Administration

Trustees approve new vice president for Student Affairs

University Park, Pa. — Penn State’s Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved the appointment of Damon R. Sims as the University’s new vice president for Student Affairs, beginning August 1.

Sims, currently associate vice provost for Student Affairs at Indiana University at Bloomington, brings a wealth of experience to the Penn State post. As associate vice provost at Indiana, he is involved in the oversight of a division of 200 staff members who support 39,000 students. Sims also holds academic appointments in both the School of Law and the School of Education.

As Penn State’s vice president for Student Affairs, Sims will oversee counseling and psychological services, health care, career management, student activities, conflict resolution, and residence life, as well as a variety of student services and activities, including Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of Judicial Affairs, Fraternity and Sorority Life and several focused centers.

"Our national search for a vice president for Student Affairs has resulted in an exceptionally qualified candidate who has an outstanding track record in addressing the needs of students,” said Penn State President Graham B. Spanier. "Sims' leadership capacity and his strong commitment to student development will contribute to our goal of a more student-centered University.”

Sims has served as an adviser to several Indiana University student organizations and holds a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the Indiana School of Law.  As a licensed attorney at law, he is admitted to practice in the courts of Indiana and the federal courts. He served as a court-appointed pro bono attorney representing the interests of children and also provides pro bono representation to victims of abuse.

Sims also is the founder and co-sponsor of the annual Matthew Vandiver Sims Memorial Lectures at Bloomington, produced in conjunction with the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics in American Institutions. The lectures focus on communications among patients, families, and medical and legal professionals.
 

Last Updated April 19, 2017

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