Mena M. Birett has over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, currently serving as Associate Dean of Student Success at Delaware Valley University. She has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and has held several roles managing student affairs departments, including positions as Associate Dean of First Year Experience and Assistant Dean of Residence Life. Throughout her career, she has created numerous programs to support students and led strategic planning initiatives to improve retention, persistence, and graduation rates.

1. MENA M. BIRETT
menaperonebirett@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Doctor ofEducation, Educational Leadership, 2007
Widener University, Chester, PA
Dissertation title: The Impostor Phenomenon: A Descriptive Study of Its Incidence Among Academic
Females
Masters ofArts,Counseling and Personnel Services, 1995
Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ
Bachelor ofArts,Modern Languages (Spanish/Italian) and Minor in Education, 1993
Widener University, Chester, PA
WORK HISTORY
Associate Dean, Office ofStudent Success,Delaware Valley University, Doylestown, PA 2013- present
Manage a highly productive Student Success office for a private university. A sample of accomplishments
includes:
Administration
 Created the Office of Student Success to assist struggling students in their quest toward academic
success and graduation.
 Design and execute all aspects of Founder’s Day ceremony for the University.
 Created and executed Early Warning program.
 Created,revamped and executed Academic Actions to include the creation of an Academic Recovery
course.
 Administered and taught Academic Recovery course.
 Designated a Campus Security Authority (CSA) under the Clery Act.
Strategic Planning
 Appointed by Senior Administration to work with offices throughout the campus to revise policies
and procedures for the entire campus, as they pertain to the success of our students.
Program/ Professional Development
 Revamped and executed the Summer Bridge Program for admitted students in need of college
readiness skills.
 Created the Program for Academic Readiness (PAR) for students in need of remedial assistance in
their first year.
 Serve as a Race,Culture, and Diversity committee member to address bias incidents on a campus
wide level.
 Serve as a Stop the Hate trainer for the campus.
 Assist in the development of a new Core Curriculum for the University.
 Serve as a key member of the Financial Clearance Committee.
Associate Dean, First Year Experience,Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, PA 2007- 2013
Manage a 30-person, highly productive First-Year Experience office for a private college. Oversee the
Student Affairs division,in the absence of the Vice President. A sample of accomplishmentsincludes:
Administration
 Created the First-Year Experience office to assist students in their transition from high school to
college and oversee all of its functions; including space utilization for the FYE department.
 Managed the Middle States Accreditation process for the Student Affairs division.

2.  Manage selection, training, and evaluation processes of staff.
 Conduct the recruitment, selection, and training for paraprofessional staff.
 Plan and execute all aspects of New Student Orientation and Week of Welcome for the College.
 Coordinate the Homecoming and Family Weekend.
 Oversee the disruptive classroom policy.
 Administer the involuntary leave procedures.
 Assumed campus-wide emergency on-call responsibilities for all students.
 Perform individual personal counseling and manage crisis situations.
 Serve as a Stop the Hate trainer for the campus.
Strategic Planning
 Appointed by Senior Administration to be the Project Manager for developing the Strategic Retention
Plan for the College; highlights include:
o Created and administer the Retention Task Force Committee.
o Revamp, administer and teach the Skills for College Success course (1-credit course).
o Serve as the Behavior Assessment and Intervention Team (BAIT) member.
Program/ Professional Development
 Created the Success Program (E.M.E.R.G.E.) for the College.
 Created the Tuesday Night Toolbox (TNT) for the College.
 Created the Family Newsletter and Blog to assist in better communication with parents/families.
 Created the Summer Bridge Program for admitted students in need of college readiness skills.
 Created the Program for Academic Readiness (PAR) for students in need of remedial assistance in
their first year.
 Serve as a Race,Culture, and Diversity committee member to address bias incidents on a campus
wide level.
 Advised the Commuter Student Association (CSA).
 Advised the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH).
 Advised the Inter-Greek Judicial Board.
Assistant Dean for Residence Life and Judiciary Affairs, Widener University, Chester,PA 1999-2004
Manage a 65-person, highly productive Residence Life office for a private university. Oversee the
Student Affairs division,in the absence of the Dean. A sample of accomplishments includes:
 Revamped entire judicial system and residence life program.
 Managed and oversaw all judicial affairs program functions for entire campus.
 Oversaw all planning, implementation, and presentation of educational and social programs.
 Managed all space utilization initiatives for the residence halls.
 Created first living-learning program for the University.
 Supervised professional, support, and student staff of up to 65 members.
 Managed expenditures for a $400,000 budget.
 Assumed campus-wide emergency on-call responsibilities.
 Administered the involuntary leave procedures.
 Intervened in and manage crisis situations.
 Created leadership group designed to teach leadership skills with a multicultural perspective.
Adjunct Faculty, Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, Media, PA 2003 – 2006
 Instructed courses including: entrepreneurial business, organizational behavior, ethics, and writing
composition.
Residence Hall Director, University at Albany, Albany, NY 1995-1998.

