Dear UVM Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Last January, I announced the appointment of Erica Caloiero as Interim Vice Provost for Student Affairs. I selected Erica for this interim role after extensive consultations with students, academic leaders, and student services professionals across campus. She emerged as a strong candidate for the position on the basis of her experience as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, her deep knowledge of both the academic and student affairs elements of student development, her ability to advance the integration of our academic and co-curricular experiences, and her commitment to supporting Division of Student Affairs (DOSA) leaders whose efforts were almost entirely focused on navigating the pandemic.

At that time, I planned to conduct a national search to identify a permanent leader for the division during this academic year. My thinking has since evolved. The past year was one of enormous accomplishment and the university’s advance is undeniable. Our continued decisive and strategic action will help sustain our future and ensure that we thrive as an academic institution. I believe leadership continuity in DOSA is essential at this time to leverage our current advantages and to provide the division with the stability and direction necessary to further contribute to our success. 

Today, I am writing to announce the appointment of Erica Caloiero as Vice Provost for Student Affairs effective December 16, 2021. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to observe Erica’s performance and have again consulted broadly with campus colleagues. Those consultations confirmed my own experiences and impressions, referencing Erica’s strategic thinking; skilled communications; collaborative approach; extraordinary ability to connect with students and families; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; her steadfast focus on what’s best for students; and the value of the academic lens and perspective she brings to her student affairs work, creating a powerful synergy.

Erica and her team have accomplished a great deal during her short time leading the division. Their accomplishments include a highly successful collaboration with the Division of Enrollment Management in the delivery of August Orientation; a strong, new partnership with the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Success to evolve the integrative learning approach to the residential Learning Communities; on-going collaboration with the Vice President for Operations and Public Safety to ensure student compliance with COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements—a vital contribution to the overall health and safety of our campus; development of  both in-person and virtual student engagement activities during the height of the pandemic; development of innovative recruitment approaches for full-time and student staff within the division; transition of DOSA to a shared administrative services model; and taking a highly visible leadership role in our comprehensive response to sexual misconduct including developing a new position for sexual violence prevention and education, instituting a Sexual Violence Prevention Council, providing enhanced training on sexual violence and trauma informed support for Residential Life and Center for Health and Wellbeing staff including CAPS counselors and ensuring that these important actions are clearly and effectively communicated within our campus community and beyond.

Under Erica’s leadership, DOSA has established contemporary, effective, mutually beneficial relationships with partners across campus, is successfully responding to the continuing demands of the pandemic, has made excellent progress on important initiatives in support of our Academic Success Goals, and is delivering on our commitment to creating an outstanding student experience. I have every confidence in Erica’s ability to further the division’s positive momentum and I am delighted to name her a permanent member of my leadership team.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Erica on this appointment and wishing her continued success.

Patricia A. Prelock,
Provost and Senior Vice President