TAMPA, Fla. (May 19, 2015) —Danielle B. McDonald, a higher education professional with more than a decade of higher education experience in the development and engagement of students, has been promoted to the position of assistant vice president and dean of students at the University of South Florida.
Hired at USF in July 2011 as associate dean of students, McDonald has served as interim assistant vice president and dean of students from August 2013 to March 2014 and, most recently, since January 2015. In this role she has provided leadership, strategic planning and management of the seven functional areas which make up the Community Development and Student Engagement team. McDonald also served on several university-wide councils, provided 24-hour campus-wide emergency response, advised students and family members on personal and academic issues impacting success and retention, initiated system-wide policy reviews and served as appeals officer for judicial and prior conduct processes. As the new assistant vice president and dean of students, McDonald will continue these responsibilities while defining the strategies of the unit.
“Danielle McDonald’s service both as associate dean and interim dean demonstrated her expertise, commitment and dedication to the success of students at USF,” said Thomas Miller, vice president for Student Affairs. “She clearly embraces USF’s mission to educate global citizens as well as the Student Affairs philosophy to enrich our students’ sense of community through engagement, personal responsibility, safety, and a learning environment that extends beyond the classroom. I am pleased to welcome this proven, energetic Student Affairs professional to our executive team.”
“I am excited to work with a great team who are passionate about creating meaningful experiences for students,” said McDonald. “USF is a special place to work and I am extremely honored to continue to serve the university, the staff, faculty and, most importantly, the students as their dean of students.”
Prior to USF, McDonald was the assistant dean of students at Georgia Institute of Technology from 2004 to 2011. In this position she assisted with the development of strategies to facilitate the creation, implementation, assessment and evaluation of a comprehensive array of student engagement initiatives for the university’s more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Other responsibilities included advising students on academic and personal issues and providing campus emergency response. Prior to this role she served as the university’s director of student involvement, student organizations advisor and residence life coordinator.
McDonald began her higher education career as an assistant area coordinator in housing at the University of South Carolina. She received a bachelor’s of science from the University of Miami and a master’s of education from the University of Georgia.
For media inquiries please contact Renee Hunt at (813) 974-5383 or reneehunt@usf.edu