In the coming months and years, one of my priorities as Chancellor will be to ensure our work aligns with promising practices, optimizes efficiency, and best advances our mission to be a place of distinction in education, research, and patient care. The student experience is a paramount facet of that mission as well as an area that continues to evolve with the changing landscape of higher education. To that end, and effective immediately, Dr. Lori White, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, will report directly to me moving forward.
Previously, the Division of Student Affairs reported under the Office of the Provost. While the student experience is certainly an important piece of the academic experience, it is also critical to remember that our students’ needs, well-being, community engagement, and leadership preparation during their time here at WashU are often much more transcendent, holistic, and complex. As we continue to prioritize the myriad aspects of the student experience, it will be essential for Dr. White and the Division of Student Affairs to have a strong relationship with me and, more broadly, the Office of the Chancellor. It will reinforce the role of the vice chancellor for student affairs as the primary point person for student well-being, issues and concerns and also allow us to renew our focus of the provost’s office to be solely academic in nature. I expect the offices of the provost and vice chancellor for student affairs to continue their important partnership in support of Washington University’s world-class educational mission.
This marks an exciting step for both the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost as we double down on our commitment to providing a top-notch, holistic education, and as we streamline our organizational models to better align with our institutional mission and strategic priorities. I’m extremely grateful for Dr. White’s leadership, and I look forward to our future collaboration. She has been, and will continue to be, an invaluable partner to all of us at the university as we continue to make the student experience an exceptional one.