Three candidates are in the running for the role of Associate Vice President (AVP) for Student Life at the University of South Carolina.
The AVP for Student Life is responsible for managing "the administration of all policies, programs, services, facilities, and budgets within the Department of Student Life and leads a dynamic staff," according to the university's website.
The AVP for Student Life directly oversees various student organizations and services, such as Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Leadership and Service Center, the Russell House Union, Multicultural Student Affairs and Garnet Media Group. Garnet Media Group is comprised of The Daily Gamecock, Garnet & Black, SGTV and WUSC. The AVP also reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support, J. Rex Tolliver.
The candidates held on-campus presentations with a Q&A on April 22, 24 and 25. Here's a closer look at all three of the candidates for the AVP of Student Life:
Ambra Hiott
Ambra Hiott, PhD, is the only candidate who has previously worked at the university, and has served as the director of the Leadership and Service Center since 2022.
Hiott said students are at the forefront of her goals for the Department of Student Life during her presentation.
"My vision for the Department of Student Life is that students at the University of South Carolina will drive innovation and progress, empowered by premier student experience rooted in community, tradition and leadership," Hiott said.
`Hiott also said she wants to explore opportunities for faculty to immerse themselves in student life to better serve the student body.
"We can't truly lead students if we're not with them and knowing what their experience is like from start to finish," she sai d.
Hiott said she sees the continued expansion and renovation of Russell House as a priority for the next AVP of Student Life as the student population is increasing in size. Hiott also said the university needs a "sustainable staffing structure" which includes recruiting, onboarding, mentoring and retaining staff members within their first five years.
"I want anybody who interacts with a staff member in the Department of Student Life and the division to realize that we are here to maximize the student experience, continue to innovate, continue to evolve and reach more students," Hiott said.
Carlos Pinkerton
Carlos Pinkerton, PhD, is the executive director for planning, strategy and integrative practices at the College of William and Mary. He has held this position since June 2024. He previously served as an associate dean of students at William and Mary, and before that, held multiple student life related positions at Texas A&M University.
“This particular role at USC was very interesting to me because it’s a combination of all the different things I’ve been able to do,” Pinkerton said. “And I get to flex a different set of muscles in this position.”
In his on-campus presentation, Pinkerton proposed an increase in collaboration between the university’s Student Affairs Division and academic faculty. At Texas A&M, Pinkerton worked with faculty from the Africana studies and sociology departments to research ways to improve the experiences of minority students in the university's residence halls.
“We saw an increase in retention,” Pinkerton said. “We saw an increase and a change in our students’ worldviews. We were also able to see and create better living-learning communities because now we have faculty who are interacting with us in a way that they weren’t previously engaged with us.”
During the Q&A session in his presentation, a faculty member asked Pinkerton how he would balance efforts to improve representation and inclusion while navigating the current political climate.
“So (we’re) just being very mindful of the language that we’re using and making sure that we are articulating things in a way that won’t get us jammed up in trouble,” Pinkerton said. “But also allowing students to see themselves represented on campus.”
Ryan Henne
Ryan Henne, PhD, is the associate vice president and dean of students at Sonoma State University in California.
His first step in this role at USC would be to create a welcoming space for students, he said. To achieve this, he plans to maintain an open-door policy in his office, ensure resources are accessible to students and create inclusive programming for the student body.
“How are we making sure the spaces that we’re using or providing out there are spaces that all folks feel welcome at, whether you’re an international student, you’re an LGBTQ student, a first gen student, transfer student,” Henne said.
During the Q&A session in Henne’s presentation, he was asked how he would cultivate relationships between the university and the surrounding community. In response, he described his role in creating a collaborative project against substance abuse in Sonoma County. Henne connected with Sonoma County’s alcohol and other drug system about the issue, before involving the cities of Cotati and Rohnert Park, as well as local high schools, he said.
Building these relationships is a matter of finding a common cause, Henne said.
“If there is an issue or a cause that everyone could agree on as a priority, start with that,” Henne said. “The easiest way to build capacity is to have common ground.”
The chosen candidate will replace Marc Shook, the Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX Director, who is serving as the interim AVP for Student Life.