Cruz, Jeannette

[email protected]

biography

Dr. Cruz is the Senior Director of the Office of Student Access and Success at Florida International University. In this capacity, oversees all TRIO programs, Fostering Panther Pride, Golden Scholars, and other access initiatives. In addition, she serves as a primary contact for First Generation Initiatives at FIU. She has worked in Higher education for three decades, focusing on student services, student retention, academic support services, student technologies, social justice, first-generation initiatives, underrepresented populations, college enrollment, and TRIO Programs management. She is the Principal Investigator (Pl) for Student Access & Success TRIO grant-funded programs. Dr. Cruz leads SAS’s pre-collegiate and undergraduate success programs and supports the university's strategic vision and performance-based metrics. Her portfolio includes ten access programs & pathways, including Golden Scholar Bridge and Foster Panther Pride, with annual operating budgets of over $3M from numerous federal, state, institutional, foundation, and auxiliary sources.

Prior to coming to FIU, she served as an advisor and admission counselor at Iowa State University. Then, after finishing a master’s degree in Counseling Education at ISU, she served as an Academic Counselor for the College of Business and the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Studying and working at universities in the Midwest gave her a solid background in the core of the higher education system in the United States.

In 1998, the opportunity to work at FIU was presented. Since then, Dr. Cruz has served in different capacities and departments at this distinguished institution of higher education in South Florida. While ascending to the ranks at FIU, she completed a doctoral degree in higher education administration. Dr Cruz has diversified experience working in higher education, emphasizing grant writing, student services, multicultural affairs, admissions, advising, career development, student retention, academic support services, student technologies, at-risk populations, and college enrollment. Her passion is to serve collegiate students and guide them toward graduation!

Dr. Cruz is an active member of the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel member and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators member. At FIU, she has chaired and served on numerous committees, such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Annual Commemorative Committee. Dr. Cruz has been the recipient of FIU’s awards, including the Opportunity Awards, Student Affairs Distinguished Performance Award for Supervisor of the Year, Operational Excellence Award, Student Affairs Distinguished Performance Award for Team Player, and a participant in the prestigious Educational Leadership Enhancement Program at FIU.