Laura Jones has had the responsibility of training 4,000 volunteers for the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials. Now, she might be looking to manage student affairs at a university of more than 28,000 students.
Jones, the interim dean of students at the University of Oregon, visited campus yesterday to meet with students as a candidate for the Dean of Students at the University of Michigan.
At the University of Oregon, Jones serves on the Division of Student Affairs senior leadership team, according to a biography released by the University of Michigan. Jones concurrently holds the position of director of the Office of Student Life.
Prior to her involvement in student affairs at the University of Oregon, Jones was the assistant director of housing and director of residence life for eight years at the University of California at Berkeley. Jones also has had experience in student affairs at the University of California at Davis, the University of Vermont and Miami University (Ohio).
She earned her master’s degree in student personnel services in higher education from the University of Vermont and her Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Oregon.
Hoping to translate her current position to the University of Michigan, Jones is in contention with two other candidates.
Karen Boyd, the former senior associate dean for student life at the Georgia Institute of Technology, visited yesterday and also spoke with students over lunch.
Richard Walker, assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Miami, is the third dean finalist and will be at the Michigan Union today.
The University, in conjunction with Greenwood/Asher and Associates — a consulting company — formed a search committee last fall to hire a replacement for the former Dean of Students Sue Eklund, who retired last year.
This week’s meet-and-greet lunches have given University of Michigan students the opportunity to actively participate in the hiring process.