Effective Jan. 26, Dean of Students and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Sharron Evans has left Iowa State University, officially beginning the position of vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
According to the UIC Today, local campus news, “As vice chancellor for student affairs at UIC, Evans will oversee a comprehensive portfolio that includes student support services, residence life, health and wellness, leadership development, civic engagement and career readiness.”
“As someone who grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and earned my law degree from UIC, returning to serve this extraordinary institution is deeply meaningful,” Evans said to UIC Today. “I am energized by UIC’s commitment to access and innovation and thrilled to partner with our talented community to elevate the student experience and help every student reach their fullest potential.”
In the interim role of dean of students and associate vice president of student affairs is Kipp Van Dyke.
“Former Dean Sharron Evans did a great job of providing transition information prior to her departure,” Van Dyke said.
Evans now joins the list of Iowa State staff who have moved closer to home or their families. This includes incoming President David Cook and former football coach Matt Campbell.
The transition to filling Evans’ role was smooth.
“Prior to this interim role, I was the associate dean of students for Student Assistance and Academic Success, so I was already working closely with a variety of the DSO staff and other campus partners, so overall has been a pretty routine transition,” Van Dyke said.
Evans first started at Iowa State in 2020. See previous Daily reporting for more information. Van Dyke reflected on the time Evans spent in student affairs.
“Dean Evans was very strategic in her leadership, and I was fortunate to work closely with her during her time to see how she led the efforts,” Van Dyke said.
“I worked with her and other DSO leadership in our implementation of the curricular approach to the work we do to ensure our work is not only serving students, but also in that process measuring learning that occurs,” Van Dyke said. “She also was instrumental in working with other campus partners on the emergency contact process as the campus transitioned to Workday to ensure we have accurate and up-to-date information for our students in the event there is an emergency.”
Further support was explained, from student assistance transitions to the Hixson-Lied Building, to free services and catering to the needs of students and staff.
“A national search for the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students will commence this spring. On-campus interviews will be scheduled before the end of the spring semester, and we will invite students to participate in the process,” Toyia Younger, senior vice president of student affairs, said.
