The Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. Kimberly Scott, aims to synthesize the academic and curricular experiences of students. She plans to hold listening sessions and drop-in conversations with students that will help develop long-term goals for their success and opportunities to enhance their UMassD experience.
Dr. Kimberly Scott, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and higher education administrator for nearly 30 years, understands that students spend almost 60% of their lives outside the classroom. In her new role at UMass Dartmouth, one of her primary goals is to synthesize students’ academic and curricular experiences.
“The overall mission of student affairs is to help students find meaning in their college courses by engaging as leaders in what is known as the extracurricular laboratory,” she said. “We want them to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real work and civic engagement experiences, research opportunities, and campus activities and events. We hope to open the eyes, hearts, minds, and spirits of all students to campus life where they will find their voice, passion, and calling by engaging on campus and beyond in the UMass community. Dartmouth.
Extensive experience in leading teams and building partnerships
In an announcement to the campus community, Chancellor Mark A. Fuller said he was “deeply impressed with the depth of Dr. Scott’s experience leading student affairs teams as well as the strong partnerships that she has established with faculty and academic affairs to promote student success.Throughout her career, Dr. Scott has demonstrated a student-centered, collaborative, and data-driven approach to enhance the student experience, always cultivating strong relationships with the student body and creating a supportive and energizing team environment for its staff.
Scott has experienced first-hand the life-changing opportunities of continuing students. She holds a BA from Ashland College, where she majored in philosophy and sociology, a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Akron, and a doctorate in higher education. from Ohio University.
“I too entered the academy as a low-income first-generation student, graduated from college, and gained an even greater understanding of myself, the passion of my life and my commitment to ensuring others have the same life-changing opportunities that I had during my educational journey,” Scott said. “We are at a pivotal moment in the history of the UMass Dartmouth as Chancellor Fuller works to better position our institutional resources to further the public education mission to transform the lives of our students and the UMass Dartmouth community,” she said.
Scott began her new role last month and comes to UMass Dartmouth from famed Tuskegee University in Alabama, a private, historically black and culturally inclusive university, where she served as vice president of student affairs. In her new role, where she will oversee 13 departments including the Career Center, Counseling Center, Food Services, Housing and Residential Education, and over 170 student organizations, Scott is responsible for leading the student experience, to better meet the needs of today’s students and to foster a campus climate where all students can live, learn and thrive.
Plans are in place for walk-in sessions, new initiatives and long-term goals
To begin, Student Affairs will host a series of listening sessions on campus and in residence halls and Scott will be available on Friday afternoons for drop-in conversations with students to hear their feedback, ideas and their concerns. From these conversations, she plans to develop long-term goals for student success and opportunities to enhance the student experience while working collaboratively with campus and community partners.
For now, she is rebooting the @umasssdstudents Instagram; create a new Facebook group for parents and family; establishing new living and learning communities in residences, including Women in STEM and Project Impact; developing new civic and professional opportunities for students with alumni; expand Chance for Change mentorship with the Student Government Association; the creation of a Quad Squad to extend outdoor activities to the green; and improving programs and services for commuting students.
“Student affairs is central to the university’s mission as we partner with the entire community to provide an integrated approach to the undergraduate, graduate and law school student experience that begins at the entry into UMass Dartmouth and continues with carefully thought out opportunities. to engage students as scholars and leaders. I want every student at UMass Dartmouth to have a stronger sense of community; stronger relationships with peers, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni; and an infectious pride in the UMass Dartmouth experience.
According to Scott, the initial priorities of the Office of Student Affairs are:
- Recruit and retain a diverse student body
- Promote a healthy, safe and welcoming campus community
- Increase opportunities for career development, leadership, learning and civic engagement
- Advance social justice, diversity and inclusion and teach advocacy and change leadership
- Advocate for infrastructure that better supports campus engagement
Scott appreciates the diversity and collegial spirit of UMass Dartmouth
While Scott has spent most of her career in the Midwest and a decade in the Southeast, she is thrilled to join the UMass Dartmouth community in the heart of New England. “I look forward to the beauty of all seasons that comes with being in Dartmouth, MA,” she said. “I enjoyed the first few weeks of meeting students, faculty, and staff at the university as it gave me great insight into the UMass Dartmouth experience. The diversity and collegial spirit of our community has been great. I am fascinated by the number of first-generation students, faculty, and employees, the first in their families to attend and/or graduate from college.
At Tuskegee, Dr. Scott led the development of the Division of Student Affairs’ strategic plan with a focus on shaping departments to improve customer service, promote student well-being, and increase leadership and service-learning programs and opportunities. She also expanded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including the creation of a DEI committee and peer leader program, and developed initiatives for parents, families and the guardians. Dr. Scott has worked extensively with the Provost and University Deans of Tuskegee to ensure alignment between curriculum, orientation programs, and extracurricular and career path initiatives.
Prior to her tenure at Tuskegee, Dr. Scott served as Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA; as Vice President and Dean of Students at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA; and as Dean of Students at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.
On-campus conversations with Dr. Kimberly Scott will take place on:
Tuesday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. @ The Grove
Tuesday, April 5 at 6:00 p.m. @ The Grove
Additionally, students can drop by his office at the MacLean Campus Center for a chat every Friday from 3-5 p.m.
