October 19, 2018

Robin Holmes-Sullivan Named Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students

She will start on February 18, 2019.

President Wim Wiewel announced today that Robin Holmes-Sullivan, currently system-wide vice president for student affairs at the University of California, will become Lewis & Clark’s new vice president for student life and dean of students. She will start on February 18, 2019.

“Dedicated to student success in its most expansive definition, Robin Holmes-Sullivan has done it all. Over the course of her career, she has been a strategic thinker providing leadership to the diverse array of programs that make up the whole of student life, she has been a true collaborator, and she has worked one-on-one with students to enhance personal and academic achievement,” said President Wiewel. “I look forward to her contributions to Executive Council, and I look forward most to what she will do for all Lewis & Clark students.” 

Holmes-Sullivan, a licensed clinical psychologist with a PhD from the California School of Professional Psychology, has been at the UC system since 2016. She provides strategic leadership in admissions, student financial support, and student life. Previously she served as vice president for student life at the University of Oregon. During her 25 years there, she provided leadership and policy development in areas including campus climate, cocurricular learning opportunities, wellness initiatives, and cultural competency. She also led initiatives to build new residence halls, a new student union, and health and counseling center additions.

“I am eager to return to Oregon and join the Lewis & Clark community. Connecting with the active, engaged, and socially conscious students and leading a team of professionals who serve and collaborate with them is an exciting opportunity,” said Holmes-Sullivan. “I’ve long known about Lewis & Clark and the strong undergraduate liberal arts education and professional training it provides. What I saw and learned during my visit made it clear to me that this is the right fit. Among my many goals, I look forward to playing a role in improving the retention and graduation rates of students while ensuring that their experiences are well rounded and reflective of a stellar liberal education.”

Holmes-Sullivan has for more than 20 years maintained a clinical psychology practice and consults on issues of diversity and multicultural organizational development for higher education institutions and private corporations. She has taught classes and workshops on multiculturalism and cross-cultural dynamics in conflict mediation as well as identity formation and development.

Andrew McPheeters will continue in the interim vice president role until Holmes-Sullivan starts in February. “I can’t thank Andrew enough for taking on and continuing in this temporary role,” said Wiewel.

The search committee was chaired by Associate Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning Mark Figueroa and assisted by the firm Summit Search Solutions.