Announcement Regarding Senior Leadership
June 9, 2020
Dear Trinity College Community Members,
I am delighted to announce an integration of the divisions of student affairs and enrollment and student success, as well as a restructured organization to support this effort. The new division will be called Student Success and Enrollment Management, and I am pleased to announce that Joseph DiChristina will lead it as vice president.
When I learned that Angel Pérez would be leaving Trinity to become chief executive officer of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), I was excited for him and so proud of all he had accomplished here, of course. But I admit I was a bit daunted as I contemplated how we would replace him. Then, as I thought more deeply and consulted with many others, I realized this was a moment to consider the opportunity to continue improving our organization and to think strategically about how best to integrate the student experience at Trinity with the ongoing goal of supporting an academically talented and diverse student body.
Joe DiChristina, known to so many of you as Dean Joe, has served with great dedication, skill, and compassion as Trinity’s dean of campus life and vice president for student affairs since 2015. He has dedicated his career to serving students and families in higher education, and he is among the most caring, collegial, and collaborative administrators I’ve ever known.
The new organization represents a strategically holistic approach to the student experience, spanning the entire student life cycle, from the prospective student to the graduate launching into life beyond Trinity. With this new structure, we seek to provide a cohesive and consistently exceptional student experience that will allow students to navigate seamlessly college services such as financial aid and housing and to take full advantage of the opportunities that Trinity provides, including campus programming and activities, internships, and career exploration.
This approach is one that several institutions have taken, among them George Washington University and Syracuse University, to best support students and to strengthen their academic, personal, and professional successes. Trinity’s Student Success and Enrollment Management Division will comprise admissions and financial aid; student success and retention; career development; athletics, physical education, and recreation; campus safety; and the departments of student life. This integrated division is a visible sign of our focus on the whole student who comes to Trinity and the factors necessary, in addition to the academic experience, for a student to thrive here.
This new division will foster important connections and synergies with other divisions on campus. It’s important to note that the integration of these many areas also will result in significant cost savings for the college—which we are particularly mindful of given the anticipated financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—and it reduces by one the number of vice president/senior leadership positions at Trinity. We are fortunate to have strong leaders in every area of this new division who will report to Joe and will bring their talents to bear on this new student success paradigm. Some roles are being restructured to better enable support and management of the entire student experience.
Adrienne Amador Oddi, our dean of admissions, will serve as dean of admissions and financial aid.
Joe Catrino, director of career development, will serve as executive director of the Center for Student Success and Career Development. He will work closely with the Advancement Division, particularly Alumni Relations, and with our analytics center, to monitor retention and student success metrics. He also will work with the adviser to our international students.
Jody Goodman, assistant dean of students and director of the Bantam Network, will serve as dean of student life and director of the Bantam Network. She will oversee the Counseling and Wellness Center; the Health Center; housing; accessibility; Spiritual and Religious Life; and Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership (SAIL).
Rob Lukaskiewicz, associate dean of students, will serve as dean of community life and standards, overseeing student conduct/standards, campus life and Greek life, and campus safety. He will work closely with our Title IX office, which eventually will be under the leadership of Anita Davis, our vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ann Reuman, senior associate dean of students, will continue her work with helping our students navigate academic challenges with care and compassion and will serve as senior associate dean and special assistant to the vice president, supporting division-wide projects.
Drew Galbraith will continue his role as director of athletics and chair of physical education.
I owe thanks to many as I share this news, starting with Joe DiChristina and those who will be serving in expanded or restructured roles in this new organization. Thanks as well to all who offered their advice and input, including the leadership team of the existing Division of Enrollment and Student Success, members of the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee and of the Student Government Association, and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Congratulations to Joe and the entire division. This is the start of an exciting and bold new chapter for Trinity. We are all entrusted with the privilege of creating a successful student experience by championing a holistic, inclusive, and caring community at Trinity. As Angel so often reminded us, it takes a village! I am calling on the Trinity village to support our newly integrated team in the Division of Student Success and Enrollment Management!
Sincerely,
Joanne Berger-Sweeney
President and Trinity College Professor of Neuroscience
