Crystal Harsh brings fresh ideas to CMU economics

Crystal Harsh likes finding ways to make things work better. Whether she's identifying opportunities to reduce expenses, improving office operations or bringing people together, she approaches challenges with a combination of curiosity, resourcefulness and a willingness to try something new.

Now, as the newest administrative office assistant in Central Michigan University's Department of Economics, Harsh is bringing that approach to the College of Business Administration. Although she's new to the college, she's no stranger to CMU, having previously spent two years supporting the Department of Biology in the College of Science and Engineering.

"If I'm doing my job right, you shouldn't know that I exist," Harsh said, describing her preference for working behind the scenes to keep operations running smoothly.

Building connections across the department

While Harsh enjoys the operational side of her work, she also believes a department functions best when people feel connected to one another.

In Biology, she noticed that faculty, staff and student employees often interacted primarily within their own groups. She wanted to create opportunities for people to get to know one another beyond their daily responsibilities.

One result was Grounds for Gathering, a weekly opportunity for faculty, staff and students to connect over coffee and snacks. Participants could drop in during a two-hour window, but there were two guidelines: Avoid talking about work, and don't sit with more than one person who shares your job title.

The idea encouraged conversations among people who might otherwise have little opportunity to interact.

"When you start seeing people on a real level as who they are as humans, I think it's a whole lot easier to do your job with them because you know that they care about what you're passionate about," Harsh said.

She also worked with student employees to create seasonal window displays and other welcoming touches around the department. The goal was to make the office feel more approachable for students while strengthening connections among faculty and staff.

Those experiences are helping shape her ideas for Economics. Although she's still learning the department's routines and culture, Harsh hopes to find opportunities to contribute both organizational improvements and activities that bring people together.

"Just maybe a little bit of organization, a little bit of fun," she said. "I hope that maybe I could bring a little bit of that, too, where it's just more of a unity in a department."

Bringing CMU experience to a new role

Harsh's familiarity with CMU gives her a foundation as she settles into the College of Business. She understands university operations, has relationships across campus and has experience finding creative ways to support faculty and students.

She's particularly interested in involving students in efforts to improve their experience. During her time in Biology, Harsh worked closely with fellow administrative office assistant Jessica Coan and department chair Steven Gorsich to strengthen the sense of community through social media, graduate student ambassadors and activities that brought students, faculty and staff together beyond the classroom.

For Harsh, students offer an important perspective on how universities can evolve while maintaining the traditions that make them distinctive.

"Getting to know the students is actually just as important as getting to know the faculty," Harsh said. "[The faculty] can tell you the history and the tradition and the why something is. But then I also like pulling in the students and working with them, too, because they can tell us where we are today."

She sees value in bringing those perspectives together, whether that means making departmental spaces more welcoming, supporting new ideas or helping students feel comfortable seeking assistance.

Harsh also has a personal connection to CMU as the parent of two current students, one studying education and the other nursing. Having her children on campus gives her another perspective on the student experience—and the occasional opportunity to meet them for lunch.

Outside the university, Harsh is active in the Mount Pleasant community and serves as vice president of the local Optimist Club. Her community involvement reflects the same interest in collaboration and inclusion that she brings to her professional work.

As she becomes familiar with the Department of Economics, Harsh is eager to discover `where her experience and ideas can make a difference. Whether that means improving a process, identifying a new resource or creating opportunities for people to connect, she's ready to contribute.

"I don't have all the answers," Harsh said. "But we can figure it out all together ."