As Jeri Burns concludes her 17 years with Grand Canyon University's College of Doctoral Studies, she’s aware of the importance of her duties as academic operations manager.
One of those duties that stands out to her in her long career at GCU was writing a letter on behalf of a doctoral candidate to validate his graduation. That allowed him to bring in his family from Africa for commencement ceremonies.
“I was here when we birthed this baby,” said Burns, one of the first employees hired by the college. “The whole doctoral process is just so intricate and involved, and we've grown so much. We started with one degree, and now we have so many. But just watching the people that I work with, they are so intelligent, creative and collaborative.
“When they see something that you know needs to be done, they jump in, and they create a new way to do it. Or they're constantly doing metrics and measurements to see, ‘Where are we, what are we doing? How are learners doing?’ and then making adjustments.
“It's been very rewarding, and it's been a blessing.”
Burns will retire after College of Doctoral Studies Dean Dr. Michael Berger signs the 3,500th dissertation, which he expects to do sometime this February.
“The seamless ‘final instructions’ Ms. Burns mustered up must be a hallmark of hers,” wrote Dr. Oscar Edwards, who earned his doctorate in business administration from GCU in October 2022.
Edwards, president and CEO of Higher Growth Strategies, praised her organization and attention to detail in helping him put the finishing touches on his dissertation, “Entrepreneur’s Strategic Business Network and Business Performance in the Energy Service Industry,” and arranging for his dissertation to be approved in ample time for his wife and his three children to travel from all parts of the country to attend his graduation.
“Jeri used love to get 3,500 dissertations across the finish line, and everyone in the college loves her right back,” said Dr. Nicholas Markette, assistant dean and the program's first graduate.
The newness of the doctoral program intrigued Burns, who came to GCU from Arizona State.
“I had started here literally three weeks before the first cohort started,” Burns said. “Somebody quit, and they needed somebody to come in and try to organize things and get residencies running. The first couple of years were fun.”
The fact that GCU was one of the pioneers in starting a doctoral program exclusively online added excitement.
“People worked so hard on having everything flow through, and it was amazing to watch how this all fit together,” Burns said. “And boy, did we grow.”
Burns was known for “keeping the wheels on the buses” when a doctoral candidate needed help or when the college needed to solve a problem. She recalled Doctoral Studies starting with only one financial counselor to supplement only a few academic counselors.
Jeri used love to get 3,500 dissertations across the finish line ...
Dr. Nicholas Markette, College of Doctoral Studies assistant dean
But “there are a lot of problem-solvers around here. The atmosphere at Grand Canyon has such an entrepreneurial view of things and a collaborative one, as I keep using that word.
“All the departments you reach out to are helpful. It’s the vision of the leadership team and this ‘see it, do it’ growth. And it catches on. You see other colleges doing the same thing. I’ve been fortunate enough to be here from when we birthed this baby and got it through its toddler and preteen years.”
When Burns joined GCU, the college was in the Fleming Building – it's now the Lope Shop – and was called the Office of Graduate Studies. She remembered how her office stored digital data on punch cards.
“I was the only one in the department, other than my supervisor,” said Burns, who made calls to staffers around campus to update records and arranged to get doctoral students to campus for residencies without teams before the arrival of President Brian Mueller.
Burns stayed motivated, thanks to doctoral candidates who juggled family and work obligations while fulfilling their academic commitments, adding that GCU always listened and evaluated when more resources were needed.
“People stepped up," she said.
That included Berger, who became dean nearly 11 years ago. Burns described him as a “calm influence” with a sharp memory and creative mind.
“Leadership's hard when you have cranky leadership,” Burns said. “But Michael is very supportive, very willing to sit down and talk, listen – and his doors are open.”
Burns and her husband, a truck driver for FedEx, don’t have any firm plans immediately after her retirement.
“My husband and I are just going to go ‘phew!’ first,” she said with a smile.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales@gcu.edu
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