By Rafael Rodriguez, Staff Reporter
Hang around the office of the Communications Department long enough, and students are likely to hear the staff toss out a popular saying: “The only thing constant about this campus is change.”
With so much change happening right now at CSUDH, that cliche seems to ring true. Yet one constant for many Toros over the years has been the guidance and dedication of academic advisor Penny Roebuck-White. After more than three decades at Dominguez Hills, Roebuck-White will call it a career next month—she is set to retire on Mar. 11.
Roebuck-White was slated to finish at the end of this academic year, but she told The Bulletin she decided to move up her retirement date due to the uncertainty surrounding the current University-wide budget crisis. She also hopes to spend more time with her family.
“Campus was getting too stressful, and now with the budget cuts, layoffs—they are asking more of the advisors and not replacing the ones that we have lost,” Roebuck-White said. “It’s been a lot more work—that and the 30 years is a lot, and I don’t want to miss out on my grandkids.”
Roebuck-White first arrived at CSUDH in 1995 as an assistant manager for the extended education program. In 2000, she worked on behalf of what would eventually become known as the Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peace-building program. In 2005, she became an advisor for the College of Arts & Humanities and has served in the Communications Department since the fall of 2016.
“The goal was to raise our graduation rates. We had a lot of students, and I was ready for that challenge,” Roebuck-White recalled. “I have done well, but I always want to do better, working as a team to help students.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roebuck-White began advising for the college’s Student Success Center, an additional resource for Toros.
Roebuck-White’s expertise and institutional knowledge have been indispensable to the Communications Department, according to her colleagues. Department chair and journalism professor Brant Burkey told The Bulletin that advising was previously the responsibility of full-time faculty. He said Roebuck-White was able to “personalize and personally guide students.”
“We were fumbling through, ensuring students met their requirements, but we were not trained as advisors,” Burkey said. “She became the in-person advisor—someone familiar with the program and the department and could walk the students through that process.”
Burkey lauded Roebuck-White as “fount of knowledge,” adding that her work has been “invaluable” to the department.
“She has been here for 30 years—seeing the university grow, change, and evolve—and that length of perspective is quintessential,” Burkey said. “It gives a different perspective than someone new to the game,” said Burkey.
Journalism program coordinator and professor Nancy Cheever has worked closely with Roebuck-White for several years. Cheever echoed Burkey’s sentiment, saying Roebuck-White streamlined processes that helped to boost graduation and retention rates.
“That was a huge help for us,” Cheever said. “She is super organized and has imparted so much institutional knowledge to me … It will be tough not having her around to bounce things off of, because she knows everything about the university.”
“There’s a gap in institutional knowledge, it’s hard to replace years of service,” said FTVM professor Sharon Sharp. “She is a fierce advocate for students, whoever they are and whatever stage they are in; it is a bonus to have Penny on your side.”
As an advisor, Roebuck-White helps students forge their paths to graduation. In some ways, Roebuck-White has acted a sort of “fairy godmother” to students. She’s quick to offer sagely wisdom—tinged with sarcastic wit—at the same time, she isn’t shy about letting students know when they need to step up their game to make it to Commencement.
“She was there for me every single semester,” said Jeremiah Rojas, a senior journalism student. “Having her help propelled me through these past four years … she was still extremely accommodating.”
Fellow senior Jimmy Dominguez said having Roebuck-White encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone. He said: “Penny reminded me that college is supposed to be a well-rounded experience and understanding how to not over-exert myself.”
Roebuck-White’s devotion has earned her several accolades, including a “Staff Award of Excellence for Student Success” in 2018.
“It feels good to be recognized for a job you do, and you do well,” Roebuck-White said. “It kind of validates you in a way, especially when you have your peers coming and congratulating you. Reading all the letters and what they have written about me, I felt honored.”
The desk of Nancy Perry, the department’s administrative support coordinator, is situated across from Roebuck-White’s office. Most days, the colleagues can be heard sharing jokes and anecdotes, particularly about their cats.
“[Penny] helps me keep everyone up-to-date with things that are not normal in my view—deadlines, registrations, and recommendations,” Perry said. “She helped me confirm my decision to become an academic advisor—she taught me her tricks, as we share a lot of time together.”
The atmosphere around the Communications Department will be different without what Roebuck-White described as the “Penny Effect,” but true to form, she plans to do all she can over the next two weeks to set up her colleagues for success.
“I used to cover their entire progress report and what steps they had to take, but the new advisors have their set of skills before [they get to] the Student Success Center,” Roebuck-White said. “I think it is important as advisors to go over the whole thing.”
The atmosphere around Roebuck-White will also change—she will leave California behind for what she said was a “fresh start” in Los Alamos, New Mexico. “Even once I leave, I’ll still pick up the phone and help out.”
Roebuck-White may be putting CSUDH and California in her rear view, but she said she hopes whatever impact she had on generations of Toros will continue to resonate on campus. Her last piece of advice to students is to “speak up for yourself, go out and make a difference.”
“When you make a difference in someone’s life they will remember you,” Roebuck-White said. “And I know I have done that.”
