HISTORY OF THE DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

The Division of Student Affairs at John Carroll University finds it start in 1961, when L. Morgan Lavin was Dean of Men, and Reverend Joseph Schell, S. J. was Headmaster of Student Residence Halls. Reverend William Millor, S. J., then Executive Dean of John Carroll, hired Dr. James Lavin, Morgan's brother, to fill the newly created position of Director of Student Personnel Services. Fr. Millor said, "We feel that this will enable us to give a more complete service to the individual student and to expedite the existing services." Under the direction of Fr. Millor, the new director supervised guidance and counseling, student activities, and served as advisor to foreign students. A campus programming committee was appointed "to plan and coordinate campus activities in relationship to the community, so that maximum cultural exposure can be realized on as broad and varied a base as possible." This body gave approval for all events where the public was involved.

Dr. Lavin's title was changed to Dean of Student Affairs in 1963. He served in that capacity until October of 1968 when Reverend Joseph Schell, S.J., then President, created the Division of Student Affairs and named Dr. Lavin the first Vice President with the following statement: "It is evident that students have become an increasingly assertive force on the American college campus and the importance of the university's ability to channel this force toward constructive, not destructive, change has never been more apparent."

Under the leadership of Fr. Schell, the University officially became co-ed in 1968. Mary Kirkhope was named as the Dean of Women and Joe Farrell became the Dean of Men under the new divisional structure. The Headmaster of Student Residence Halls then guided male residents in Bernet, Dolan, Pacelli, and Murphy Halls, and women residents in a wing of Murphy Hall.

As the newest division was beginning, Reverend Conry, S.J., the Chief Academic Officer, suffered a heart attack. Because Fr. Conry would be absent for several months, Fr. Schell moved the duties of the Registrar, Admission and Financial Aid to Student Affairs. For the Registrar's office, this proved to be a temporary move and this office returned to Academic Affairs.

Under the direction of Dr. Lavin, the following areas of responsibility were designated to Student Affairs: Dean of Students (discipline, activities, Parents' Weekend, orientation, and student government); Assistant Dean of Students (formerly Dean of Women); Housing; Counseling and Testing; Infirmary; Music; Athletics; Placement; Admission and Financial Aid; Food Service (contracted); and International Students (paperwork).

In 1978, ten years after the University officially became co-ed, the first co-ed residence hall officially opened.

During the presidency of Reverend Thomas O'Malley from 1980 to 1988, the Recplex was opened (now called the D.J. Lombardo Student Center) as well as another residence hall. He also ordered the Security force to stop carrying guns. In 1981, Fr. O'Malley created the position of Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, reporting directly to the President. In 1982, Fr. O'Malley combined Placement and the Co-Op office, expanded their scope and moved the duties to Academic Affairs. Dr. Max Keck became the first Dean of Student Development and was responsible for career planning, placement and co-op opportunities.

In 1988, Joe Farrell returned to John Carroll as the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Activities was established. In addition to advising the Student Union Senate, this office also gave assistance to the local Greek organizations and many clubs, oversaw Parents' Weekend, Homecoming, Christmas Carroll Eve, Senior Dinner and Summer Orientation, and brought professional entertainment to the campus in the form of magicians, hypnotists, and comedians.

In 1993, after 31 years of service to John Carroll University, Jim Lavin retired from Student Affairs. Reverend Richard Salmi, S.J., became the second Vice President for Student Affairs on September 1, 1994 and served until June, 2003. Also in 1994, the Wellness Program was established under the guidance of the Counseling Center. In 1995, all international student paperwork was shifted to Academic Affairs which housed the International Studies Center. In 1996, the Student Health Center gained its first full-time director and the department of Security moved from the Division of Services to Student Affairs.

Patrick Rombalski was hired to succeed Joe Farrell as Dean of Students in 1997. In 1998, Rombalski brought new services to the Division. The Office of Judicial Affairs and Orientation was created, along with a specific coordinator for Commuter and Off Campus Affairs. Also in 1998, Residence Life professionalized its staff, moving from graduate student hall directors to Masters-level Area Coordinators.

The Office of Student Disability Services was established in 1999. The creation of this office enabled students to seek advice and appropriate accommodations from one central place concerning academic and facility needs. Since its inception, the Office has grown from a client base of 30 to over 200.

In 2000, Campus Ministry, formerly the office of Religious Affairs established under Fr. Schell, joined the Division of Student Affairs. The Department of Security became an official police force in 2001 and became known as Campus Safety Services. As a police force, officers received more extensive training and were able to offer the community more services. The department was able to perform more extensive investigations and took on a new service-oriented approach. The Bike Patrol was established in 2004, which gave the department more positive exposure and the ability to be more comprehensive in covering the campus. Campus Safety Services is now also home to the student-founded and student-led EMS department.

Dr. Patrick Rombalski became the third Vice President for Student Affairs in the summer of 2002. During his tenure as Dean of Students, he led the division in the area of assessment. This commitment continued as Vice President and the position of Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs was created to advance divisional assessment and website development. He also established a focus on Developmental Programming to coordinate Division-wide educational programming related to alcohol, sexual assault, gender issues, diversity, and relationships.

In the summer of 2006, Dr. Rombalski assumed responsibility for leading the Mission Coordinating Team. This University-wide team serves to advance the mission and identity of the institution in lieu of Reverend Howard Gray, S.J., former Assistant to the President for Mission and Identity, who departed in the spring of 2007. Given Dr. Rombalski's broader responsibilities, the Division of Student Affairs organizational structure was changed to reflect new roles and responsibilities.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs joined the Division of Student Affairs in April 2008.  In June 2008, the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities transferred to the Academic Affairs division.  After eleven years of service at JCU, Dr. Rombalski assumed the vice president for student affairs position at Boston College in June, 2008.  The new JCU vice president for student affairs is Dr. Mark McCarthy who spent the past 25 years in numerous senior leadership roles in student affairs at Marquette University.