3. Managed a 22-person,highly productive Residence Life complex for a division I university. A sample of
accomplishments includes:
 Intervened in and manage crisis situations.
 Coordinated overnight visitation program designed for 400 selected prospective students.
ProgramCoordinator, SYNERGY1997-1998
Create and coordinate a recruitment programthat brought over200 students to campusforan overnight
visitation program. A sample of accomplishmentsincludes:
 Created the program in collaboration with the Office of Admissions.
 Executed all facets of the program from residence hall coordination, selection and training of peer
hosts, coordination of mock classes,and reception of high school juniors and their families.
Summer Conference Housing Manager1996-1997
Manage a 20-person, highly productive Summer Conference Housing operation for a division I
university. A sample of accomplishments includes:
 Conducted daily operation of Conference Housing Office.
 Supervised and trained Assistant Conference Managers and Conference Assistants.
 Assisted in the coordination of the first Special Olympics Summer Games and their accommodations
on the campus.
Acting Greek Life/Student Organizations Director, Trenton State College (re-named: The College of
New Jersey), Ewing, NJ 1995
Advised 32 Greek organizations comprised of local,national, and professional organizations. A sample
of accomplishments includes:
 Coordinated Greek Life Program of 32 Fraternities and Sororities.
 Coordinated community services projects including “Adopt-A-School.”
 Served on Quality of Campus Life standing committee.
 Provided advisement, organization training, evaluation, and support to fraternities and sororities.
 Served as advisor to Order of Omega, National Honor Fraternity.
AWARDS
 Chi Sigma Iota (Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society),
 April 1995 – Present
 Alpha Gamma Mu (Language Honor Fraternity), April 1993 – Present
 Order of Omega,September 1994 – Present
 Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges, April 1993
 Phi Beta Delta, International Honor Society, February 2003
 The Mr. Paul R. Schatschneider Service Award,Delaware Valley College, 2012
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Devised and facilitated workshops and presentations on such topics as:
 Leadership and organizational management, Program development, Human resource development
issues, Supervision and team building, Student rights and responsibilities, Effective business
communications, Stress management, Time management, Crisis management, Community
development, Student counseling issues, Motivation, Assertiveness
Received specialized training in:
 Multi-cultural awareness/institutional diversity
 Stop the Hate
 Dispute mediation
 Addressing sexual harassment issues

4. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
 American College PersonnelAssociation (ACPA),March 1995 – Present
 Association of Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA),September 1999 - Present
 National Association of Women in Education (NAWE), May 1993 – Present
 Association of College Unions – International (ACUI), March 1995 – Present
 National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH),Honorary Member, 2012- Present
SPECIALIZED SKILLS
 Read,write, and speak Italian fluently. Working knowledge of Spanish
 Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Office, Datatel, and SPSS (statistical software package)
UNIVERSITYCOMMITTEES
 Chairperson, Student Staff Selection and Training Committee
 Chairperson, Residential Life Marketing Committee
 Co-Chairperson, Retention, Persistence,and Graduation Taskforce for the College
 Member, Race,Culture, and Diversity Committee for the University
 Member, Master Communications Committee for the University
 Member, Master Planning Committee for the University
 Member, Graduate Assistant/Senior Resident Assistant Selection Committee
 Member, Residence Hall Director Selection Committee
 Member, Hall Director On-Going Training Committee
 Member, Middle States Accreditation Committee for the College
 Member, Academic Calendar Committee for the College
 Member, Scheduling Taskforce for the College
 Member, Skills/Experiential Learning Taskforce for the College
 Member/Chairperson, Assistant Vice President Search Committee (Member); Vice President for
Student Affairs Search Committee (Member), Director of Student Involvement Search Committee
(Chairperson); Freshman Advisor Search Committee (Chairperson)
 Member, Core Curriculum Committee
 Member, Financial Clearance Committee
 Member, Student Policy, Procedure,and Process Task Force