Anderson named finalist in vice chancellor for student affairs search

· 3 min read

Anderson named finalist in vice chancellor for student affairs search

Dee Dee Anderson

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has reopened its search for vice chancellor for student affairs. Dee Dee Anderson, recent special adviser to the president and vice president for Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, will visit campus Aug. 7-8.

She will participate in multiple-day interviews that include a public presentation, which begins at 11 a.m. Aug. 8 in the Nebraska Union Swanson Auditorium on City Campus. A virtual option will be available.

Additional candidate information, including curriculum vitae and candidate evaluation form, is available on the vice chancellor for student affairs search website.

"I would like to thank Chancellor Bennett for bringing this new candidate forward," said Executive Vice Chancellor Katherine Ankerson. "His previous experience in Student Affairs, coupled with leading the University of Southern Mississippi, position him with the breadth and depth of experience to identify Dr. Anderson as a priority candidate."

Anderson was special adviser to the president and vice president for Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi. As vice president, she provided oversight and supervision for more than 300 professional staff, 500 student employees, 15 functional departments, and a budget of $36 million. She also served as a professor of practice for the School of Education in the College of Education and Human Sciences. Anderson led her team in fulfilling the mission of the Division of Student Affairs in developing healthy, connected, learning-focused students and communities. Through co-curricular programs and services, the Division of Student Affairs partnered with Academic Affairs in helping a diverse population of students achieve success both inside and outside of the classroom.

Prior to her tenure at the University of Southern Mississippi, Anderson worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga serving in multiple leadership positions including interim vice chancellor of Student Affairs, associate vice chancellor, and dean of students. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she served as a senior leader on issues involving student engagement and success, student conduct, health and wellness, and residential life. She began her career at Louisiana Tech University working in Residential Life and serving as the dean of student development.

An accomplished leader in higher education, Anderson's broad experiences are complemented by leadership positions in various professional associations and community service organizations. She is an active member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators where she served on the AVP Steering Committee, Region III Awards Committee, and served as the 2015 AVP PreCon Chair. She was a member of the Miss Hospitality Board and the American Heart Association Pine Belt Board. In 2017, she received the Women in Higher Education Tennessee Women of Achievement Award. She served as a peer reviewer for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges representing student services.

Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in elementary education, a Master of Arts in industrial and organizational psychology, and a doctorate in education leadership from Louisiana Tech University.

The vice chancellor reports to the executive vice chancellor and is responsible for a dynamic Student Affairs operation with a budget of more than $120 million and a staff of 600 full-time managerial, office, and service professionals and 1,700 student employees. The vice chancellor will support an increasingly diverse student body and foster a healthy, inclusive, student-centered campus environment that supports academic excellence.

The vice chancellor will provide leadership and direction to the division including strategic planning, assessment, and staff development. The vice chancellor is a highly engaged and visible advocate for students who will advance Nebraska’s access and affordability mission, as well as embrace the university’s Husker traditions and valued partnerships within the city of Lincoln and the state.

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