Wayne Jackson

Mr. Wayne Jackson is an award winning student affairs administrator. Wayne currently is the Director of the Multicultural Academic and Support Services Department at the University of Central Florida, where he provides academic support for more than 31,000 multicultural and first generation students on the UCF campus. Mr. Jackson was awarded the 2010 NACADA Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Certificate of Merit for his leadership in directing the departments summer bridge program called SOAR (Seizing Opportunities for Achievement and Retention).

Wayne formerly served as the Assistant Director of the EOF/MAP Program at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ from 2004 through 2007. From 1994 to 2004 Wayne was the Minority Mentoring Coordinator and Assistant Director of Records and Registration at The College of New Jersey. His mentoring program at TCNJ was awarded the 2003 Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Award. Wayne annually provided direction and leadership for 24 student leaders and 350 students in The Minority Mentoring Program at TCNJ. In the five years he incorporated his leadership development component, 90 percent of his student leaders were either accepted to graduate schools or had been offered employment before graduation. The program retention rate over a five-year period for first-to-second year students was 92 percent, and 77 percent of his students graduated in five years or less. Mr. Jackson has spoken both nationally and internationally at various conferences on how to get students more involved on the college campus and how to use mentoring as a way to increase retention.

Wayne has held several leadership positions both in and out of higher education. He is currently the President the UCF Black Faculty and Staff Association. He was formerly on the Executive Board of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund Professional Association. In addition, he is the former President of The Minority Executive Council at The College of New Jersey. This organization represented all faculty/staff of color at TCNJ. Wayne is also a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Outside of higher education, Mr. Jackson is the former Director of the Christian Stronghold Baptist Church Audio/Visual Department. He was also the recipient of the 2004 Might Man of Valor Award given annually by the church. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Radio and Television from Norfolk State University and holds a Masters Degree in Family Life Education from Dallas Theological Seminary.