Brett Santos Named KU Employee of the Month for July 2025

Brett Santos Named KU Employee of the Month for July 2025

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - Congratulations to Brett Santos, director of New Student Orientation, on being named Kutztown University Employee of the Month for July 2025.

Santos' nomination came from several individuals, which can be read below.

Stephen Rupprecht, Dean of Students:
"This nomination is truly a year in the making as they say. It is most appropriate for this to come to fruition in July, given the impact Brett's work has just had on hundreds of new students and their families during the 11 Orientation sessions offered in July.

Nearly a year ago, Brett, still new in his professional role at KU, knew that the design of the new student orientation program was not up to his standard or expectations. Where many in his role would just keep doing what was done last year, Brett set off on a mission many months ago to convene valued stakeholders, make his program and himself vulnerable to critique, and redesign a program that would be exciting, energizing, engaging and memorable. His work will surely have a measurable impact on the persistence and retention of our students (and a reduction of "melt" for our new students).

Additional results: Participation show (attendance) rate of over 90% for the July sessions, a newly added online module, daily compliments from parents about the quality of the offerings, evidence of parent support via social media encouraging other parents to attend Orientation, significant evidence of cheering and engaged students (very different than 2024), and most important - a mission-driven approach that has started to provide lifelong learning opportunities that empower students for intellectual, social, civic and career success. These were all major components of the NSO program. I have no doubt that the formal assessment results of the program will reveal a community who is both very pleased for having attended and very excited to join our family.

Congratulations to Brett and his team. Your hours of dedication and hard work have created a memorable experience for our new students and their families. Thank you for having the courage and the tenacity to design the program that you knew would achieve the best results. Your hard work has born outstanding fruit."

Caecilia Holt, Student Affairs:
"Brett has revamped the new student orientation experience, bringing back "Connections" as that is part of what he sees as the mission of the orientation program - to connect incoming students with other students, offices and their staff, administrators and faculty. Feedback from students and families has been very positive. Brett is very professional when communicating updates regarding orientation schedules, expected attendees, etc. He has motivated his staff to follow up diligently to ensure that students register for orientation. When faced with complications beyond his control, such as non-operational air conditioning during a heatwave, he remains calm and flexible and pivoted successfully to use another location. And to make that the best possible experience for students and their families, he reached out to his network to recruit extra volunteers to help greet and guide attendees.

I was particularly impressed with his interaction with a student and parent who had arrived at orientation but did not want to stay for the program because of a scheduling conflict. They approached him in a pushy and unpleasant manner, and he reacted professionally as if they were saying the most complementary, friendly words to him. He dealt calmly with their concerns and came to a solution which enabled the student to receive the necessary information, solve their scheduling conflict and depart KU that day with their problem solved and no longer feeling combative. Not only was that positive for that family, but it was also positive for the environment everyone else in the vicinity was experiencing. Kudos to Brett for a successful orientation season."

Bernard McCree, Student Affairs:
"Meet Brett, the ever-smiling two-time KU grad and the new director of New Student Orientation. He has the challenging yet rewarding role of welcoming all new students and their families to campus before move-in day. Since returning to campus, Brett has worked tirelessly to put his personal stamp on the welcome process, maintaining his upbeat attitude and signature smile throughout.

During his undergraduate years, Brett was involved in the Connections program, the predecessor to our current New Student Orientation. His dedication to the university has only grown, and as the newly appointed director, he has built a strong team that has excelled in every orientation session, earning high praise from students and parents alike. Brett's vision for NSO is coming to life, and it's exciting to see these changes unfold.

Brett is an exceptional individual, showcasing his passion and commitment to his role. His efforts are shaping a fresh, welcoming vibe for every new Golden Bear arriving at Kutztown, and we are proud to be part of this positive transformation."

Additional Student/Staff Nominations:

• "Brett has shaped New Student Orientation into something that is fun for new students and have given them a grand experience for their first day."
• "Brett worked tirelessly for over a month straight on orientation. He arrived early and stayed late every day to make sure everything was in order for the students. I can't think of anyone more deserving."
• "Brett is genuinely the best boss I have ever had. Brett is always open to new ideas. Brett has so much patience with employees, students, staff and family members. Brett truly changed NSO for the better this year."
• "Brett went above and beyond to make this year's New Student Orientation unforgettable. His constant positivity, organization and genuine care for every student created an environment that was welcoming, fun and inspiring. His leadership kept our team motivated and his energy was contagious. He made NSO the best it's ever been, and it wouldn't have been the same without him."
• "Brett did a fantastic job overseeing a lovely operation that welcomed hundreds of new students to the campus each day. He is a person who is always upbeat and receptive to fresh concepts regarding how to improve the student and family programs."
• "Brett is always listening to feedback and taking suggestions from everyone to make improvements to orientation for both the students coming in, as well as everyone on staff working the events. His way of leading and running everything makes everyone feel like they are hardly even working, making it feel just as welcoming and engaging as the students coming in as well as bringing us together as a family."
• "Brett brought back the feeling orientation had before COVID. New students and families as well as his staff members get to feel a true sense of "connection" when coming to Kutztown University, thanks to Brett allowing his staff to have creative freedom, a space to be themselves, while also welcoming hundreds of students to campus at the same time."
• "I have worked for New Student Orientation for three years, and this year I have seen a huge increase in student engagement and participation. Brett's dedication to this program is unparalleled. Under his leadership, we have welcomed nearly 200 students per day of orientation, and I can truthfully say that these students will be ready and excited for their upcoming semester."
• "Brett displayed incredible professionalism and dedication to his staff. He worked with new leadership members such as myself throughout the end of last semester and through the summer to revamp the program and make it as enjoyable and informative for students and families as possible. We received a record number of positive comments from attendees, which I believe is mostly due to Brett's work. Brett also brings a smile to the faces of his whole staff and makes sure to be the kind of boss that we're never nervous to talk to or worried about upsetting."
• "Brett is amazing supervisor who organized the welcome of the Class of 2029 and our incoming transfer students. Brett's ability to handle his staff whilst creating a welcoming helpful environment for this new class is commendable and shows true golden bear spirit."
• "Brett's creativity and ideas have completely revitalized the program. Both students and families are leaving their respective orientations with smiles on their faces and are excited to come to Kutztown University. Brett has brought the spirit back to Orientation, and he has worked extremely hard during this July, especially since it was orientation season. Brett is resourceful and a problem solver, and I love working for him because he fosters a welcoming and open workplace culture for everyone at any level, valuing the opinions of New Student Orientation's leadership and facilitators."

Nominations are collected from students, faculty and staff, and the Employee of the Month is selected by the Human Resources Advisory Council. A winner will be selected each month, and out of the 12 monthly winners one will be selected as Employee of the Year. The Employee of the Month will receive a plaque, reserved parking and a monetary gift.

For more information on the award or to nominate someone, please visit the KU human resources website.