Dr.
Shasta Buchanan
Student Success Product Executive I Enrollment Strategist
My Journey Began...
My story started in 3rd grade after reading the biography about Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. She started her own school in the late 1800's with a $1.50 and that school is now Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Dr. Bethune served on President Roosevelt's committees for education across the country and world. I knew then that I may never have my name on a college but I wanted to be like that strong woman; unafraid, passionate, and ready to give the gift of accessing college.
My story started in 3rd grade after reading the biography about Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. She started her own school in the late 1800's with a $1.50 and that school is now Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Dr. Bethune served on President Roosevelt's committees for education across the country and world. I knew then that I may never have my name on a college but I wanted to be like that strong woman; unafraid, passionate, and ready to give the gift of accessing college.
Brand
I am an energetic and thorough higher education executive with a proven ability to empower an organization that can successfully move students from enrollment to employment. Mostly recognized as the go-to product innovation leader and collaborator within my organization to set vision and direction which create solutions that benefit students, staff, faculty, and the institution.
I understand that every single support and service we offer and innovation we develop is a institutional product. I lead with a product management foundation which invigorates team members because they can actually see how they are apart of a process from beginning to end to support their customers (students). Through product management, I have watched team members have a renewed faith and trust in leadership because roles are defined, ensuring the student's voice (needs and wants) are central to the problem to be solved, metrics are established (KPI's and OKR's), and outcomes are realized.
Through the product management approach, our college has increased new enrollment by 8% within six months, been awarded millions of dollars in grant funds to enhance wrap-around supports for students, and we have developed new innovative spaces on our campuses with our students in mind.