American University announced the launch of searches for the vice president of student affairs and the vice president of undergraduate enrollment, President Sylvia Burwell wrote in an email to the AU community on Friday.
This search comes after the Jan. 5 announcement that Fanta Aw, vice president of campus life, inclusive excellence and undergraduate enrollment will be departing AU in March. The University is using Aw’s departure as “an opportunity for continued improvement” and has sought feedback from those who work in those offices and use their services.
The positions will be filled on an interim basis until the search is complete. Andrea Felder, the current vice provost of undergraduate enrollment will be interim vice president for undergraduate enrollment. Sarah Baldassaro, Burwell’s current chief of staff, will be interim vice president for student affairs and inclusive excellence. Andrew Toczydlowski will take over for Baldassaro as interim chief of staff and was the director of graduate student success and development.
The three positions will be vice president of student affairs, vice president of undergraduate enrollment and vice president of inclusive excellence, Burwell said. Searches for the vice president of student affairs and the vice president of undergraduate enrollment will be launched immediately, according to Burwell’s email, and will be coordinated by Storbeck, a third party firm with higher education recruitment experience.
One of Aw’s current roles includes vice president of campus life. Burwell’s email did not specify plans for the Office of Campus Life, which Aw oversees.
“We are working on additional details, including the position description, which will include community input,” wrote Matthew Bennett, vice president and chief communications officer at AU, in an email to The Eagle. “The VP of student affairs will lead the current campus life functions. Discussion with stakeholders about possible renaming will take place as we move through the process.”
Representatives from the AU community will also participate in on-campus interviews with candidates selected to move forward in the process and Burwell said the intent is to have the two positions filled by the start of the next academic year.
Burwell wrote the University is finalizing arrangements for the vice president of inclusive excellence and “will share more information in the future.”
“I want to thank the teams in Campus Life, Undergraduate Enrollment, and Inclusive Excellence, as well as all the partners across campus who collaborate with these functions to support our community, for their help, dedication, and flexibility as we conduct the transition,” Burwell wrote.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article was edited by Mackenzie Konjoyan and Jordan Young. Copyediting by Isabelle Kravis, Sarah Clayton and Luna Jinks.
