Fellow Bears:
It is with mixed emotions that I share with you Dr. Katrina Rodriguez, Vice President
for Student Affairs, will be leaving UNC at the end of the academic year. Katrina
has accepted the role of Vice President for Student Affairs at St. Cloud State University
in St. Cloud, Minnesota and will join their team this summer.
Katrina has served in a number of different roles at UNC for the last 22 years. During that time, she has worked in Residence Life, served as a faculty member, and spent the majority of her time in student-facing leadership positions, as the Director of the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development, Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students, Vice President for Campus Community and Climate, and Vice President for Student Affairs. Katrina is also a proud UNC graduate as she earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership from the university in 2004.
Through more than two decades at the university, Katrina has been a tremendous leader and servant. She has always put our students first, showing genuine care for their success and best interests, which has been reflected in her leadership throughout the years. Since my arrival, there have been a number of organizational changes, including in student affairs. Katrina played a critical role in the formation of the Division of Student Affairs, becoming the first Vice President at UNC in that role.
Among her many contributions at the university, Katrina said she is proud of the opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and students to create the vision and formation of the Division of Student Affairs, serve as the inaugural vice president of the division of Campus, Community, and Climate, and work alongside students and campus partners to develop the early implementation of the Hispanic Serving Institution university designation. Towards the beginning of her tenure at UNC, Katrina played a significant role with the creation of the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development. She was asked to develop the leadership curriculum for the program, which has continued to flourish under the direction of many leaders and students over the past two decades. Katrina’s eight years as a faculty member is something she also cherished greatly, serving as an associate professor in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
With our recent heavy focus on strategic planning, Katrina’s efforts in the development of Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 have been significant. Our vision to be a Students First university, ensuring UNC has the resources needed to support our students through graduation, could not have been done without her leadership. Katrina’s many talents and contributions will be greatly missed at our university.
We will soon launch a national search for the position of Vice President for Student
Affairs. Additional details about the search and an interim plan will be shared as
they become available. Katrina’s last day with UNC will be May 21, 2021.
Please join me in congratulating Katrina on her new position and wishing her well.
Rowing, Not Drifting,
Andy Feinstein
President
