Jenna Hyatt has been named as the interim assistant vice chancellor and dean of students within Student Affairs. Hyatt, an accomplished leader with more than 30 years of student affairs experience, will join Washington State University on Aug. 1. She will be located on the Pullman campus; however, her leadership will serve students around the system.
Hyatt has worked in a variety of student affairs leadership roles at several notable institutions, including Cornell University, Ball State University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Arizona. For the past 15 years she has been in executive leadership roles at Central Washington University (CWU) and has served for the past 5 years as the associate dean of student living at CWU.
“Jenna’s experience in student affairs is broad and deep, and she understands how the work we do fits in supporting student success,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Ellen Taylor. “She’s a student-oriented leader with a lot of enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation, and she will be a great fit for this role.”
Committed to supporting students
The dean of students is a critical system-wide position that serves as a linchpin for many of the community care and fundamental needs services Student Affairs offers. It is often where students go when they don’t know where else to find help, Taylor said.
Hyatt is well equipped to provide that support. She has managed an array of student affairs-related programs and facilities during her career and brings extensive experience in functional areas such as rights and responsibilities, student leadership, orientation, wellness, housing and residence life, crisis management, and Title IX.
“This role is really recognizable and is a central touchpoint for a lot of people,” Taylor said. “Jenna has the right experience and background to serve our diverse communities well, and I know she’s excited to come to WSU and start making connections.”
Hyatt is experienced in fostering inclusive programs and communities and partnering with colleagues to identify and remove systemic barriers in higher education. At CWU, she provided leadership for several initiatives, including gender-inclusive housing, developing the health and wellness organizational structure of student success, and the overall reimagining of the residential experience using a residential curriculum model. She also served on a student experience task force that developed and implemented a collaborative, integrated model for recruitment, enrollment management, and retention that created a culture of access and equity across the institution. These experiences position her well to contribute to WSU’s efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate students from all backgrounds.
Hyatt has a doctorate in higher education from the University of North Texas and completed the management development program for higher education at Harvard University. She has served in several national student affairs organizations and is currently on the executive board for Region V of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). She has also as served as faculty for the National Training Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park and at Texas Christian University and currently teaches in the master’s program for higher education at CWU.
“I am excited and humbled to step into the interim assistant vice chancellor and dean of students role to partner with WSU students, faculty, staff and leadership.,” Hyatt said. “I value the intentionality behind the focus of Student Affairs at WSU under Ellen’s leadership, and I am committed to the work that impacts our students’ ability to find success as they navigate their WSU educational journey.”
Hyatt is filling the role recently vacated by Jill Creighton, who accepted a role at Duke Kunshan last month. This is a two‑year appointment, and Student Affairs will conduct a national search to appoint someone permanently to the role.
