Their Mission is Your Mission

The campus store is not just a purveyor of spirit gear, course materials, and snacks. It’s an integral part of the institution, even if it operates differently from administrative and academic entities.

But in the crush of running a business, store employees may lose sight of how the store fits into the institution’s mission. Or administrators may tend to view the store as outside the mission.

In the CAMEX24 panel discussion, Aligning with the University’s Mission and Advocating for the Campus Store, three current and retired administrators unpacked how they view the campus store’s role and how stores can improve the visibility of their contributions.

Panelists were Debby Shively, retired associate vice president, business affairs and auxiliary services, The University of Arizona, Tucson; Kimberly Rademacher, director, auxiliary services business operations, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI; and Milagros Concepcion, associate vice president, controller, and assistant treasurer, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. Moderator was Chad Stith, VitalSource.

On defining the role of the campus store in the campus mission:

“We make sure we’re helping our students be successful. We have our pulse on what students need,” said Rademacher. She suggested that allies such as vendors and student ambassadors “can help carry your message.”

“You are the heart and center of campus,” Shively said. “Know your demographics on campus: students, faculty, administration.”

“What we learned is what students wanted and what faculty wanted—they wanted the same thing,” which was for students to be successful at a reasonable price, said Concepcion. “The alignment came naturally once we put the focus on them.”

On the challenges stores encounter in aligning their values with the institution:

Shively believes most campuses do understand the store’s role but stores still need to communicate their contributions.

Building relationships with other administrators is key for Rademacher, who had only been in her position at Ferris for four months when the session took place. She said she began working with the provost and other administrators right away, and also connected with vendors.

“One of the challenges can be engagement,” Concepcion noted. Engagement may be high at the start of the academic year, but then wanes. Stores should focus on “really creating relationships so you can engage all year-round.”

On ways the store contributes to student success beyond course materials and merchandise:

Concepcion sees the store as a “big part of student education” because the store works closely with students and gains more understanding about how they use course materials to succeed.

For Rademacher, it’s important for stores to understand their numbers in order to tell their story. “As leaders on campus, you need to know what the key metrics are” and how they benchmark with peers in the industry.

Stores shouldn’t feel alone, stressed Shively. “Tie in the library and resource center, because you’re working in collaboration with them.”

On how campus store professionals can overcome skepticism from campus stakeholders:

“Invite yourself to faculty meetings,” recommended Shively. “They have no idea we pay our own debt service or our contributions. Have the hard discussions and have your numbers right.”

Rademacher echoed that recommendation, suggesting store managers sit down with key administrators and attend meetings.

On how to decide where to invest time getting involved on campus:

“We try to be involved wherever there are students,” Concepcion said. She drove a golf cart to help out on move-in day and tries to attend all milestone events.

Stores should consider getting involved with admissions and orientation, Rademacher suggested.

Shively’s store would survey hundreds of students to ask what products are missing in-store and online, and what products they’re buying elsewhere right now. Student employees helped develop the surveys and were given leeway (and budget) to implement the best suggestions from the survey.

On conveying your value to the right people:

“Everything you do you need to convey to your boss, every touchpoint,” emphasized Shively. “I try to make the narration not about money but on the impact you make in the community.” She always made sure to be out on the store floor when student tours came by. She also discovered the store was in a position to identify students in need, who were otherwise under the institution’s radar.

Talking to administrators can open up opportunities for delivering more value, too. “How do we want to celebrate our students at graduation?” Rademacher said. “Now we have a bigger role in recruitment.”

On finding the right balance between generating revenue and staying true to university values:

Rademacher said she tries to understand the “why” behind institutional values to guide her.

“We focused on branded products instead of course materials,” Concepcion said. “We don’t focus on revenue generation for course materials.”

She added, “Welcome the change. Find ways to be advocates for students and be open to change.”