I Spy: Glenda Kelley Feels the Teal at grad level
When the emails from Coastal Carolina University students started popping up like daily calendar reminders, James Luken, decided to take a closer look. Every email told a different account of the same story.
“Thank you so much,” wrote graduate student Lorraine Millard. “In my four years in college, you’ve been the most helpful person I’ve had contact with.”
Another from Steve Santangelo went like this, “You always go the extra mile for your students. Thank you.”
The emails were all about one person and that was administrative assistant Glenda Kelley.
But none of it was really a surprise to Luken, associate provost and director of graduate studies.
“Glenda is the Office of Graduate Studies,” he says. “Every day, usually without a lunch break, she does the work of three people: admitting, registering, processing and helping graduate students. CCU’s efforts to improve customer service would be well-served to use her as a model.”
“Of all the jobs I’ve had in my lifetime, and of the 12 years at CCU, working with graduate students has been my favorite,” says Kelley.
CCU has a total of 10 graduate programs and a few certificate programs. Specifically, the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration offers master’s degrees in accountancy, business administration and other prigrams. The Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts offers master’s degrees in writing and liberal studies. The Spadoni College of Education offers a Master of Arts in teaching, education in educational leadership and more. The College of Science offers a master’s in coastal marine and wetland studies. Every so often, teachers in South Carolina are required to be recertified, and the graduate program at CCU can accomplish this.
“There are currently 600 students enrolled, and it has been growing 10 percent every year,” says Kelley. “The graduate admissions process is more involved than undergraduate because there are a lot of supplemental components.”
She is also the liaison for CCU’s on-campus Scholars Academy.
“I do all the registration for the scholars, too,” she says. “The Scholars Academy takes academically gifted students from around Horry County and immerses them in the college environment.”
Kelley has also been known to offer advice to confused post-graduates.
“Sometimes students will come in and be unsure of which program to enroll in,” she says. “After talking to them for a few minutes, I can help guide them.”
Jim Luken, Kelley’s boss, can attest to this, “Glenda comes in early and stays late,” he says. “She is very detail oriented and is constantly fact checking and keeping good relations with faculty.”
Kelley lives in Conway where her two daughters and their families are nearby. One of her daughters, Theresa, is a principal at Myrtle Beach High School, and the younger, Jennifer, works at the Conway Medical Center.
“Of my four grandchildren, only the boys seem to enjoy reading,” says Kelley. “Reading is a pastime of mine as well as needlepoint and crocheting.”
Before working in the graduate studies department, Kelley worked in the Office of the Registrar at CCU. She has also worked for Waccamaw Pottery and the Holiday Inn.
“I tell myself to do the best I can everyday,” she says. “Oh, and feel the teal!”
