Roanoke College welcomes new vice president for Student Success

Jay Ellison will serve as Roanoke College’s new vice president for Student Success and the Roanoke Experience. A seasoned higher education leader, Ellison brings with him more than two decades of experience fostering transformative educational experiences for students through programs, initiatives, policies, and a focus on organizational and professional excellence. 
  
Ellison, who most recently served as the interim special assistant to the vice president for Student Success and Enrollment at Trinity College, was selected from a pool of more than 150 candidates following a national search.

“At Roanoke College, we believe that every learner who works hard should have the opportunity to succeed – a value that has also driven Jay throughout his extensive career,” said President Frank Shushok Jr. “Jay understands deeply how higher education transforms lives. His commitment to students and his talent for building strong partnerships and student-first organizations make him an ideal leader as we double down on our number one strategic goal: fostering student success and well-being.” 
  
Prior to his time at Trinity, Ellison served for nearly a decade as the dean of students at the University of Chicago and as both associate and assistant dean of Harvard College at Harvard University from 2005 to 2014. He has also served as a lecturer, teaching fellow and instructor at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, Boston College and University of Chicago.  
  
While at Chicago, Ellison established the Center for College Student Success, designed to address the needs of evolving student populations with a focus on those from low-income backgrounds, first-generation students and those with complex immigration statuses. Other highlights from his career include collaborating with academic affairs on student success projects and initiatives; recruiting, retaining and developing staff; policy development and implementation; strategic resource allocation; and using AI to provide a more holistic support system for students.  
  
Ellison earned a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Biblical Languages from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. 
  
As the vice president for Student Success and the Roanoke Experience, he will be responsible for continuing to shape a student-ready, student-first culture at Roanoke and provide vision and strategic leadership for a comprehensive, integrated and inclusive student experience at the college. Building upon the foundational work already underway in the recently formed Division for Student Success, Ellison will foster partnerships across campus to create environments and support services that facilitate student success, relationships and well-being. He will work especially closely with faculty in designing the Roanoke experience and supporting the foundational role faculty play in students’ lives, learning and success at the college. 
  
“I am both honored and excited to join the Roanoke College community, to engage with the passionate faculty, students and staff, to participate in diverse student activities, and contribute to a campus culture that values collaboration, innovation and inclusivity,” Ellison said. “I look forward to participating meaningfully in the student-ready, student-first Roanoke experience.” 
  
Ellison will join the college’s senior leadership team on Aug. 5, 2024, and report to President Frank Shushok Jr.