Howard Entin, Director of Financial Aid, has received the 2008 Otis Hill Award for outstanding achievement by a Student Development and Enrollment Management (SDEM) professional.
Named for the long-time CUNY vice chancellor who retired in 2006 after a 35-year career with the university, the award recognizes an SDEM professional who exemplifies Dr. Hill’s qualities and service by encouraging innovation and creativity in support of four key areas – recruitment, retention, graduation rates and student success.
Improving students’ experience
“As a colleague during my service in the registrar’s office, I served on many committees with Howard,” says Dean of Student Affairs Marva Craig, who nominated Entin for the Hill award. “He could always be counted on to identify core issues and offer sound solutions due to the breadth of his expertise in enrollment and student affairs issues.” Through Entin’s efforts, she adds, “the college has developed countless publications, and enhanced Web site, and improved paper and communications. His efforts on behalf of both BMCC and CUNY students have contributed to vastly improved experience for students and staff alike.”
Accepting the award at the 2008 SDEM Conference on May 8, Entin said that he regarded the award “as an acknowledgment by my colleagues that the key to successful delivery of services to our students is professional collaboration on their behalf.” He spoke of “the many people in the BMCC community who work in the trenches of student services without recognition, motivated only by higher purpose of making other people’s lives better.” The college community, he added, “has been blessed with extraordinary people working in student services, and this is really an award I accept in their honor.” What distinguishes them, he added, “is their recognition that we are here to serve the students, and that we need to be focus on doing what’s best for them – not what satisfies us.”
Always accessible
At the awards presentation, BMCC financial aid counselor Roseann Ragon spoke of Entin’s “total accessibility – whether in person or by e-mail.” Mark Rivera, coordinator of Student Services and a financial aid counselor, said that “there is no one who has ever wanted to do more for the students, his staff and the institution as a whole than Howard. All of us in Student Services are honored that he was chosen for this award.”
