Staff Spotlight: Kathleen Lieblich Not just a professional behind a desk
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra University
It was bittersweet to watch four years’ worth of memories gradually disappear from Kathleen Lieblich’s office. Lieblich was assistant director of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness until Friday, Feb. 7, and as her job title and inviting decor suggested, she was a lively, accessible presence on campus. Although she will be moving on to oversee student conduct at SUNY College at Old Westbury, she is still fiercely proud of her years at Hofstra and her recollections radiate positivity.
Lieblich first arrived at Hofstra five years ago, hired by Residence Life. At that time, the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention did not exist. The office launched one year into Lieblich’s Hofstra career, and she was on board from the beginning.
“Everything that Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness is known for has been [created] over the last few years,” Lieblich said. “And so, for myself and some of the other staff in this office, we’ve really sculpted this office with our bare hands. We’ve created everything that’s gone on here from scratch. I will always feel proud of being part of an office that just started, and all the things that go [on] behind the scenes that no one knows you have to do to start an office, and to start your programming calendar, and to start all these different initiatives that we’re really known for around campus, in such a small matter of time.”
Lieblich’s role on campus was multi-faceted, a reflection of her passions. She oversaw all alcohol, drug, mental health and sexual violence prevention education programs, as well as the Peer Alliance Mentor Program, which consists of six tracks: Access, Commuter, Diversity, Global, PRISM and Transfer. Lieblich also worked with service clubs, advising student leaders on their philanthropic initiatives. While varied, Lieblich’s responsibilities were all meant to promote student well-being, connecting students with the help they needed.
“I like to be really authentic and genuine,” Lieblich said. “I hope that comes across when I meet with my students, but also that I’m not just a professional person sitting behind a desk, but someone who really cares about them. Someone who knows them and wants to help them. This job has never been just a nine-to-five for me. It’s something that I go home and think about.”
Since personal connections are such points of pride for Lieblich, she most treasures her reputation of being someone who students felt they could easily turn to in times of need.
“I’m most proud of how many students have come to me and said: ‘I heard you’re someone I can talk to,’” Lieblich said.
On a larger scale, Lieblich is responsible for Fresh Check Day, an original concept she explored before her time at Hofstra. Fresh Check Day is a large-scale mental health and wellness day with a fair-like feel that usually invites participation from hundreds of Hofstra students.
“Its focus is on suicide prevention and supporting students,” Lieblich said. “Not just staff supporting students, but students supporting other students. It’s a really, really fun event, and it’s an important event because it talks about something really vital to be talking about consistently right now. It’s a really wonderful event that’s really near and dear to my heart and something I hope will continue and that I hope to bring anywhere I go.”
Aside from the blueberry scones in the Student Center, Lieblich believes that she will miss the people the most.
“I really have had such amazing interactions and relationships that have developed with students,” Lieblich said. “And staff that I’ve worked with have become like friends and family outside of work. I can’t say enough [about] how wonderful the people are here and how much I’ve appreciated working with everybody.”
Lieblich still speaks with the enthusiasm of someone in the midst of their position, making her departure difficult to believe. The students she aided will not be left to their own devices, as there will be interim support, allowing the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness to continue going strong.
During this transition period and far into the future, it is important to remember that as much as Lieblich loves to advocate for students, she hopes above all that her work has taught students how to advocate for themselves.
“You are your [own] number one priority,” Lieblich said. “And I always tell students that when you’re on the airplane and you’re about to take off, and they are doing the safety warnings and they say: ‘If the mask drops down, you put the mask on yourself and then help the person next to you if they need help.’ You have to put your own mask on and make sure that your wellness is a priority before you can help someone else. All of our students are so wonderful and enjoy helping others, but sometimes they have to prioritize themselves in order to best help others.”
