• IUB Newsroom »
• Lori Reesor named IU's new vice provost for student affairs and dean of students

Lori Reesor named IU's new vice provost for student affairs and dean of students

• May 16, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Lori M. Reesor, currently the vice president for student affairs at the University of North Dakota, has been named vice provost for student affairs and dean of students at Indiana University Bloomington, pending formal approval by the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

Reesor succeeds Harold “Pete” Goldsmith, dean of students at IU since 2009, who will retire June 30.

“Lori comes to IU with the perfect combination of higher-education experience, compassion and a record of success in implementing student success initiatives,” said IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel. “We’re thrilled to welcome her to the IU community and look forward to her continuing our campus-wide efforts to promote inclusion and expand services to ensure the success of every IU student.”

"I am absolutely delighted to welcome Lori to campus and look forward to collaborating with her and our colleagues in student affairs on creating an amazing undergraduate experience," said vice provost for undergraduate education and search committee chair Dennis Groth.

The vice provost for student affairs and dean of students leads the 13 departments and more than 150 programs and services of the Division of Student Affairs, serving IU Bloomington’s domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students. The dean of students also works closely with the provost, deans and other vice provosts to coordinate partnerships, programming and policy to support all students.

Among numerous other projects and programs, Reesor will continue Goldsmith’s recent efforts to increase the reach of the student-created, staff-led Culture of Care initiative, which emphasizes peer respect, support and intervention. She’ll also cultivate diversity and inclusion efforts across campus; oversee implementation of system-wide bias-incident reporting for all IU campuses; and support the Campus Community Coalition, which fosters positive relationships between students living off campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Reesor said she plans to spend a lot of time meeting with and listening to students, faculty and staff to help her identify priority needs, opportunities and challenges that will shape longer-term action plans.

“At the same time, I know some important initiatives are underway,” Reesor said. “I hope to continue the good work that has been done, especially in the areas of student engagement, diversity and inclusion, and creating a safe and welcoming environment for all.” 

Previously, Reesor served as an associate vice provost for student success at the University of Kansas; associate dean in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s School of Education, where she also served as assistant dean and adjunct instructor; and dean of students at Wichita State University.

“As a first-generation college student, I know the impact higher education had on my life,” said Reesor, who earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, her master’s from Iowa State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, with two certificates from Harvard University. “I learned so much about myself and the world through the college experience. I love the energy, insight and passion students bring to campus. My mission is to help them reach their goals and be successful at IU.” 

In her current role at the University of North Dakota, Reesor and her leadership team achieved record enrollments and increased diversity numbers, increased retention rates and created the first associate vice president for diversity and inclusion. She also partnered to create a one-stop student services unit in collaboration with the Department of Academic Affairs and Department of Finance and Operations, and she worked toward two new city ordinances related to high-risk alcohol use, which decreased reported incidents of binge drinking among underage students. 

“While the academic mission is obviously most important, we need to ensure we are taking care of the whole student, both inside and outside the classroom,” Reesor said. “We need to make sure all students feel welcomed and safe, while providing opportunities for leadership development and understanding what it means to be global citizens. Student Affairs plays an important role in creating this experience for our students, and I look forward to leading this effort.”