Fallon Contreras and Adrienne Carnes are working to improve student engagement and support at the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University. Their efforts focus on both academic and social aspects of student life, aiming to help students succeed during their time at the college.
Carnes, senior director of the Rawls Experience Hub, and Contreras, director of student engagement and recruitment, oversee a range of undergraduate services. They work with students from before enrollment through graduation, seeking to address challenges that became more prominent after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mitzi Lauderdale, vice provost for Academic Innovation & Student Success (AISS), “Since COVID, our focus has shifted as students’ needs have evolved. Students are looking for more than a place to learn. They want to feel part of something bigger.”
The college responded by enhancing mental health support and developing dedicated first-year programming. One initiative was bringing in Elise McCay as an embedded mental health counselor from the Student Counseling Center in 2022. Carnes also arranged for academic advisors to receive Mental Health First Aid certification through Texas Tech’s Office for Advising Excellence.
Carnes explained, “We were taking on a lot of the emotional and mental burden that the students were carrying… For us, the certification was something that we needed to better help the students.”
Efforts also focused on engaging first-year students through Red Raider Orientation (RRO) and launching a First-Year Experience (FYE) program in 2023. Faculty participation in RRO increased parent confidence in Texas Tech’s programs.
“We framed it like, ‘This is your opportunity to get in front of parents and really sell your program,’” Carnes said.
Contreras noted positive feedback from families: “Parents and students can see, ‘Oh, that’s going to be my professor in a few semesters.’ Just having faculty present is a huge thing.”
The FYE program includes social events and is integrated into BA 1301: Foundations of Business. Learning assistants—current business students who previously completed BA 1301—help facilitate smaller group discussions within large course sections.
“We want to take a holistic approach to student success and make sure young business students are experts in their industries and well-rounded people,” Contreras said.
Lauderdale commented on this approach: “Student success isn’t just about grades or social involvement; it’s about supporting the whole person… Colleges are at the heart of this work because they know their students’ strengths, challenges and needs better than anyone.”
In fall 2025, Rawls College introduced a new business core curriculum following two years of development led by Dino Villegas, associate dean of undergraduate programs. The process involved mapping industry needs with input from faculty, staff, industry leaders—and students themselves.
“It took us about two years with many people working on it,” Villegas said. “Our process followed four main phases: map, explore, design and implement.”
Dean Margaret Williams emphasized adapting support for diverse student backgrounds: “With an expected undergraduate enrollment of more than 5,600 students this fall… we must meet students where they are and be willing to address a wide range of challenges through the opportunities we provide.”
The new curriculum includes an industry-engaged practical learning requirement (IEPLR), ensuring all graduates have meaningful applied experience before completing their degrees.
Villegas explained: “We know students learn best when they learn from others and when they are faced with problems in real-world settings… This new business core curriculum does all three. We’re not just helping students succeed but we’re helping them see why it matters.”
Carnes highlighted that caring for each student extends beyond retention numbers: “When students are sitting in front of you telling you things that they’re struggling with… that’s motivation enough,” she said.
Contreras added that early exposure helps guide student choices: “The sooner we can expose students to as much as possible, the sooner they can figure out their pathway… It’s better they figure that out as soon as possible.”
Both Carnes and Contreras aim for every student—regardless of major or enrollment status—to feel supported by Rawls College.
“It’s not just work for me,” Contreras said. “I enjoy being here… I want the students to feel like the college cares, and that means we care about them.”
Carnes concluded: “When you think about the amount of time and money being invested in college, caring is the only way to do this work to make sure we are providing the right resources and support to make this all worth it.”
