Dani Hiar
Dani Hiar says she’ll tap her 25 years of education experience to boost Ferris State University’s efforts to close equity gaps and maximize student experiences.
Hiar has joined Ferris State’s Retention and Student Success team to coordinate student success programs.
She is exhilarated by the university’s efforts and will support collaboration with faculty, staff and students.
“It is an honor to be part of something so clearly focused on student success,” Hiar said. “In my 25 years of educational experiences, I have not encountered something so intentional in elevating and supporting students. All these efforts are designed to help students reach their full potential and build success during college, so they are prepared to take that emphasis on excellence to their futures as professional and community leaders.”
RSS Dean Jason Bentley said this new role was made possible through support from the Office of the President as part of the Ferris Equity Initiative and the Navigate Student Success Management Systems.
“We were excited to have Dr. Hiar on campus in August and meeting with faculty at staff during new faculty orientation, Kickoff Week programming and as part of college meetings,” Bentley said. “Her wealth of experiences will be a great resource to draw from for collaboration on best practice initiatives.”
Hiar’s degrees include an Associate of Applied Science in Commercial Art from Northwestern Michigan College, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a master’s degree in College Student Affairs Leadership from Grand Valley State University, an Educational Specialist degree in Higher Education Administration from Central Michigan University and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from CMU.
Before coming to Ferris, Hiar was CMU’s associate director of special initiatives before arriving at Ferris.
The Retention and Student Success unit includes the Honors Program, the Community Leadership Associate of Applied Science degree, academic advising, tutoring and structured learning assistance, educational counseling, accessibility and disability services, the tuition incentive program, the Ferris State University Seminar, the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, Media Production, and Academic Service Learning along with numerous supporting resources for the university’s students and faculty.