Alison Walls

Alison Walls grew up on a farm in Michigan and thrives in a fast-paced, competitive environment. Beginning her career in youth ministry, she decided fairly early that junior high kids were not her cup of tea. She took a position as a Resident Director at Malone University in Ohio and what was supposed to be a while-I-figure-out-what-I-want-to-do job, turned into a career of more than ten years in higher education. During her time at Malone, Alison earned a Masters in Student Development Counseling and Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Most recently, Alison served as the Director of Student Life at a small private school in Oklahoma City. Throughout her time in Student Life, Alison began to discover the unique relationship between retention and recruitment and worked closely with Admissions to create a smooth entry for incoming students. In doing so, Alison has become passionate about the impact that student processes, communication, and relationships have to the overall student experience. Alison loves any kind of project, and in her off time, she can just as likely be found tinkering with power tools in the garage as she can be making something scrumptious in the kitchen. She is an avid Michigan football fan (Go Blue!) and has adopted into the Oklahoma City Thunder family.

Strategies to Facilitate Student Matriculation and Persistence

Some flights have rough landings. Pilots hit the runway hard. They slam the brakes, surprising passengers who jerk forward, barely managing to hang onto their cell phones. It’s an unpleasant way to end a trip. For first-time travelers, it also leaves a very negative impression.