Dr. Kathleen “K.C.” White was named the Vice President of Student Affairs at UNA on July 1. The position was previously held by Dr. Kimberly Greenway, who retired on May 30. 

Dr. White has worked with Student Affairs offices at various universities for over two decades. She was previously the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students at Louisiana State University, Vice President of Student Affairs at Kennesaw State University and Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards at Florida State University. She received degrees from Stetson University, the University of South Carolina and Florida State University. 

In her role at UNA, Dr. White oversees the division of Student Affairs. She sees herself as an advocate for the students. Through her short time at UNA, she has attended RSO and leadership events. Her goal is to get to know the student body through hands-on experiences. 

According to the “Message from the VP”, the Student Affairs office serves students by “co-curricular activities and opportunities that help to transform the student experience, enhance diversity and inclusion, and contribute to UNA’s institutional identity.” Student Affairs provides services such as Student Counseling, Title IX, Student Engagement and more.

Dr. White’s interest with student affairs began while studying for her undergraduate degree at Stetson with a major in marketing. Originally, her goal was to work at a chamber of commerce but after some guidance by the assistant Dean of Students at Stetson Jane Marlow, she considered Student Affairs. She was intrigued by the business of higher education.

“[Marlow] saw something in me that I didn’t realize that I perhaps had the capacity to do,” White said. “What I try to do is carry on how she helped mentor me to help each and every one of our students that I have the chance to interact with.”

When Dr. Greenway retired, UNA conducted a national search for a new VP of Student Affairs. Upon seeing the job listing, Dr. White reached out to a local friend to familiarize herself with UNA as an institution. The community her friend described seemed like the perfect place for her, as she valued a small community that was rich in culture. Her first visit to campus cemented her desire to join the UNA family. After meeting students and attending the first in-person interview, she left knowing she was meant to hold the position. White sees the potential in every student studying at UNA.

“The authenticity, size of the institution, the role that [UNA plays] as a public regional institution adds to [students’ potential],” White said. “For each of you, your degrees will continue to be of even greater value than alumni that have come before. Each and every class that comes to UNA is stronger.”

During her time at UNA, White hopes to continue to help students flourish. Seeing students graduate with their friends’ and families’ support reminds White why she studied the career in the first place. She wishes to make a difference in every students’ life through the programs Student Affairs offers to optimize student experiences. Many staffers’ hard work is already paying off just with the start of the school year.

Goal-setting and cultivating future leadership is also just as important to White as student wellbeing. With the RSOs and other organizations on campus, she hopes to create a cycle of success rather than letting organizations stagnate once leaders graduate or move on to bigger opportunities. Connecting with departments and student organizations are pivotal to her mission.

“We want to set goals, but we also want to be able to be responsive to things that may percolate along the way,” she said. “What do we want to accomplish as an institution? Those are my responsibilities to each constituency that I get the opportunity to work with.”

White thinks it is important for young women to see women leaders. She recalls a recent conversation with a woman on the board of trustees wherein she discovered the woman was once the only female department chair at her institution, The University of Florida. White saw her as a role model, as a female department chair would have been pivotal to her schooling. Finding common ground in a desired field of study is important to some student. She marvels at the many women in power at UNA itself, from RSO leaders to department chairs to executive directors. She hopes that one day there will be no more “firsts” for women but rather women in power as a normality. 

“We have a president and provost who are very committed to the advancement of women,” White said. “It can open up a lot of fundraising opportunities. This is a way that anyone can contribute to something that has been a major initiative at the institution to help younger women with scholarship opportunities.”

UNA has recently faced issues with women’s safety. Information released by the Flor-Ala at the end of the spring semester revealed many internal issues dealing with sexual assault and women’s safety. One of the offices under fire was the Student Affairs office, as the previous VP of Student Affairs had speculated inaction in a harassment case. Title IX, which is in place to breed a safe environment free of sexual violence, harassment and discrimination, had similar issues on campus. White intends to utilize the good that Title IX and Student Affairs are in place to do in terms of women’s safety. She also hopes to encourage women’s equity in education through these offices. She asserts that she wishes for health, safety and wellbeing on campus to be a high priority.

“[Safety on campus is] constant education, it’s constant understanding, it’s constant communication,” White said. “We are not naive to it by any means. UNA is not the only institution, but we always have to keep it at the forefront. We have to look out for one another. [We want to promote] that advocacy for all students to understand.”