Dr. Kathleen White Named New Vice President of Student Affairs
Jul. 06, 2022
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – After a nationwide search, officials at the University of North Alabama have announced that Dr. Kathleen (K.C.) White has joined UNA as the Vice President for Student Affairs. Her tenure began July 1.
“I am very pleased that Dr. White has accepted my invitation to become our Vice President of Student Affairs, and I believe she will be a wonderful addition to our campus community,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Having served other campuses in a variety of student-focused roles, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be beneficial to our students as well as to her staff in Division of Student Affairs.”
White’s tenure in higher education spans several years, including time as a staff member as well as in the classroom as an instructor. Most recently, she served as the Associate Dean of Students and Student Conduct and Community Standards Director at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Prior to that, she was the Vice President for Student Affairs at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
“I am honored to join the University of North Alabama, to be an active participant in the life of the campus, and to serve and advocate for the success of our students,” White said. “The Division of Student Affairs is aligned well to engage and involve students in meaningful learning experiences and to strengthen the valuable partnerships that have helped UNA to be on an exciting trajectory as a leader in public higher education. This is a very exciting time at the University of North Alabama.”
The Division of Student Affairs encompasses all student-facing departments, from Student Counseling Services to Housing and Residence Life to University Health Services. During the interview process, White met with a variety of campus stakeholders, including a number of students with whom she will be interacting on a day-to-day basis in her role as Vice President.
“I am very impressed by the people that I met and the genuine and authentic way in which they spoke of UNA, how committed they are to its success, and how they are driven to excel in every opportunity presented,” she said. “I was attracted to the University’s Strategic Plan’s Themes, which specifically demonstrate ways in which the Division of Student Affairs can provide co-curricular opportunities while transforming the student experience, enhancing diversity and inclusion, and contributing to UNA’s institutional identity.”
UNA is Alabama’s fastest-growing higher education institution and has experienced record- breaking enrollment for 13 consecutive terms. The University is expected to reach a 14th consecutive term of record-breaking enrollment for Fall 2022, with campus housing at capacity.
As White begins her tenure at UNA, she said she plans to “learn what people’s goals, hopes, and aspirations for themselves and how the University can help them accomplish their dreams.” Part of that process, she said, includes understanding what draws students to UNA and, ultimately, what keeps them on campus or online in order to complete their coveted higher education degrees.
“The recruitment, retention, progression, and graduation of our students is a short-term and long- term goal and gaining insight as to how the Division of Student Affairs supports and compliments these milestones is critical,” White said. “Providing an exceptional experience for students is a very high priority, and being good stewards of all that has been entrusted to us will guide my efforts as we nurture students’ health, safety, and well-being at UNA.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.