Student Affairs

Student Affairs

The stakes have been raised for student affairs leaders, as the needs and expectations of students (and their families) have multiplied greatly in recent years. Exceptional student affairs officers champion student engagement and success, collaborate effectively with faculty and academic administrators, and help students and other constituents co-create inclusive educational campus communities. They engage and inspire their campus peers to organize policies and services – from diversity and inclusion to community engagement to mental health – that amplify and maximize the conditions for student success. 

WittKieffer is proud to work side by side with institutions across academia to identify and support these dynamic, collaborative and nimble leaders who build trust and form strong partnerships to advance coordinated and meaningful student-centered initiatives. In addition to decades of experience in conducting student affairs leadership searches, many of our consultants hail from careers in student affairs and intimately understand the nuances of the field.  

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Success Story

Martin Jarmond – Director of Athletics, UCLA
Jarmond Embracing Expectations at UCLA, Connecting with Fans

Since taking over as Director of Athletics at UCLA in 2020, Martin Jarmond has embraced the challenge of returning Bruins athletics to glory, and made it a priority to create excitement around the teams with alumni and fans. This commitment was front and center during the early rounds of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament when Jarmond connected with a UCLA fan via Twitter to provide tickets to the team’s “first four” match up on March 18th, a game where the opponent had significantly more fans in attendance. If history is any indication, UCLA fans can expect more of this in the future.

Victoria Chun – Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics, Yale University
Academics, Social Justice Top Priorities for Trailblazing Yale AD

In 2018, when Victoria M. “Vicky” Chun, was appointed Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics, following a nationwide search in partnership with WittKieffer, she became the first woman and first Asian American to serve in that role at Yale University. Under her leadership, 17 Bulldog teams earned Public Recognition Awards in the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rates (APR) report. In just over a year and a half of athletic competition during Chun’s tenure, Yale has won 10 conference championships, 10 postseason victories and two national titles. Furthermore, the Athletic Department promotes social justice and inclusion through Yale Bulldogs for Change, an initiative designed to celebrate diversity and encourage positive change through the shared experiences of participating Yale athletes.

Intercollegiate Athletics Resources

Connect with a Practice Leader

Our expertise in college athletics executive search comes from our search work as well as experience in athletics leadership roles. Practice leader Jeff Compher is a former NCAA Division I athletic director who supports each client with insight and candor.

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Prospective Candidates

Learn more about leadership opportunities at the institutions we serve.

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