Meet the Dean: A Q+A with Jeffrey A. Barnett, PhD

Jeffrey A. Barnett, PhD, is our vice president for student affairs and dean for students. Since joining the Pace Community in 2022, he’s made an extremely positive impact–bringing his deep expertise in organizational leadership, inclusion and belonging, student support services, student programming, and much more to improve the Setter student experience.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Dean Barnett about exciting new developments in Student Affairs, how to prioritize well-being amidst a busy schedule, and his talents as a chef.

Learn more about Student Affairs

You've got tons of experience in mental health, wellness, and handling emergencies. What new and exciting programs or ideas are you most pumped to bring to Pace to make student life even better?

We are thrilled to have been awarded a large multi-year grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. With their generous support, we will be able to expand our wellness grants, build out zen/meditation spaces across our campuses, sustain our successful programming and outreach that supports men's well-being, and expand the services and offerings of our LGBTQIA+ Centers. In addition, we will be able to increase the number of faculty, staff and student leaders trained in Mental Health First Aid.

This funding will also allow us to launch important new outreach efforts as well, including harm reduction approaches to toxic drinking, hazing prevention, suicide and self-harm prevention. One of the most exciting programs will be our new peer support network and student CARE team made up of student leaders trained to provide important outreach, care and support to other students.

If you could instantly become an expert in any hobby or skill, what would you choose and how would you show it off to the students at Pace?

I'm a pretty good cook! Years of working in all aspects of the food, beverage and hospitality industries helped me develop some legit skills in this area. I'd love to join a Pace NYC Chopped team this year and host some dinners with students.

When you were in college, did you have any quirky or unusual study habits that helped you ace your exams?

I learned quickly that although I was a strong student in high school, I needed to adapt my study habits to the challenges of the college classroom and learning environment. A few pro-tips I learned were:

• Read the text before the class that covers that material. By doing this, the class/lecture will help build on and reinforce what you have already read instead of it hearing the information for the first time in class.
• Have two notebooks for each class: one for taking notes in class and one for rewriting those notes. Why do this? When we take notes in class, we usually try to write down as much as and as quickly as possible. Rewriting the notes not only helps you store the information in your longer term memory core (this is research based), but also allows you to organize your notes better and incorporate relevant information from the text as well.
• Match your study habits with your learning style using Gardner's Theory on Multiple Intelligences, which says we are all smart in different ways determined y how our brain is wired. Some of us are visual-spatial learners, others are linguistic-verbal, Musical, or Body-Kinesthetic learners. Lean into your unique learning style—it makes studying easier.

We've brought back Cafeteria Karaoke. Who from Pace would you sing with and what would your song be? Bonus points for choreography.

So many, but my top choice would be our SGA Presidents, George Davis (NYC) and Nick Diaz (PLV). Not only are they both brilliant, but they have amazing talent that would mask my severe singing and dancing deficiencies!

What do you think makes a university super student-friendly, and how do you bring those awesome elements to life at Pace to make sure students have the best experience ever?

It's all about the people. The staff and faculty really care very deeply about our students. And our students demonstrate care to each other.

Got any top-notch advice on staying healthy and safe while having a blast during college years?

Please take good care of yourself and look out for others. Remember to do the basics. Eat well, don't overload on fast-food, junk-food or sweets. Sleep well; get a full night's sleep. Don't cram for exams or pull all-nighters. Plan and prepare in advance and be disciplined to stick with the plan, though you can adjust as needed.

Take good care of your mental and emotional needs and wellness. Take breaks. Stay connected with family and friends. Find your community. Identify healthy ways to release stress. Stay active. Walk, run, stretch or workout in the gym. Try yoga. Wear helmets when biking, skating or scooting around town. Take the stairs! Explore the area.