UC People: Idriss Njike, community builder and mentor

By Karen Trachtenberg, UCLA

Last spring, Idriss Njike was enjoying himself at a UCLA Residential Life staff reunion, surrounded by a few hundred friends. Someone in the crowd was eyeing him intently, but Njike didn’t recognize him. Finally, the man walked over.

You changed my life, he said. Njike, executive director of UCLA Residential Life and First Year Experience, was taken aback.

Years earlier, the man, now a Bruin alum, had been a student worker. Njike had overheard him talking to a colleague about how much he really wanted one of the “True Bruin Welcome” T-shirts that were reserved for certain staff members — and he immediately snagged one for him.

In that moment, the man said, he felt so seen and connected that he decided to become a resident assistant on the Hill, had the best time and even met his wife while on the job — a reminder that the simplest kind gesture can inspire an incredible chain of events. He told Njike that he’d always remember him as the guy who influenced his path at UCLA with a thoughtful act.

It is through those seemingly small acts and attention to detail that one member of the Bruin community may be the first to notice when another is struggling and can make a difference, Njike said. And that is the zone where Njike works his particular magic — making sure people know they are seen, valued and connected.

In his role working directly with students, he oversees strategic planning, program development and community building for a vibrant community of more than 23,000 student residents, supported by 110 professional staff, 18 faculty members in residence and more than 600 student staff.

As his colleagues will tell you, Njike lives and breathes the True Bruin value of belonging. He is a community builder, a connector and a collaborator who makes the people around him around feel not just welcome, but that they belong.

“Belonging is the foundation, and thriving is the goal,” Njike said. His work in Residential Life is a testament to that philosophy.

Always there, always aware

Njike wants every student to know that they’re part of a community where their presence — or absence — is noticed. Under his guidance, Residential Life focuses on three core pillars to help students feel that sense of belonging as soon as they arrive on campus: ResLife Welcomes, ResLife Connects and ResLife Responds.

Welcoming means engaging regularly with both students and staff and checking in frequently. If a resident assistant notices that a student who normally frequents the lounge has suddenly gone quiet, for example, it’s time to call or knock on their door to make sure they’re OK. Connecting happens through everyday interactions, from one-on-one conversations to a host of group programs and events. Responding means ensuring that people feel supported when something goes wrong and they need help or answers, with multiple staff members on call around the clock.

From everyday gestures to moments of crisis, when belonging, recognition and support become especially urgent, Njike and his team are there. He has spent years building connections with campus and housing partners to ensure that students get help when they need it.

When a crisis occurs, his team acts quickly and coordinates seamlessly with other campus services to help. Even when the moment has passed, Njike said, the support doesn’t stop. Staff are always there to help students and others in the community who have been impacted by a difficult situation.

“We want students to know that sometimes they will need our help, and we’ll be there to step in and support them,” he said.

Keeping staff engaged

In the same vein, Njike stresses that Residential Life must wholeheartedly support its staff. As a leader, staff wellness is one of his top priorities — and he makes a habit of reminding his colleagues how happy he is to work with them. Njike said his own “why” centers on helping people thrive, however they can, both professionally and personally. He regularly encourages his team to share what they need so that they can be at their best and function at a high level.

“We must take care of our staff first, because they are the ones taking care of our students,” he said.

A winding road to UCLA

As a student, Njike immigrated to the U.S. from Douala, Cameroon, to pursue a degree in business at Southwest Minnesota State University and achieve his lifelong dream of becoming an investment banker. He then earned a master’s in finance from Syracuse University and moved to Chicago to try his hand at banking. While there, a friend reached out and encouraged Njike to apply for a role in Residential Life at UCLA.

In college and graduate school, Njike had served as a resident assistant simply because it helped pay his tuition, but he connected with people in such a memorable way that his friend knew instinctively that UCLA would be a perfect fit for him.

To humor his friend, he applied for the role and continued to pursue a “dream job” in banking — until he got a call from Westwood to visit campus. He landed the UCLA job, promising himself that he would give it two years. That was 16 years ago.

A mentor and a mentee

Njike credits his mentor, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Health Suzanne Seplow, as one of the main reasons for his longevity at UCLA, saying she helped him recognize opportunities to keep growing. Her approach — encouraging his growth because of what he could contribute and become rather than UCLA’s need to retain him — mirrors the leadership approach he now uses with his own staff.

“[Suzanne] has pushed me to grow in the most inspiring and respectful way, time and time again,” Njike said. “Her leadership style has shaped my own, and I have become a leader who understands flexibility, autonomy and accountability.”

Now mentoring others, Njike prides himself on building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging by simply being available. Be it a new colleague or a student he sees while walking on the Hill, Njike is always open to reaching out and connecting, and encourages others to do the same.

At an institution like UCLA, where people from vastly different backgrounds come together, Njike leans into open dialogue. When disagreements with colleagues arise, he makes a point of sitting down and conversing with them in a way that preserves their dignity and respect.

For Njike, belonging does not mean comfort, sameness or consensus. “We can keep engaging, even while disagreeing on a specific course of action or ideology,” he said.

Throughout his career at UCLA, Njike has been a perennial example of what it means to look out for one another and cultivate a sense of belonging, both through larger institutional work that has shaped the lives of tens of thousands of students and through the simple, everyday acts of kindness that can matter just as much — whether that’s delivering a pep talk, providing a shoulder to lean on, giving someone a T-shirt or even making crepes for staff and students.

It’s because of staff like him that UC students feel such an enduring connection to the university and are set up for success long after their time on campus has passed.