Meet TUNE’s Jaclyn Webber
New assistant director at Towson University in Northeastern Maryland emphasizes the well-being of students
By Casey Bordick '18 '24 on April 29, 2024
Towson University in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) provides students with an associate degree a convenient and flexible option to pursue their four-year degrees. And with the help of new assistant director Jaclyn Webber ‘19 and the persistent efforts of Allison Frey, director of student services, TUNE is establishing well-being initiatives for students and strengthening their ties to the greater Harford community.
Webber is a graduate from TU’s counseling psychology master’s program in the College of Liberal Arts and a former drug and alcohol administrator at TU’s Counseling Center. With her passion for helping students with well-being services, Webber has found a position where she can continue to help students and the community.
We sat down with her to learn more about the new position and the emphasis she places on student well-being.
What skills have carried over from your time at the Counseling Center to your work at TUNE?
Working with students is my favorite thing in the world. In my previous position, I was teaching and training students how to talk about harm reduction, substance use, suicide prevention and safety. In this role, I'm working directly with students to help them improve their academic success through study techniques, test taking skills, stress management and all the things that impact academic success. The direct impact I get to make with students is why I go to work every day.
How do you take main campus support services to TUNE?
Our students here are just as important and deserving of those same services that students on main campus get. We have tutors that provide help for the courses that students need. I train student tutors using the same training methods that the Tutoring & Writing Center [staff members] on the main campus have.
We also have a library here, which I oversee, that is a direct connection to Albert S. Cook Library. We have the same system that Cook has, so we can help students check books in and out from Cook, and then they can pick them up here.
What well-being and mental health services do you offer students?
Providing well-being and mental health services to students is one of our main initiatives. We partner with the TU Counseling Center and have a screening day for mental health, gambling or substance abuse criteria—shedding light on behaviors that may need attention while also providing a system of support for themselves or for their peers. We also had a Well-Being Fair that allowed students to talk through various main campus mental health resources students can use.
What stands out to you about the student community at TUNE?
The academic drive of the students. They want to be here, and they are very dedicated, and they just care so much about the community in which they live. TUNE is set intentionally here in northeastern Maryland in Harford County. Our students tend to be from here and give back to the community.
In what ways do students engage with and support the Harford County community?
We try to get our students involved as much as possible in the outer community of Harford County. With the help of Allison Frey, we coordinate tree planting days, trash pickup days and food and clothing drives.
What are the goals you hope to achieve in your new position?
One of my biggest goals is to help increase TUNE's awareness, meaning to make sure more people know about TUNE and to help our community grow. Further, I want to continue to make sure the intersection of well-being and mental health is integrated into the same experience of academic success. I want to expand academic services we offer and help increase utilization rates. I also want to see how we can integrate further into the community.