Kathea Smith is a passionate advocate for higher education, dedicating her 20-year career to empowering students to achieve their academic aspirations. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Dean for Enrollment, Academic Affairs, and Student Services at the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business. In this role, she leads a team providing comprehensive support to a diverse student body, including transfer students, non-traditional learners, and active military and veteran students.
Her professional experience spans various institutions across the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. regions, from large public universities to smaller liberal arts colleges. She has a keen interest in creating equitable policies, reducing roadblocks to education and refining student retention strategies.
Q: What is the top thing you want new and returning students to know to prepare for the semester?
A: Asking for help early and often is a key to success. Advisors, faculty and all the staff at UBalt are here to help you but we can’t if we don’t know what’s going on. So ask all your questions! You never know if someone else in your class has the same concerns.
Q: Describe some of the best advice students receive from you and members of business community share during the networking event for the “Personal and Professional Skills for Business” course.
A: You are your best marketer and don’t be afraid to talk about your goals and achievements. Using your network is not just about finding someone who can help you find a job but making connections for the rest of your life. Maybe you can help someone. Everyone has something to offer.
Q: How has your doctoral research or coursework influenced your approach to your role as assistant dean?
A: I’m so excited to defend my dissertation! I’ve always said that behind every data point is a student who is a complex person and my research has reinforced that. We can’t (and shouldn’t) flatten the lived experience of a human being in a a chart or table. We can learn from data but we can’t forget that it’s the student at the heart of it.
Q: You've held various roles in academic administration, what makes UBalt stand out from other institutions?
A: You can’t get lost here. There are no 400-person lecture classes on this campus. Your faculty will get to know you. The staff that work here have been here for a long time. You’ll see the same names and faces supporting you from orientation to graduation. You know us because—we know you.
Q: How do you integrate mental health support and well-being initiatives into your approach to student services and leadership?
A: A burden shared is a burden halved. I’m here to walk alongside our students. So, that means my open door is truly open, virtually or in-person. I want to be a safe place for students to find support and resources. It also means modeling the things I know work for me like setting boundaries and disconnecting. I can’t pour into others unless I pour into myself first.
Take Five is a Q&A series that spotlights the heart of the Merrick School of Business: our people. In just five questions and five answers, you'll discover what makes our community truly special.
