Ahead of the upcoming school year, the Emory University Office of the Provost announced on July 21 that there would be “several leadership transitions within the division of Campus Life.” According to an email sent to select Student Government Association (SGA) leaders a week earlier, these transitions included the departure of Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Enku Gelaye, Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Belonging, Engagement and Community Kristina Odejimi, Assistant Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Campus Life Lina Vargas and Associate Vice President for Health, Wellbeing, Access and Prevention James Raper. Earlier this summer, former Vice President of Campus Life David Clark also left Emory.
These former administrators redefined well-being on our campus, championed belonging and aligned University policy with student needs. They launched an award-winning campaign to address toxic perfectionism, brought eminent public figures to speak with students and guided students through the COVID-19 pandemic. Their professional accomplishments at Emory are numerous, and many likely remain untold. The sudden and nearly complete elimination of Campus Life leadership, carried out without explanation, risks leaving students without the advocates they need and undermines the transparency that should guide major university decisions.
These administrators’ leadership styles were grounded in authentic relationships with students across campus. As a member of Emory SGA, I watched as they not only listened to student leaders but also sought out those who often felt unheard or unseen in an institution as complex as Emory. When disagreement arose, these leaders responded with humility, engaging in good faith to restore trust and advance Emory’s mission. With empathy and care, they brought an unshakable commitment to the student experience.
Students found out about these changes through leaked emails and social media posts before an official University announcement. When Emory did issue one, it offered only a vague recommitment to the Division of Campus Life. Instead of naming interim leaders, the University outlined a new structure that dispersed Campus Life functions across divisions.
Weeks later, in a message unrelated to these transitions, students learned that Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Heather Mugg is now also “Interim Dean for Student Affairs,” a title that was never formally announced and seems to represent both a renaming and reframing of what was once Campus Life. The quiet rollout of this change, buried at the bottom of an email about campus resources after the shooting at Emory Point, underscores how little transparency has guided this transition.
What has been framed as a temporary redistribution, however, appears to be a more profound reorganization that may last for years. Emory has yet to indicate that it will launch searches for permanent successors. This lack of action doesn’t just affect Campus Life’s work, but the ability to raise student concerns to the highest levels. For example, the Dean of Campus Life served on the President’s Leadership Team, enabling coordination across the University to respond to emerging crises and long-term challenges facing students. Currently, the Interim Dean for Student Affairs is not listed as a member of the President’s Leadership Team on Emory’s website.
This is a moment when Emory’s mission to freely produce knowledge, conduct transformative research and its ability to enroll students from across the world faces a multifaceted attack from the federal government. Now, Emory faces an internal credibility crisis that could be just as damaging if it does not communicate with students. Emory’s leadership and Board of Trustees must recognize that rebuilding the community’s trust is a precondition for responding to external challenges. That begins with a commitment to collaborative leadership. These are not abstract principles, but they are defined principles that Emory has shared with students.
I am not naive to the difficult administrative and financial decisions that must be made under financial and political pressure, including those that affect the student experience. Students perceive uncertainty in Emory’s future as well as the added stress that uncertainty places on faculty, staff and administrators. However, despite these difficulties, the way forward is not to make silent changes to campus life, contributing to the chaos. Instead, clear, transparent and honest communication could mitigate some of that uncertainty.
For example, there may be budget cuts throughout Campus Life due to federal funding pressure, affecting student programming and resources. The University should dispel rumors about what will be cut and reassure students by communicating the urgency and necessity of these changes. It should make those difficult decisions through shared governance, consulting the University Senate, SGA and other governing bodies. While specific details may not yet be available, an acknowledgement of Emory’s financial situation and the necessary actions it will take would go a long way in building trust with students.
In partnership with the broader community, administrators and the Board of Trustees must articulate a long-term vision for Campus Life through a transparent, participatory process. That vision should include defining how the student experience can advance University values and its plan to achieve that. It should include consultation across Emory and purposeful listening to students, faculty and staff. Through collaboration, we can build a rich academic culture, robust student well-being resources and an excellent cocurricular experience.
Emory’s leadership faces defining choices that will shape the institution for years to come. Imagining a new future for University life and rebuilding trust begins with clear communication and a genuine commitment to engage students, staff and faculty as true partners in shaping the student experience.
Contact Sohan Bellam (26C) at sohan.bellam@emory.edu.
