Get to know the new Assistant Director of the Liberty Campus Chante Martin, Ph.D.

December 3, 2024

Chante Martin, Ph.D., joined Georgia Southern University as the Assistant Director of the Liberty Campus earlier this year. A native of Liberty County, Martin is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and ensuring that students at the Liberty Campus have the resources they need to thrive academically, socially and personally. Read on to learn about Martin and her role in Eagle Nation.

Question: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Answer: I grew up in Midway, Georgia, and I am a graduate of the local school system. I left home to get my undergraduate degree in English from Spelman College. The same year I graduated, I entered a doctoral program at Emory University where I got my master's and Ph.D. in American studies. For 12 years, I worked at Savannah State University as an African American literature professor, but I decided about two years ago that I wanted to make a career change to focus more exclusively on working with students.

Q: When did you join the Georgia Southern team and why did you decide to pursue a position here?
A: I joined the Liberty Campus in May of this year. I pursued this position because it combines so many things that are important to me professionally. It combines the ability to work hands-on with students and usher them from high school into college and beyond. It is also right here in Liberty County, which is a place that I love and the place where I am raising my family. I think that the work being done here, providing students with college in their own backyards so to speak, is something I am appreciative to be a part of.

Q: What does your work as Assistant Director of the Liberty Campus entail? 

A: My job here at the Liberty Campus is threefold. Not only do I work with the director, supporting her in managing day-to-day operations of the campus, but I also focus on programming — making sure that we have not just academic programming, but also social programming for our students. I also assist with retention — making sure that the students who come to the Liberty Campus not only stay but matriculate in a timely manner whether they do so at Liberty or at one of our other campuses. Lastly, I work with our students in the University College program, which provides additional support to certain incoming students as determined by the Office of Admissions.

Q: What interested you in pursuing the career you have today and is it what you thought you were going to do? 

A: I have always been interested in education in general. As the daughter of two educators, I thought I would be much like them and work in grade school education. It wasn’t until I went to undergrad that I learned that there are so many other possibilities when it comes to working in the education field. I worked closely with faculty not only at my undergraduate institution but at other institutions who showed me that higher education is another option for me. When I went to pursue my Ph.D., I thought that I would start and end my career as a faculty member, but working in a university setting taught me that higher education is a vast space. I realized I wanted to work more directly with students outside of the classroom. I wanted to be a part of initiatives that will help students get into college and thrive there. I view my experience in higher education as being very diverse, being a professor first and now being part of the administration.

Q: What impact do you hope to have at the Liberty Campus?

A: I hope to help the campus grow and to spread the Georgia Southern brand in Liberty County and beyond. I hope to be an example of how having a full career, right here in Southeast Georgia, is possible. Lastly, I hope that the students, faculty and staff who cross my path feel supported, affirmed, heard and seen by me in my capacity as assistant director. 

Q: What makes Liberty Campus special?

A: I think the small size is something unique about the Liberty Campus. We really are a family here. Every student who comes through these doors knows that they are not just a number, they are a person and we want to get to know them as people so that we can help them be successful. It is not just academic at Georgia Southern, we want to help nurture and support the whole person.

Q: Student engagement is really important at Georgia Southern. What kinds of events or programs does the Liberty Campus have to engage students?

A: This is my first semester here and I can already tell you we have quite a bit. We had a Passport to Latin America event last month that was co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. We brought out a food truck, we had music and we had opportunities for students to learn about various Latin American countries. It was a huge success. We also host a block party every August. We try to bring the programming from the other campuses to this campus as well. For example, we recently had a first-gen cookout. Learning that some of the students, who I know by name, are the first in their families to attend college is something that really warmed my heart. It’s not just social though, we have academic and wellness programming too. Some of our campus partners, like the Counseling Center, the Academic Success Center and the Office of Career and Professional Development have all come down to do presentations and workshops for our students.

Q: Tell us about the programs offered on the Liberty Campus.

A: In terms of the academic degrees, we have the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science. We have programs in elementary education and psychology, so students who come for these programs can complete most, if not all of their courses, here. For the courses that aren't available on-site, we have faculty who offer site-synchronous classes so our students can participate in the same classes as their peers on our other campuses.

Q: What do you want students who are thinking about applying to the Liberty Campus to know?

A: I want them to know that we are unique among the three campuses and we are big enough to serve them but small enough to know them. Students who may not want a bigger campus can still get the academic and  social support they need at the Liberty Campus. We have a beautiful facility, state-of-the-art labs, wonderful faculty, supportive staff and awesome students. So if all of that sounds appealing, I encourage students to come on down to the Liberty Campus to get their start right here. 

Q: What do you love most about working at Georgia Southern's Liberty Campus?A: I love the staff, the students, the warmth and the sense of community that is here. I have an amazing boss, everyone supports each other and we really work well together. We always keep the vision and mission of Georgia Southern University at the center to help our students get all of the tools and experiences they need to go on to their next adventures. For me, I couldn't ask for anything more, I love it here. I am excited to be a part of the Georgia Southern family and to contribute to the work that is happening at Georgia Southern.