UF is bringing candidates to be the new vice president of Student Affairs to campus.
Dave Kratzer, the current vice president for Student Affairs, announced he will retire in June, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email. Three candidates are being considered for the new position.
The three are Lori Reesor, the current vice president for Student Affairs at the University of North Dakota; Kent Porterfield, the current vice president for student development at St. Louis University; and Dave Parrott, the current executive associate vice president for Student Affairs and chief of staff at Texas A&M University. All three are visiting UF this month.
Reesor came to UF on Wednesday to present why she should be considered for the role to about 60 faculty members. She said she wants UF faculty to know about campus diversity and make faculty more accessible to students.
Reesor said her background as a teacher allows her to connect well with students and university faculty.
“I’ve always taught,” she said. “That’s always been a really important part of my experience as well. It forces me to stay current.”
She said she wants to evaluate where Student Affairs is spending money.
“Unless we get more resources, we can’t just keep doing more with less,” Reesor said.
She said faculty should aim to be more inclusive of UF’s diverse students, who need to be treated with respect.
“Those microaggressions are happening in the classroom, so it’s our role in Student Affairs to help those students feel welcome and supported,” she said.
She said she wants to limit the number of faculty students need to contact when trying to find answers.
“As the work has gotten more complex, we’ve become more narrow in our expertise,” Reesor said.
She also said she wants students to feel included at UF.
“Our job is to create an experience in where students fall in love with the institution, and they want to stay connected,” she said.
Sara Tanner, the director of marketing and communications for Student Affairs at UF, said she was excited to see all of the potential candidates for vice president in the coming weeks.
“There’s some big shoes to fill,” she said.
She said she wants the students to have the best possible leader as vice president.
“This is the best of the best that we’re bringing here to campus,” she said.
Porterfield’s open forum will be Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Smathers Library, Room 100. Parrott’s open forum will be Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Bryan Hall, Room 130.
