After a two-year long vacancy, the position of Student Involvement director is to be filled later this semester as the national search for a new director nears an end. The new director’s responsibilities will include managing student organizations on campus, supervising training sessions and providing oversight for Student Government and the Union Activities Board.

Justine Hollingshead, chief of staff at the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, served as the interim director of Student Involvement.

“We are actually in the process of a national search,” Hollingshead said. “We have a search committee here on campus and they have done phone interviews with a pool of candidates after screening resumes and we’ve identified three candidates to bring to campus, and that will occur over the course of the next three weeks.”

Hollingshead was unable to share specific information about the candidates such as their names or what sets them apart from fellow applicants, as this information has not been made public.

One of the main reasons filling this position took this long is that the search for a new director of Student Involvement was a process that included a re-evaluation of different units within DASA, according to Hollingshead. In her role, she evaluated the goals of Student Involvement and worked on reorganizing the unit.  

With that reorganization, the office of Student Involvement continued to serve the campus community, advising student organizations and providing oversight where needed. 

“Student Involvement has always been here serving students and student organizations and will continue to do that,” Hollingshead said. “We will have a better idea once a new director comes into place regarding direction and helping to elevate the presence and exposure of Student Involvement as resources here on campus.”

Hollingshead commended the staff and student leaders for their involvement and the work they have done with Student Involvement.

“In the meantime, the staff and student leaders are doing a great job of day-to-day business whether it’s in Student Government, UAB, our Student Involvement Center and hosting hundreds of student organizations, meetings, events and activities, so work is still going on and Student Involvement is here as resource.”

Student Body Vice President Mia Connell, a third-year studying sociology, hopes the new Student Involvement director will be flexible and supportive of SG. Connell does not feel like her experience was affected by the vacancy of the position.

“It depends on the individual student and when they joined the organization,” Connell said. “I don’t remember a time when there was a Student Involvement director that I interacted with so I’ve always kind of been operating without that position filled, so I feel like it hasn’t really impacted me too much. I think I might notice once someone is there and different roles are being filled…”

The Student Involvement office operates under DASA, and provides guidance for NC State student organizations, SG and the UAB. More information on SI’s mission and efforts to foster an environment where students can be successful can be found on their website.