Sarah M. Kelly, formerly the associate vice president for student development at Xavier University, has been named the new vice president for student life and dean of students.

A self-described “conduit” for collaborative administration, Kelly, who began her new responsibilities Jan. 9, has consistently demonstrated the ability to align programs and services to directly and actively support the learning environment throughout her 20 years in higher education. During her decade-long student development career at Xavier, Kelly helped to transform the career services operation, increase diversity of divisional student affairs staff by 300 percent and collaborated with the vice provost of diversity to create the Intercultural Programming Funding Board.

In addition, Kelly helped to lead the division in crisis planning and prevention; authored a successful Student Support Services (TRIO) grant, which secured more than $800,000 in federal funds to help 160 low-income, first-generation students succeed at Xavier; promoted the collaboration of student affairs offices with enrollment and retention offices; and led the division in a comprehensive program review as part of the strategic planning process.

Most recently, Kelly partnered with Student Voice, a higher education/student affairs data mining company, to develop and market, The TRAIL® or Transcript Reflecting Activities, Involvement and Leadership, an electronic, co-curricular transcript Kelly created based on her belief that student involvement and engagement should be reflected in a formal, institutionally supported document.

Kelly earned her B.A. in philosophy and English literature, her M.A. in secondary English education, both from Miami University of Ohio, and her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Ohio University.