Melinda Stoops, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Framingham State University, has been named associate vice president for Student Affairs at Boston College, effective June 19.
She succeeds Katie O’Dair, who left in 2016 for a positon at Harvard University, and Kathleen Yorkis, vice president for student affairs emerita at Bentley University, who has served as interim associate vice president for student affairs for the 2016-17 academic year.
“We are thrilled to have Melinda joining the Student Affairs staff at Boston College,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Jones. “She brings a wonderful depth and breadth of experience to the associate vice president’s role.
“Melinda was recently recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators for her outstanding commitment to the development of programs that meet the needs of students and create a campus environment that promotes student learning and development. She is seen by colleagues as an innovator and a bridge builder with an infectious spirit. We look forward to her bringing those skills and traits to our campus.”
In this senior administrative role at BC, Stoops will provide strategic leadership and programmatic oversight for five departments within the division, including the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, University Counseling Services, Graduate Student Life, University Health Services, and the Women’s Center. She also will provide outreach to other areas of the University.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to join the Boston College community and to work with Barb Jones and the staff of Student Affairs,” said Stoops. “As a psychologist, I am particularly drawn to Boston College’s focus on the whole person and on facilitating student learning and development in a way that emphasizes service to others.
“During my campus visit, I had the pleasure of spending some time with a group of students and learning a bit about what they have valued most about their experiences at Boston College. I look forward to connecting with many other students and learning more about the ways in which I can contribute to student life.”
Among other duties, she will serve as the University’s Title IX coordinator for students, a role she holds in her current position.
Also at Framingham State, Stoops has led efforts to establish a Student Assistance Team of faculty and staff members; enhanced university resources for veteran students through the creation of an office to serve them; facilitated efforts to meet the needs of students with limited financial resources; enhanced services for first-year students and created a parent advisory group to expand connections to freshmen parents; and facilitated professional development activities within her division.
Stoops completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Smith College and went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees at Radford University and Indiana State University, respectively.
–University Communications