SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA—Wofford College is welcoming Dr. Sandra Rouse as its new vice president for campus life and student development and dean of students. She will assume the role on July 18.
Rouse is joining the Wofford community after eight years at Newberry College, where she has served as Newberry’s dean of students and as a member of the president’s leadership team for the past six years.
“Dr. Rouse has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing student experiences, and we look forward to having her leadership at Wofford College,” said Dr. Nayef Samhat, Wofford’s president. “She has extensive experience in all of the areas that she’ll be responsible for at Wofford while exhibiting a knowledge of current trends and new and innovative approaches.”
During her career, Rouse has been responsible for residence life, judicial affairs, security, wellness, counseling services, student engagement, sorority and fraternity life, the first-year experience, campus recreation, leadership programs and postal services. She also has supervisory experience as assistant director of student advising and a recruitment center, director of first-year and retention programs, and associate dean of students.
In addition to Newberry, her experience includes positions at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Salem College and Voorhees University. She served as the director of education and research for the National Association for Campus Activities from 2011 to 2014.
She is active in professional organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the South Carolina College Personnel Association, the National Association for Campus Activities and the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience. She has National Incident Management Systems certification and is a peer evaluator for the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges. She has presented her scholarship in the field at conferences and in a variety of publications.
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve Wofford College as its next vice president for campus life and student development,” Rouse said. “I look forward to working with the Wofford community to further enhance the student experience.”
Rouse holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, a Master of Education in student personnel services with a counseling emphasis from the University of South Carolina, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a second major in dance from Columbia College. She’s a native of Barnwell, South Carolina.
Rouse’s Wofford predecessor, Roberta Hurley, is transitioning to the role of senior vice president for administration and secretary to the board of trustees for the college.
Wofford College, established in 1854, is a four-year, residential liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It offers 27 major fields of study to a student body of 1,775 undergraduates. Nationally known for the strength of its academic program, outstanding faculty, study abroad participation and successful graduates, Wofford is recognized consistently as a “best value” and for its commitment to student success and accessibility for low- and middle-income students. The college community has 12 sororities and fraternities as well as 19 NCAA Division I athletics teams.