The past few weeks, students have had the opportunity to provide their input as Saint Louis University chooses its next vice president of student development. Three candidates have sat in open forums with faculty, staff and students since Feb. 7, listening to concerns and addressing the needs of the SLU community.
Director of the School of Social Work Susan Tebb, Ph.D., was chosen by University Provost Joe Weixlmann, Ph.D., to chair the search committee that will recommend the next student development VP. Weixlmann, along with University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., will make the final choice.
Each candidate has sat in on two open forums: one for faculty and staff, and a second for students.
“We’re open to everyone’s opinions because we all have to work with this person,” Tebb said. The VP of student development has a diverse range of responsibilities at the University, Tebb explained: He or she must interact with staff and administration at all levels, while also devoting himself or herself to the student body. The VP of student development not only nurtures the programs that contribute to students’ personal growth, but is also in a position to advocate for the students as a link between students and administrators.
The VP of student development oversees virtually every department related to student affairs, including Housing and Residence Life, Campus Recreation, Student Life, the Busch Student Center, Community Outreach Center, Student Health and Counseling Center, Campus Ministry and Student Judicial Affairs.
The position also entails the oversight of University contract services. These include University Dining Services, the University Bookstore and independent vendors in the BSC.
The VP of student development must also have experience managing a sizeable budget, Tebb said, as the VP is responsible for coordinating the budget and business functions of the Division of Student Development.
According to the lengthy job description that was posted for the open position, the VP of student development must also provide “leadership, creativity and vision to support the continued growth of student development programs and student organizations, and the sustenance of Greek life,” in addition to “maintaining a strong commitment to the development and welfare of students through the Jesuit mission and to the goal of educating the whole person.”
Tebb said that it is “important that the candidate is familiar with the mission of our Jesuit University-that they do acknowledge it, even if they haven’t worked at a Catholic university before.”
Of the four candidates currently in consideration for the position, two are from SLU and two are external candidates.
On Monday, Tom Jackson, current vice president of student affairs at Texas A&M University, visited campus to interview with faculty, staff and students. The SLU community had, in previous weeks, the opportunity to attend forums with two current SLU administrators who are applying for the position: Associate General Counsel Greg Patterson on Feb. 7 and Associate Vice President of Student Life Phil Lyons on Feb. 27.
Attendees of the forums are given an evaluation sheet with which they can rank the candidate in terms of skills and experience, after they have participated in the informal question-and-answer session.
The evaluation criteria include both the specific and the general, ranging from “demonstrated record of ability to lead and manage a staff with diverse responsibilities” to “potential to meet the particular development needs of SLU’s student community.”
The fourth and final candidate, Vice President of Student Affairs at Northwest Missouri State University Kent Porterfield, will be on campus on Wednesday, March 8, and Thursday, March 9. The open forum for students will take place from 5-6 p.m. on Thursday, and the location will be announced next week.
“People have been very open and very honest,” Tebb said of the forums that have taken place thus far. “I think that that speaks for the [University].”
Tebb’s search committee is nine persons strong and includes Student Government Association President Cari Johns, Director of Housing and Residence Life Argyle Wade, Director of Student Life Leanna Fenneberg and Paaige Turner, Ph.D., professor in the department of communication.
The position opened up after the conclusion of the 2004-2005 school year, when then-student development VP Kathy Humphrey left SLU to take up the post of vice provost and dean of students at the University of Pittsburgh. She worked at SLU for 11 years, first serving as the director of Housing and Residence Life.