone. I did really good in baritone, um, and so when I got to college, I ended up moving to trombone and I played. Tub doing pep band and so, um, definitely it was a great experience. Now that also taught me a lot too as well as learning the different instruments, um, because I know I can't do everything and but I got to teach somebody how to do these things that I barely even know how to be myself. So it was more of teaching myself what I need to do so I could be better to help |
| 0:36:05.16 | 4.9s | Ingrid Nuttall | them. David, my dad's a trombone player. OK, there you go. OK, |
| 0:36:10.33 | 0.5s | David Williams | I love it. |
| 0:36:12.61 | 18.3s | Portia LaMarr | That is funny. So with all the uh changes that are going on recently. How do you see us doubling down, or are people in, in this field of missions, or, or anything, but anybody dealing with students. How, how can we double down in our customer service? |
| 0:36:31.66 | 108.9s | David Williams | I think right now with, with everything going on right, right now, I think customer service is gonna be most important. Um, you got to show people that you care. You gotta show people that you're gonna be there. You gotta, these students going into our education, they're scared. They don't know what to do. They don't know where to turn. And we have to make sure that we're versed in our, in, in what we know in our knowledge. Um, we have to be able to, to help these students to see. We got to be that voice for them, uh, to help them get through these 4 years or 2 years, 3 years or whatever uh institution that they're at. We have to be that person. And I feel like it's just me, me personally, if you cannot be that person, you shouldn't be in this, in this position. It's one of those things that when I was a teacher, um, you know, everybody can't teach. But you know, everybody was trying to be one. But that's the thing it's like, at this time, our students need us. Uh, we have to be a voice for them at this point in time because we don't, we're not, and, and the, the students that we are reaching right now, they're gonna be the ones that's gonna be the leaders later on. And if we don't teach them right now, if we don't give them what it looks like, you know. How would they know what to do? That's one reason why I like being a black man in, in, in, in this institution. So I can show them what is a black professional man supposed to look like. Now, do I do everything I'm supposed to know? I'm gonna be me. I'm gonna say what I'm gonna say. But I want you to know that I'm gonna work hard for you as, as hard as I can possible. I'm gonna make sure that you get the resources. I'm gonna make sure. That you get the help and everybody has to have that mindset at this point in time, regardless of what school you're at. You know, it shouldn't matter whether or not, you know, what you look like. It shouldn't matter your ethnicity, shouldn't matter your race, shouldn't matter. None of that stuff should matter. When a student walk into my office, you need my help. I'm here to help you. Now, some students, you know, we might not have the best of relationships, but at the end of the day, I still have a job to do and everybody should have that idea as well. |
| 0:38:21.5 | 9.5s | Tashana Curtis | But I wonder, yes, although we are both black, is the journey different because you're a man and I'm a female? |
| 0:38:31.31 | 6.4s | David Williams | I don't think the journey is any different. I feel like we're black and we should be there for each other, male, female, whatever. At the end of the day, and, |
| 0:38:38.66 | 19.2s | Tashana Curtis | and I'm not gonna, not the journey, maybe that might have been the wrong word, but the experience because me listening to you, um. I think there is still like a slight difference and in my opinion, I think, although you're a black man, I think you're still a little more privileged than me as the black woman. |
| 0:38:59.87 | 107.5s | Portia LaMarr | I agree, I agree, I agree. I don't think that. David not helping or giving his, his journey, like to me that strengthens the black woman. Or, and I'm not trying to say woe is us because we're, we're strong, right? But I'm saying it gives us an insight on, wait a minute, maybe I should act like that. And I'm only saying it's because of, to me personally, recent things that I have learned that I have seen and heard that men do that women don't do. And I was like, oh, you can negotiate your salary early instead of after I do 100 years of work and then try to negotiate. Let me try that did. But if we had not seen, if I had not seen it or had someone in my life to show me that that was a thing, then I wouldn't have known that. Um, same thing, and I feel like this needs to be an episode where we talk about this further, but same thing, I feel like there's things that Ingrid does that I would not dare do, but I want to start to do. But I'm like it's just the way that I, it's, it's the please, please, you know, saying that where she is like out the gate like I'm not being rude but I'm about to tell you what I want and this is what I want and I want that energy. So I feel like, yes, it is we are all different. We're supposed to be all different, but that makes us unique and in a wonderful position. to help these students that we see because if these students can have a relationship with Judith Shoshana, they are getting the right and wrong of how to navigate through life. Plus, if they have a relationship with David, they're getting the right and wrong how to navigate through life. And if they have something with Ingrid, they're getting, you know, they're just getting it from every different way. So I think that I that I think that's a good thing. |
| 0:40:48.10 | 138.4s | Ingrid Nuttall | You know, one of the, well, one interesting thing just about the history of like registrars overall, like these were positions that, like most positions that were held by men, up until they got removed from a lot of the faculty roles, and they became staff administrative positions. And that's when you started to see women occupy those roles more. So it's like almost like you can track the professionalization. The way that we think of it today of the registrar with a rise in women in those roles that not necessarily here nor there of um of anything but just kind of an interesting fact. The one thing I wanted to add to the conversation. Just from a gender perspective is I have noticed an as I have, um, moved on and I don't even know if I moved up sideways in my career for the last 20 years. Um, I have had a lot of conversations with people who, um, men who are struggling to Get to kind of that next level. And the and who have sought, like I would really appreciate coaching from me. And I find myself in those conversations, I'm not talking about like what to get exposure to professionally. I'm talking about how to work with people. And I feel like the way that I have had to work with people to get work done. By hook or by crook, sideways around, not necessarily being able to be the one that is listened to in a room, but I've had to like advocate. Through other people and use my influence to get accomplishments done. I have, I feel like that is directly connected to my gender in some ways that for a long time, I was like, that's awesome. I've been able to get so much stuff done. And then I'm now reflecting on at this stage and being like, Oh man, I did get that stuff done, but it would have been nice to have like gotten the actual credit for having the ideas. And so then I find myself sort of counseling or coaching people to be like, Imagine you're a woman and try and get stuff done, and maybe that will help you like move past this barrier, and I don't know how I feel, I don't know how I feel about that. It's something I think about a lot. |
| 0:43:07.29 | 19.1s | Portia LaMarr | Thank you so much, David, for coming on and talking and giving us some better insight on customer service and how we can do better or keep on going, keep pushing because we're here for a reason and that's to help these students make it through. I appreciate you. |
| 0:43:26.61 | 18.9s | David Williams | Alright, no problem, but yeah, I definitely think that customer service at this point in time is gonna be important because that's the reason why we're here. And so everybody has to keep that in mind when you're doing your job. Define what you're, you're dealing with, uh, dealing with students. I know sometimes we go through things now so I know sometimes they frustrate us too as well, but we just got to remember why we're here and what we're doing. |
| 0:43:46.37 | 10.7s | Tashana Curtis | And not just students, everybody, that's everybody because you know, parents call alumni look other, yeah, each other, right. |
| 0:44:03.58 | 15.2s | Ingrid Nuttall | Thanks for listening to another episode of Heard. We'd love to hear from you. Please send us an email at heard@aacro.org with any feedback you have for us or show ideas. This episode was produced by Doug Mackey. Thanks, Doug. |