Special Campus Memo: Associate Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear Grinnellians:

I am pleased to inform you that Sarah Moschenross will be the next Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Grinnell College. Since 2015, Sarah has served the College as Dean of Students, supervising the departments of Residence Life, Orientation, Student Assistance, and Wellness & Prevention, while also serving as the Chief Conduct Officer and Title IX Deputy for Conduct. Sarah will begin her new duties this summer.

As a member of the senior leadership team, Sarah will oversee all aspects of Student Affairs including the Dean of Students, Campus Safety, International Student Affairs, Intercultural Affairs, Religious Life, Residence Life, Student Activities, Student Assistance, Student Health and Counseling Services, and Wellness and Prevention.

Sarah brings 17 years of experience to the position, having directed residence, community service, and outreach programs at Coe College in Cedar Rapids before serving at Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois for nine years. Her knowledge in the areas of student engagement, inclusivity, and well-being will make her a great asset to both the administrative culture and student experience at Grinnell.

Immediately prior to arriving at Grinnell, Sarah was Director of the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at Knox College. In that role, she mentored, advised, advocated for, and counseled underrepresented, low-income, and first generation college students. Sarah has taught in college classrooms on privilege and leadership, social change movements, intersectional feminism, and introduction to the liberal arts. She has also worked in academic advising, community service and service-learning programming, residence life, and career counseling.

Additionally, Sarah has presented on topics related to the experiences of women in higher education, social justice allyship, difficult dialogues, and on various panels on higher education leadership. She has served the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) as the State of Iowa Liaison for the Standing Committee for Women and on the directorate board of the Commission for Social Justice Educators. She is President-elect of the Iowa Student Personnel Association (ISPA).

A native of Iowa, Sarah received her B.S. from Iowa State University in Child and Family Services and her M.A. from the University of Iowa in Student Development in Post-Secondary Education. Since becoming a member of the Grinnell College community, Sarah has demonstrated the capacity to work across departments in integrating the curricular and co-curricular experiences of students and to promote belonging and inclusivity for students on and off campus.

Please join me in welcoming Sarah to her new position. I look forward to the leadership she will bring to the Division of Student Affairs. A national search for a new Dean of Students will begin immediately.

I also wish to personally thank Andrea Conner for her professionalism in ensuring a smooth transition within Student Affairs and for her transformative contributions to Grinnell over the past several years, including her efforts toward strategic investments in intercultural affairs, Campus Safety, and SHACS, as well as her work to create a more seamless learning environment in and out of the classroom through the Task Force on Residential Learning. I am very grateful for her commitment and dedication, and ask that you join me in thanking her as well.

Sincerely,

Mike Latham
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College