The assistant director of graduate student services most enjoys getting to know students on a personal level
The first hobby listed on Joshua Robinson’s Daniels College of Business directory page is brunch.
Yes, it is a hobby.
“I think brunch is a passion at this point,” said Robinson, an assistant director of Graduate Student Services. “It very much is an activity. There’s something about brunch with a group of friends that is very lighthearted and builds community. I think you go into brunch knowing you’re going to have a good time.”
No one will confuse the Einstein’s Bagels in the Daniels building with Mimosa’s or the Welton Street Café (two of Robinson’s favorite spots). But in his role, Robinson does his best to give students the same comfortable, homey feeling as they walk in the door.
“The biggest aspect of my job is relationship-building with my students,” he said. “I think advising, a lot of times, is viewed as very transactional; you go to this person, they tell you what classes you need to take and you just kind of move on. And I think in my role, I’m able to move beyond that and get to know students holistically.”
From his office on the second floor, Robinson supports 250-300 students enrolled in the Daniels full-time Denver MBA, Part-time Professional MBA and Online MBA programs. He coordinates their orientation events, helps them plan their electives and ensures they are on track to meet their graduation requirements.
The moments he relishes most, however, are the opportunities to get to know his students, be it through leadership retreats to The Nature Place or conversations in his office.
“There are times I get to know about students’ home life or the fun things they’re doing on the weekend with their partner,” Robinson said. “I think that builds rapport and being able to make those connections and make their time at DU feel more relational and less transactional.”
Joshua Robinson
A life-long love of learning
A career in education hasn’t always been the plan, but it’s always been a source of enjoyment for Robinson. The schooling he received in his hometown of Long Beach, California was outstanding and well-rounded.
In high school, Robinson found a place in a learning community that wove philosophy, psychology, social justice, ethics and action-oriented courses into the curriculum. Outside of the classroom, he ran track and was classically trained in both violin and saxophone.
At California State University Fullerton, he gravitated toward health care—but not for long.
“I got into a biology class and immediately knew it wasn’t for me,” he said. He decided to major in communication instead.
Education didn’t even cross his mind until he began a college job at his hometown Long Beach Unified School District. There, he worked with first-generation students, primarily students of color, from challenged socioeconomic backgrounds, helping them realize their potential for college.
“A lot of the students at the school I was assigned to were really smart, really talented and gifted,” he said. “But, because of their background, [they] had a lot of doubt instilled in them that college wasn’t as attainable as they thought it was.
“That was the turning point for me,” he added. “It inspired me to go into education.”
A frigid stop on the career path
For a couple of post-grad years, Robinson put his communications degree to work at the Long Beach Medical Association and the adjacent children’s hospital. He enjoyed the work, but something was missing.
When his partner received a job promotion in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Robinson, a born-raised-and-resident south Californian took the opportunity to try something new.
He enrolled in a master’s program at St. Cloud State University and traveled 1,858 miles away from California comfort.
It was an adjustment, to say the least, especially for someone who had only seen snow once before.
“Everyone warned me about Minnesota winters,” Robinson said. “I thought they would just be Hallmark movie moments where you go to a coffee shop and get hot chocolate and all of the cute festivities. That was not the case.”
Nevertheless, Robinson, his partner and his newly adopted dog, Bailey, found their place. And his master’s program was phenomenal, instilling in him the confidence and the competencies to begin the next chapter of his career.
Joshua Robinson’s dog Bailey, right, helped him make St. Cloud, Minnesota feel like home.
Back to school
Robinson moved to Colorado to take a job at Colorado State University’s Pueblo campus. He then moved to Glenwood Springs, where he worked at the Colorado Mountain College. He also decided to return to school for a doctoral degree and enrolled at the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education.
He passed his dissertation proposal hearing in October and began research on the ways policy impacts marginalized student communities. Specifically, Robinson is studying how Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and their administrators can center equity in their work—and do it in a meaningful, non-performative way.
It’s a reflection of the approach he takes to his own work.
“The areas that I’ve always been interested in have always been service-based,” he said. “What keeps me going is knowing that I’m doing good for others. Despite any challenges I may face in writing a dissertation or going through the doctorate program or in a role, [what’s important] is doing good by the people I am meant to support and the communities I want to support.”
When he’s not working, Robinson enjoys paddleboarding, snowboarding, gaming, spending time with his dogs and, yes, going to brunch. He also has a Price is Right appearance to his credit and a deep passion for reality TV. One day, he would love to appear on Big Brother or a “house husband show.”
“But until that time comes,” he said, smiling, “I will be working in higher education.”