Creating leadership

Brandon Griggs supports students at Killeen university

Story by Catherine Hosman
Photos by Becky Stinehour

A large black-and-white abstract painting hangs in the office of Brandon Griggs, PhD, Dean of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University–Central Texas. The image is an original that he created in his garage studio.

Some of his images are bright and colorful, others, like the one in his office, are two-tone black and white. But there is something about the image that is striking, peaceful to look at despite its scattered lines and splashed on paint against the white background. “I like to paint abstract because I have a structured job,” he said. “I can be creative. I even throw the paint. There is a lot of chaos when I paint.”

Brandon, 35, was one of the TAMU-CT’s first employees, joining the university as director of student affairs in 2009. He was named dean in 2013.

“We were brand new,” he said. “We structured the university with no buildings in 2009. We held college classes in leased classrooms at Central Texas College. Now we have our own campus and this fall we will have a third building which will offer greater student space.”

Student Affairs offers students core academic support, student and community engagement and student counseling.

“We are creating a community where students could thrive by providing those cores,” he said. “I work closely with students to help ensure their success.”

There is no template to guide his week, Brandon said, and no day is the same. He keeps an open office policy for faculty and students for internal advice, conflict resolution when needed, and to provide resources for students abroad.

“We are here 8 to 5 and any student can get in any time,” he said. If he is in a meeting, students can meet with the associate dean. “Students get seen. It’s very important for my students to get timely support when facing conflict or a problem.”

Born to lead

Brandon is a Houston native who grew up in Deer Park. He is one of three children born to Vicky and Terry Griggs. He has two sisters, Tiffany and Melissa.

During high school, Griggs was a member of the Future Farmers of America, raising and showing livestock. It helped him groom his leadership skills and accept responsibility for the animals that depended on him.

“If you are sick or have other things going on in your life, you still have to make sure that the animal is taken care of,” he said.

Brandon traveled across the state attending FFA events. He honed his leadership skills through the “contemporaneous” speaking students were required to present.

“We would be given a topic of the day and deliver a speech with limited knowledge,” he recalled, adding that topics were agricultural related. “Other talks were planned public speaking and we had several months to prepare the speech. These were team-based events where we worked with other students.”

He was a member of the high school Drama Club and performed in UIL competitions. “Drama was building confidence,” he said. “I learned to perform, work closely with others to deliver a team-based production.”

Brandon learned the importance of mentorship. “I realized my purpose was to help students develop leadership skills and find their purpose in life,” he said.

Brandon credits his Dobie High School agriculture teacher, Jon Rascoe, for recognizing his potential.

“He saw that and took a special interest in me. He mentored me throughout high school and had a profound effect on me which led me to where I am today,” Brandon said. “I was very fortunate.”

He found a calling in academia when he went to college. Brandon has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Services and Development/Communications from Tarleton State University and a master’s in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Baylor University. His doctorate is in higher education administration from Azusa Pacific University.

Brandon and his wife, Dr. Marlow Griggs, who is a family practice physician at Baylor Scott & White, have four children: Bowen, 7; Ella, 5; Lilly, 2; and Crossin, 5 months.

An academic community

The majority of students at TAMUCT are non-traditional students who have jobs, and families, Brandon said. Many are military personnel.

“A lot of organizations talk about customer service,” Brandon said. “We provide customer care to our students and faculty, so availability is a huge part of this. We look for barriers that impede ability for students to be successful and work to remove barriers or provide structure for students to thrive.”

Brandon’s responsibilities include supervision and leadership of student programs such as Academic Support Programs and Study Abroad; Access and Inclusion; Campus Recreation, Career and Professional Development; Civic and Student Engagement; New Student Programs; Student Conduct; student Counseling Center; Testing Center and Student Success.

Brandon is also responsible for administering and monitoring student engagement, retention initiatives, student learning and development, and crisis and risk management. He oversees budgets totaling more than $1,750,000, including external funding.

His focus is always on leadership, mentorship and responsibility. He makes it clear that he wants to do everything he can to make a student’s college life successful.

“I want students to be challenged, but not so they cannot compete,” Brandon said. “We provide some support but not too much support so it’s not so easy. I’m trying to strike the right balance between challenges and support to ensure there is a sense of accomplishment for the student.”