May 11, 2021 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Teresa Boyett has worked at UofSC for more than four decades – ever since she moved to the Columbia area from her hometown of Gilbert, South Carolina and graduated from Midlands Technical College. Her first position was with the Pendleton Street Parking Garage in 1979. Boyett then spent more than nine years at the College of Nursing.
By 1989, Boyett had found her home in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) as Graduate Admissions Coordinator – a position she still holds today, 32 years later. In this role, Boyett works with prospective students who are interested in the graduate programs offered by the COMD department: Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (Residential & Distance Education) and Ph.D. in COMD. Her involvement ranges from recruitment activities (e.g., open houses, zoom meetings, speaking with interested students in various UofSC undergraduate programs) to guiding prospective students through the application process.
The faculty and staff in our department are like a family where I have formed some lasting friendships.
-Teresa Boyett, Graduate Admissions Coordinator for COMD
As the department’s Master Schedule Coordinator, Boyett serves as the primary point of contact between COMD and the Registrar’s Office to schedule and update every COMD course. She also works with graduate director Dirk den Ouden to arrange advisement sessions and documentation for faculty and students.
In the beginning of Boyett’s COMD career, she carried out her work using paper and pencil, telephones, in-person meetings, and snail mail. Gradually, through her own contributions, she watched the programs grow and become paperless while her responsibilities broadened to include advisement and curriculum – guiding students through the program from start to finish.
“Teresa Boyett is one of those employees that you wonder how the department could function without them,” says COMD chair Jean Neils-Strunjas. “Two of Teresa’s most important roles is coordinating graduate admissions and coordinating advisement. As an accredited graduate program, these functions must run smoothly and have documentation every step of the way. Teresa carries out related tasks with perfection!”
Boyett’s favorite part of the job is working with students as they transition from prospective students to becoming highly skilled speech-language pathologists through the rigorous master’s programs.
“They make many sacrifices to obtain this degree,” she says. “I have been here to see our graduates become supervisors of our students in outside clinical sites and some of our past graduates are even faculty members.”
Over the years, Boyett became an avid Gamecock fan. She shares her passion for Carolina with her daughter, who is a UofSC alumna, and her twin grandsons. Boyett has also enjoyed working with the faculty, staff and leadership members she has encountered during her 32 years with COMD.
“The faculty and staff in our department are like a family where I have formed some lasting friendships,” Boyett says. “The faculty and staff are great to work with and genuinely care about each other.”
The Staff Spotlight Series is sponsored by the Arnold School's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.