Bethany Ulman, Ecampus student success counselor
A true Beaver at heart, OSU Ecampus Student Success Counselor Bethany Ulman is proud to be back at Oregon State serving current students in the colleges of Business, Public Health and Human Sciences, and students studying psychology, sociology, economics and political science in the College of Liberal Arts.
By Heather Doherty
October 17, 2016
The idiom, “It runs in the family” might be based off of Bethany Ulman’s family and Oregon State. Well, maybe not literally, but not only did she attend Oregon State University, so did her sister, parents and grandparents.
“The university has been a tradition in my family and has brought most of my family together,” she says. “Working at Oregon State had always been a dream of mine.”
A true Beaver at heart, Bethany is proud to be back at Oregon State serving as an OSU Ecampus student success counselor for current students in the colleges of Business, Public Health and Human Sciences, and students studying psychology, sociology, economics and political science in the College of Liberal Arts. Her goal is to help Oregon State Ecampus students through difficult points in their education.
“In some cases, it is a class or a life event that makes going to school and doing everything else very overwhelming,” she says. “We walk them through resources, and in many cases, help them discover their own strengths and how those could be used to help them at this particular time.”
Bethany prides herself on building a strong relationship with each student she works with, offering a listening ear when they might feel “stuck.”
“I think too often they feel like they are on an island and are supposed to be figuring everything out by themselves,” she says. “We want to show them that we, as a unit and university, care about their success and are here for them.”
Common questions Bethany works through are regarding time management and organization.
“Many struggling students come to us because they are worried about their ability to do it all,” she says. “They want to excel in school, be a good parent and still have time for themselves. Trying to balance all of these can be challenging, without throwing in any of the other potential barriers.”
Her advice?
“I would strongly recommend they talk to us,” she says. “Not only can we help figure out a plan, but we can refer students to the many resources we have so that they can spend time on homework, not trying to find the resource that will work.
“I also tell students to look at everything they have accomplished so far. Our students make a lot of sacrifices to pursue a degree, so honoring the small victories of completing homework, finishing a project or getting everyone fed are cause for celebration. I am consistently amazed at the dedication and tenacity our students have to complete their degree. I just want them to realize what an accomplishment that is in and of itself.”
“Not only can we help figure out a plan, but we can refer students to the many resources we have so that they can spend time on homework, not trying to find the resource that will work.”
Bethany and her family, pictured above, competed in the 2012 Corvallis Heart Chase, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. “It was essentially a scavenger hunt around the hospital with different challenges that earned points,” she says. “It was a way to get out, be active and learn more about healthy living.” Her team came in 2nd place.
Bethany has accomplished a lot as well. She completed the Oregon State double-degree program in history and education and earned a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, focusing on adult education, sociology and communications, also at Oregon State.
During college, she worked as a study facilitator and tutor for OSU Academics for Student Athletes, as well as an event management intern with OSU Athletics. She also coached soccer and basketball at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon.
After graduating with her master’s degree, she served as a student development specialist for the Athletic Academic Center at Texas State University, where she worked with men’s and women’s golf, women’s basketball and volleyball.
“I focused on helping student-athletes be successful academically and socially,” she says. “We mainly worked on skill development around time management and figuring out what students wanted to major in. I also helped students to figure out their next steps after college.”
Bethany enjoys all the Oregon outdoors has to offer, including taking her dog on a hike, camping and floating the river. When she’s not exploring outside, you can find her working out at Dixon Recreation Center, attending OSU sporting events and spending time with her friends and family.
Read more about the OSU Ecampus student success counselors and their work – and meet the rest of the team, including Theresa Harper, Tom Casey and Amy Riley.
