College of Charleston Employees Keep Up 'The Cistern Standard'

College of Charleston faculty and staff sure do appreciate one another – just look at all the people recognized through The Cistern Standard, the College’s employee-driven program!

Launched in the fall of 2022, The Cistern Standard allows faculty and staff to use a simple Employee Recognition Form to acknowledge and spotlight their colleagues from across campus who embody the College’s core values – integrity; academic excellence; liberal arts education; diversity, equity and inclusion; student centeredness; innovation; and public mission – demonstrating them through their behavior and actions.

RELATED: Read more about The Cistern Standard.

“It’s a way to give employees the power to promote the positive in one another,” says Ed Pope, vice president of the Office of Human Resources, which administers the program and received more than 50 Employee Recognition Forms in just the past three months. “It just goes to show how much our faculty and staff really do appreciate one another and want to show that appreciation.”

Congratulations to the faculty and staff members listed below (according to core value), who’ve been recognized since mid-June. Keep on living up to The Cistern Standard!

Academic Excellence

We show commitment to a dynamic intellectual community, high academic standards, strong academic programs and exceptional teacher-scholars. We exhibit behavior that engages students and promotes lifelong learning.

• Kathy Crosby – Project Manager, Portfolio Management Office
• Nora Krasowski – Associate Director of Admissions/Enrollment, CharlestonLIFE
• Andrea Tsurutis – Nurse, Student Health Services

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We create and nurture a diverse and inclusive community demonstrated through thoughts, words and actions. We value and respect the unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences every individual has to offer.

• Clarissa Collins – Area Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life
• LaToya Harris – Assistant Director, Campus Housing
• Stephanie Laffey – Multimedia Communications Specialist, Division of Information Technology
• Laura Porzenski – Nurse, Student Health Services
• Megan Rowe – Director, Campus Housing

Innovation

We act with an entrepreneurial spirit to imagine and implement creative, bold and sustainable solutions in our pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement.  

• Laura Cergol – Student Employment and Community Service Specialist, College of Charleston Libraries
• Georgianna May – Administrative and Communications Coordinator, CharlestonLIFE
• Jabari Robinson – Area Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life
• Jen Wright – Director, First Year Experience

Integrity

We take accountability for our actions and adhere to the highest ethical standards in all our professional obligations and personal responsibilities. We demonstrate respect for self, others and place.

• Kelly Couch – Senior Applications Administrator, Division of Information Technology
• Kennede Duncan – Facilities Liaison Contract Coordinator, Campus Services
• Brian Erb – Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center
• Mary Jo Fairchild – Manager of Research Services, College of Charleston Libraries
• Erica Harrison-Jones – Associate Director, Office of Financial Assistance and Veterans Affairs
• Laura Porzenski – Nurse, Student Health Services (twice)
• Brittany Smith – Registration and Scheduling Assistant, Office of the Registrar
• Laura Tyndall – Associate Registrar for Transfer Evaluation, Office of the Registrar
• Jess Williams – Nurse, Student Health Services

Liberal Arts Education

We encourage intellectual curiosity and foster each student’s ability to think creatively and analyze, synthesize, apply and communicate knowledge from many sources. We inspire others to offer different viewpoints and input when applicable.

• Emily Burgess – Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center
• Molly Callahan – Student Support Coordinator/Office Manager, Office of the Dean of Students
• Clarissia Collins – Area Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life
• Savannah Ramion – Area Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life
• Jabari Robinson  – Area Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life

Public Mission

We take action in meeting the educational and professional needs of our community, our state, our nation and the world.

• Tom Buchheit – Senior Associate Registrar for Operations, Office of the Registrar
• Lindsey Copeland  – Senior Director of Analytics and Database Management, Division of Institutional Advancement
• Lauren Graf – Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life
• Robert Kersey – Executive Director of Financial Aid, Office of Financial Assistance and Veterans Affairs
• Howard Thomas – Senior Website Content Specialist, Office of Marketing and Communications
• Traci Tokarczyk – Procurement Manager I, Office of Procurement and Supply Services

Student Centeredness

We illustrate dedication to nurturing thriving scholar-citizens through the intellectual, ethical and social development of each individual student. We exhibit behavior that conveys commitment to student success. 

• Robin Bradley – Assistant Director of Academic Advising, School of Business
• Margaret Cotter – Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center
• Dave Dement – Architect and Engineer, Facilities Management
• Andrea Frazier  – Nurse, Student Health Services
• Teena Ham – IT Training Program Coordinator, Division of Information Technology
• Lizzy Harper – Nurse, Student Health Services (twice)
• Kenneth Johnson – Assistant Professor, Department of English
• Mike Kling – Building Automation/Controls Specialist, Facilities Management
• Kait Lamontagne – Associate Director/Supplemental Instruction Program Director, Center for Student Learning
• Wood Marchant – Director, Collegiate Recovery Program
• Hannah Norman – Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center
• Nate Place – Assistant Supervisor of the Maintenance Shop, Facilities Management
• Nick Plasmati – Associate Director of Marketing and Academic Programs, Honors College
• Johnathan Reaves – Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center
• Marla Robertson – Assistant Director, Master of Public Administration Program
• Chris Sutton – Barnes and Noble Bookstore Manager, College of Charleston Bookstore
• John Thomas – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
• Alejandro Torres – Field Support Manager, Division of Information Technology (twice)
• Carol Weston – Medical Records Coordinator, Student Health Services

To see more people who’ve been recognized through The Cistern Standard this year, check out these posts from June 2024 and March 2024.

Do one or more of your colleagues demonstrate one or more of the College’s seven core values described above? Recognize them through The Cistern Standard! The form is available on the human resources website.