Christopher Lau earns promotion to VP of Student Services

By Colton Fast
Staff writer

Christopher Lau has taken on the role as Vice President of Student Services at Hutchinson Community College after being promoted a few weeks ago.

Lau replaces Brett Bright, who took a job at Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb.

The responsibilities that entail within Lau’s new role include: oversees records, admissions, academic advising, counseling services, financial aid and scholarships, accessibility services, residence halls, and student activities.

“We have strong leadership in each of these areas,” Lau said.

However, Lau is familiar with being in charge of a multitude of things as his last position of Coordinator of Advising, Career Development, and Counseling Services also put plenty on his plate.

“I was responsible for the College’s Orientation program, Academic Advising, Career Counseling, Counseling Services, oversaw Accessibility Services, International Student Advising, Athletic Advising, and the curriculums for several HutchCC courses including Success Seminar/College Orientation, Career Decision Making, Orientation and Career Exploration, Psychology of Happiness, College Learning Methods, Stress Management, and Assertiveness Training,” Lau said.

With so many different responsibilities and jobs to do, it sounds like something few would want to do. However, when asking Lau if this was a job he had in mind, he said, “My expectations for the role of VP of Student Services closely match what I am doing in my new role. Higher education is cyclical, it will likely take one full calendar year to get a feel for what priorities are at different times of the year.”

Michelle Wortham who has worked with Lau for years, said she has plenty of confidence in Lau.

“I have worked with Christopher Lau for over nine years,” Wortham said. During this time I found him to be kind, fair, very intelligent, honest, a proven leader, and very level headed. Time and again he has demonstrated his commitment to developing his staff and relationships across the campus and demonstrated sensitivity to students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Because of his many years of experience as a counselor, he understands people and how to work with them. I am looking forward to supporting Vice President Lau as his administrative assistant,” Wortham said.

For such an important job, you’ve got to find a deserving person, and Christopher Lau seems to be the man for the job.

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