Ten years ago, the Costs left the familiar comfort of their home just outside of Philadelphia, where they raised a family and planted roots, to start a new chapter in Jacksonville, Fla. Their arrival created a buzz on campus. From the beginning, it was clear they were different, and serious about making meaningful, positive changes.
“He brought life back into this institution,” said DaVina Hamilton ’09, who was working in Admissions at the time and now serves as Associate Dean of Students. “The energy behind his ideas about bringing us to the next level, you could sense that he was actually committed to doing that and then you saw him do it.”
Hamilton remembers an eye-opening moment early in President Cost’s tenure when he made an observation about the walkability of campus.
“He said ‘well if students are just walking through the grass that way, then why don’t we put a sidewalk there?’ And I thought ‘Wow, this man is paying attention!’ He’s observing the landscape and actually doing something about it,” Hamilton recalled.
The strategy was straightforward: put students at the center of every decision. President Cost spent much of his time listening to students – what they need, how they like to study and learn, and what they like to eat. Then he acted on their input.
He brought Chick-fil-A and Starbucks to campus to expand dining options. He created more spaces for students to study, socialize, eat, and collaborate, especially outdoors. The waterfront was cleared to create Dolphin Beach and Cost Trail so that students can enjoy the majestic St. Johns River and the Florida sunshine. And over the past decade, every residence hall on the campus has been overhauled with renovations and upgrades.
The River House – a long-empty residential space once used to house JU presidents – was transformed into an event space and pub where students can gather, study and enjoy views of the river.
More than strategy, the student-focused philosophy guides the President's day-to-day interactions on campus. “I can read all the real-time dashboards, get all the data, but nothing beats being around our students,” President Cost said in a recent interview. “They’re with their friends, they’re getting ready for class. That’s when I feel that this is truly a premier university, being around the students.”
“He’s visible on campus. Whether he’s talking to a student, an ARAMARK employee or anyone, he makes you feel like the most important person in the room,” said Dr. Kristie Gover, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. President Cost elevated Dr. Gover to his senior cabinet during his first week on the job, empowering her to serve as an advocate for students at the highest level of the institution. “When he gives out his cell phone number at New Student Orientation to the entire incoming freshman class and all of their families, he genuinely means ‘reach out to me if you need anything,” Dr. Gover said. “He wants their voices to be heard.”
Never too busy
As President and First Lady, the Costs have extremely busy schedules involving public appearances, speeches, and meetings with partners, influential leaders, and decision-makers. But they are never too busy to spend time with students.
“He rides around in his golf cart and he’ll pick students up on the way to wherever they’re going just so he can have those one-on-one moments with students,” said Hamilton. “It’s the way students feel about interacting with him that changes the game. We haven’t seen that since Fran Kinne.”
Students take selfies with the President on campus, visit his office for an impromptu chat, shake his hand at baseball games, and text him about important needs – like the freshman who informed him one of the washing machines was malfunctioning because it oddly turned a load of clothes pink.
Together, the Costs offer their time and unfettered access. Mrs. Cost mentors students and helps them develop soft skills that will serve them well throughout their lives and careers. She helped guide the development of a comprehensive First Year Experience program to help incoming students connect with the JU community, and every year she devotes time to celebrate women on campus with the University’s Women’s History Month programming.
“Working with students gives me great hope for the future,” Mrs. Cost recently said. “I am much more positive about where we'll be in 10 years than I would've been otherwise.”
The Costs treat every conversation with a student as an opportunity to gain insight into how the University can support them. President Cost also spends considerable time researching generational trends – everything from mental health to technology and behavioral psychology of today’s 16, 17 and 18 year olds. He has regular meetings with Dr. Gover and her team to discuss what’s going on with students at JU and among college students across the country.
“I think that makes him a better President, because he understands their needs and he understands how we can best support them,” Dr. Gover said.
Those conversations help guide investment. When concerns over mental health grew in the wake of the COVID pandemic, President Cost directed investment in the expansion of counseling services to offer more virtual options for students to access counseling support at all hours.
And it’s the little things that matter. With something as simple as picking up a piece of trash on the ground, the Costs demonstrate how much they care about every detail and they encourage others to do the same. Under the Costs, JU isn’t just a university. It’s our university.
“I think the President instills a sense of pride in the work that we do,” Dr. Gover said. “I’m proud to say that I work at Jacksonville University, that I work under his leadership. People know who we are and have a respect for the contributions that the University makes to the community. I think our students feel that, too.”
