Scripps College President Lori Bettison-Varga today announced the appointment of Charlotte H. Johnson as the College’s new vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
Charlotte H. Johnson
The appointment follows a tragic loss for the Scripps community when the previous vice president and dean, Bekki Lee, passed away suddenly last fall. Nathalie Rachlin, Scripps professor of French, has been serving the role in the interim.
Johnson will begin her new role Aug. 1, 2014. She comes to Scripps from Dartmouth College, where she has served as dean of the college since 2011. Prior to Dartmouth, she was vice president and dean at Colgate University; previously she was director of academic services and assistant dean for student affairs at the University of Michigan Law School.
“We selected Charlotte through a national search that yielded an absolutely stellar group of candidates,” Bettison-Varga said. “She has built an impressive career as a student affairs professional, educator, and sought-after presenter on diversity and pipeline issues.
“Her commitment to student success, combined with her experience, body of work, and law background, make her a wonderful fit for the College. Scripps students who interacted with Charlotte during her two-day campus visit told me they found her approachable and an active listener, and they believe that her strong principles will serve the campus well. I am confident that Charlotte will be an asset to the campus as well as to the wider community.”
Johnson’s higher education career combines leadership, management, and strategic planning with direct involvement with students as well as fundraising and alumni relations roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Detroit, where she graduated first in her class, and she earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. Charlotte was the first African-American partner at her Detroit law firm and has, since then, helped blaze a path for other women aspiring to senior leadership positions in higher education. She was the first woman to be named dean of the college at Colgate and one of two women to hold her position at Dartmouth.
Reporting directly to the president and serving as a member of the president’s senior team, the Scripps vice president for student affairs and dean of students holds the primary responsibility for services that support student life and the educational goals of the College’s 950 undergraduate students. The vice president/dean plays a central role in upholding and promoting the values of equity, community and inclusivity that are hallmarks of Scripps College.
“I am beyond pleased to be joining the Scripps family and the Claremont Consortium,” Johnson said. “President Bettison-Varga has set forth a progressive and inclusive vision for Scripps, and I am truly excited to be a part of her team.”