UA Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs receives National Awards for Work with Students

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, recently received two national awards recognizing her professional excellence.

Dr. Brazzell received the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean and the Pillar of the Profession Award for 2004. The awards are presented each year at the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conference, which was held in Denver in March 2004.

"I want to congratulate Dr. Brazzell on her much-deserved receipt of these prestigious honors," said Chancellor John A. White. "It is a pleasure to see that her colleagues nationally have recognized what we saw when since she first set foot on our campus--professionalism of the highest order, a burning desire to help students grow holistically during their college years, and a commitment to excellence in everything she does.

"Her commitment to the university and its students is exemplified through her leadership in the development of numerous new programs within Student Affairs. She consistently holds true to the university’s goal of being 'student-centered,’ and I am proud that she has represented the University of Arkansas well."

The Scott Goodnight Award honors NASPA’s founding president and former dean of men at the University of Wisconsin. It is given to a dean who has demonstrated:

• Sustained professional service in student affairs work
• High-level competency in administrative skills
• Innovative response in meeting students, varied and emerging needs
• Effectiveness in developing junior staff members
• Leadership in community and university affairs

"Dr. Brazzell has assured that future students will have attractive residential space, improved health center facilities, a Greek system in step with the year 2003 and beyond, and the potential for leadership through campus and national programs," said Chancellor White. "She has a unique team of individuals working to put meaning into diversity on our campus and tackling the challenges of student behaviors and emotional needs. We are most fortunate to have on our campus a person of the professional stature of Dr. Brazzell."

The Pillars of the Profession Award honors members of the profession who:

• Have accepted or are leaving NASPA leadership roles at the national or regional levels
• Are individuals of professional distinction as defined by the donors
• Are being memorialized by colleagues and friends
• Are being honored by a group of graduate students on a campus
• Are being honored by student organization(s) for extraordinary campus service.

said Bob Smith, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. "She carries herself with energy, thoughtfulness and genuine courtesy toward the student body here at the university, and she is one of the finest student affairs professionals I have encountered in my 35 years in higher education."