The Division of Student Affairs welcomes a new vice president to the office, Lori Ciccomoscolo. Currently in her sixteenth year working at the University of Rhode Island, she has quite the track record at this institution.
Ciccomascolo began in the Department of Kinesiology and moved on to become a full tenure professor in education. She went on to become the Interim Dean for the College of Human Sciences, where she worked with faculty and staff to transition to the College of Health Sciences. Her most recent position before her time in the Division of Student Affairs was in the College of Education and Professional Studies.
In her new role in the Division of Student Affairs, Ciccomascolo is now heavily involved in the lives of the students. According to Ciccomascolo, “people spoke highly of the University of Rhode Island, as a student-centered institution.” She especially admired “the school’s commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion.”
The Division of Student Affairs, run by Vice President Kathy Collins, Ph.D., oversees every aspect of student life on campus. Some of these aspects include housing and residential life, counseling, campus recreation, health services, and dining. These are just some of the necessities that make URI the community it is.
As the first person to hold the position of Associate Vice President, Ciccomascolo “has always been a champion of academic and student success.” It makes her a great candidate for the job as her new role revolves around the well-being of every student. Some of her more basic duties include reporting back to Dr. Collins, “and supporting her vision and priorities.” While at most times, her job requires efficient planning and organization.
But maintaining the well-being of the students is no simple job. Ciccomascolo states that she is also responsible for “strategically planning processes that focus on the strengths, opportunities, and aspirations of the division of student affairs, and being able to effectively measure their degree of success.” Not only does she strive to make life for students as wholesome as possible, she tries to do it in the most productive way she can.
With a deep background in education, Ciccomascolo hopes to “propose joint student and academic affairs partnerships to implement an integrated model of student success.” Bringing together the lives and academics of students would really bring out the diverse and inclusive community that the University of Rhode Island is known for.
Ciccomascolo, along with the rest of the division of student affairs, “believes in the transformational power of teamwork and education.” With all the experience under her belt, Ciccomascolo will “continue to cultivate the culture of assessment that Dr. Collins has created as Vice President so far.”
After all, to Ciccomascolo, it is all about the students. She believes “students are the common denominator and that their success is why she is here.” As the future adults of society, Ciccomascolo feels responsible to create the best learning environment possible, to inspire leadership, creativity and an overall pattern of thinking big.