Leesa Beck, a doctoral candidate in the Gevirtz School at UC Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the position of UC Santa Barbara University Registrar. Beck is currently working toward a Ph.D. in the Department of Education with an emphasis in research methodology; her advisor is Dr. John T. Yun.
Beck holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Pepperdine University with a certificate in dispute resolution. Her work experience encompasses ten years in enrollment services, with four of those at UCSB. As Associate Registrar, she has been responsible for systems development for the office, and as a consequence possesses a unique knowledge of the student information systems used on campus as well as an exceptional understanding of the operations and practices of the Registrar's Office, including maintenance of academic records and security and academic policies that govern the work of the office.
This is a critical moment for the Office of the Registrar, the Division of Student Affairs, and the campus as a whole with regard to the day-to-day operation of the office as well as a number of significant systems projects that are in various stages of completion. The conversion of the mainframe is the most pressing of these projects in that the successful conversion will address one of the most acute risk factors facing the campus. The conversion project is a multi-phase, multi-year, campus-wide effort led by the Division of Student Affairs, with its SIS&T unit at the helm, aided by key divisional staff members. The Office of the Registrar is playing a central role in the project, and Beck is one of the key individuals on the conversion team.