Staff Story Archives

New Director Keeps Students “At the Table”

Niki Amarantides, the new director of the Center for Learning, comes to Seattle Pacific University from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

In her role as the director of KEY Student Services at Evergreen, Amarantides assisted a wide range of people, including low-income students, students with disabilities, ethnically diverse students, and first-generation college students.

“I’ve always had a heart for marginalized people,” says Amarantides. “For people on the outside, and people struggling to adapt to new environments.”

Amarantides’ early work with “people on the outside” ranged from helping Ugandan refugees in Mississippi to working in adult literacy in Baltimore, Maryland. In Baltimore, Amarantides realized the true impact of education.

“Through my work with adult literacy, I saw people change their lives and the lives of their families,” Amarantides states. “It was powerful.”

Amarantides says she chose to work at SPU partly because she sees the value of Christian higher education. By exposing students to the intellectual integrity of Christian thinkers, she explains, “students realize that their thoughts have value and credence in the marketplace of ideas.”

Still, it can be difficult for some students to be at Seattle Pacific. She empathizes with students struggling to be here financially, spiritually, and academically.

“I try to approach my work in the Center for Learning from the standpoint of hospitality,” says Amarantides. “I tell students who don’t feel like they fit, ‘If we’ve invited you, then you have a chair at the table.’”

Part of the role the Center for Learning plays is to help students stay at the table. Amarantides and her team oversee three key areas of support for students: tutoring, study skills and learning consultations, and academic accommodations for students with disabilities. The Writing Center is also located at the Center for Learning.

Regardless of the type of aid students receive — from help with formulating ideas for papers to assistance with taking notes in class — Amarantides strives to have the Center for Learning be a welcoming place where all students can form positive study habits and gain effective strategies for their time at SPU.

“College can be a transformative time,” says Amarantides. “We want to see students stay, thrive, and graduate. The Center for Learning is ready to help students succeed at SPU.”


Past faculty story: A Taste of Change: Students Return Home from Jeff Jordan, Ed.D. Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Student Life

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