FASS Surrey students know Rose Baik has their back

At the SFU Surrey campus, Rose Baik makes a special effort to help new students joining the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) smoothly transition from high school to university. That’s the simple description of her job as coordinator, student recruitment and advising for FASS, but it doesn’t convey how she puts her heart into everything she does for students she meets.

For her dedication, Baik has been awarded the SFU 2019 Staff Achievement Award for Student Service.

Many first-year students perform a balancing act between their classes and family or work obligations. To ensure new FASS Surrey students feel welcome right from the start of their SFU journeys, Baik gets in touch with as many as possible before they start classes.

“I want them to know that I have their backs and that I really want them to succeed,” says Baik, who recruits students from high schools south of the Fraser River. “I am not only one of their first SFU contacts, but also their academic advisor. I tell students, ‘Call me any time, drop by anytime. My door is open.’ I want that trust to be in place so that if they’re in trouble they have somebody to go to.”

Baik worked at BCIT in the forensic science program prior to starting at SFU in 2005 as an academic advisor in Student Services. Later, she worked with Back on Track students before moving to FASS as an advisor/recruiter on the Surrey campus.

She initiated and runs the Surrey FASS Camp, where new students discover FASS, find friends, experience lectures and plan their first course schedule. Students who attend the camp say Baik is key to its success.

Her care for each student is consistently reflected in students’ comments. Says one student nominator, “I never thought that I would be so involved in this faculty but because of how much effort and love Rose has for her job and her students, I’m motivated to also make a difference in other students’ experiences in SFU.”

Baik also coordinates the Friends and Mentors (FAM) peer mentor program for FASS Surrey students. Each semester up to 20 peer mentors sign up to pay forward the benefits they reaped from the program as first-year students.

“My job, primarily, is to help students transition from high school to university in their first year, and I do that by having a great group of peer mentors,” says Baik. “I choose students right after their first year, those who are more engaged, more helpful to others, those who feel more comfortable in the university setting. A great thing about the mentorship program is that the peer mentors give you a lot of feedback on what works, so I feel like I’m as current as I can possibly be. I love the work and am truly grateful to have a supportive director and a great team of colleagues to work with.”

Do you know a staff member who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding work? Nominations are now open for this year’s Staff Achievement Awards. To learn more about the award categories, how to nominate and more, visit the Human Resources website. The deadline to submit a nomination is October 23, 2020.