Outcomes of Student Affairs Review and launch of Vice-President: Student Affairs search

Earlier this year, David McMurray returned to Wilfrid Laurier University to take on the role of interim vice-president: student affairs, while a comprehensive review of Laurier's student affairs structure was underway.

The reviewers were tasked with evaluating Laurier’s current organizational approach in Student Affairs and providing recommendations on how to enhance support for student success in both present and future contexts. They submitted their findings in late summer.

“The recommendations provided by our reviewers underscore Laurier’s excellence in student engagement,” says Deborah MacLatchy, Laurier’s president and vice-chancellor. “We look forward to building upon our decades-long legacy of providing an outstanding student experience at Laurier.”

The report outlined recommendations to maintain and build on Laurier’s successes, including:

• Maintaining a vice-president role for student affairs: The reviewers recommended that the senior position overseeing student affairs remain at the vice-president level, reporting directly to the university president. This structure recognizes the decades-long legacy of a strong commitment to holistic student development at Laurier, ensuring it is prioritized at the executive leadership level. As a result, Laurier will be commencing a search process for the next vice-president: student affairs, with the hopes of having the chosen candidate commence their new role in summer 2025.
• Enhancing cross-portfolio collaboration: The report highlighted the potential benefits of fostering stronger formal and informal partnerships across student affairs and academic administration, and other university portfolios. For example, integrating experiential learning within and outside the classroom by returning Experiential Learning and Career Development to jointly report to the Vice-President: Student Affairs and the Associate Vice-President: Academic, within the Provost and Vice-President: Academic portfolio.
• Strengthening relationships with student associations: Laurier’s relationship with the Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) was noted as a vital part of the student experience. The report encouraged continued collaboration with these associations to enhance student support.

These recommendations are currently under review by the student affairs, academic administrative teams, and Laurier’s student associations, as they consider the most effective paths forward.

“We are excited to continue to work with our partners across the institution to support the success of all undergraduate students at Laurier,” says Ben Jesseau, president and CEO of the Students’ Union. “The partnership between the institution and the Students' Union continues to be of vital importance and we look forward to continuing the work together as we strive for continued excellence in student affairs.”

“Now, more than ever, institutions and student associations in our sector need to come together to continue to prioritize and evolve holistic care for our students,” says Taylor Coleman, president and CEO of the GSA. “At the GSA, we are committed to navigating the complex and nuanced facets of the student experience together with our Laurier and Students’ Union partners and look forward to welcoming a new vice-president: student affairs in the spring.”

McMurray will continue in the role of Vice-President: Student Affairs on an interim basis, ensuring stability and continuity in the Student Affairs office until the permanent appointment is made.