On Nov. 1, 2016, Capital welcomed its new vice president, Jean-Paul “JP” Spagnolo, who chose the university mainly because of the deep sense of purpose he felt here.
“I was able to meet a lot of different individuals, and all of them demonstrated the [essence of] ‘CapFam,’” he said.
Everyone Spagnolo met here seemed to have a deep passion for the university, he said, and not many places are like that. It was refreshing to see individuals who loved their school so much, and that quality drew Spagnolo to want to be a part of the community.
He looks to become a solid part of the family and to help contribute to its health and growth.
“I’m like a student in many ways,” Spagnolo said. He is studying to receive his Ph.D. in higher education administration, and he feels even more connected to the individuals on campus because of this and hopes to connect with as many students as possible.
In connecting with students, Spagnolo will be able to execute his main plan for the university smoothly, which is to recruit compassionate, creative, and successful individuals to the university. To do this, he must be able to relate to the students and know what makes them successful.
This is not an easy process, Spagnolo said, because he does not like using the phrase “recruiting the right type of student,” as this makes them sound like a product and not an individual.
Although Spagnolo looks for students who can be successful here and contribute to Capital’s deep sense of purpose, he must also look at data in the form of test scores and cross-reference everything. It is a long process that takes a lot of hard work, but Spagnolo is more than ready to begin.
Spagnolo’s largest concern is that the university will not connect in the way it needs to, and this will setback his ability to achieve his goal. However, he is trying his best to connect with students by being accessible to them. He wants to get to know the students.
“And to do that,” Spagnolo said. “You must make yourself vulnerable and be authentic when you are meeting someone for the first time.”
He enjoys connecting with students by inviting them into a conversation and getting to know them by becoming immersed in the Capital community. Spagnolo is excited to join the CapFam, but he is even more excited to personally get to know as much of the family as possible.
