After serving in higher education at the University for over 40 years, Patricia M. Lampkin, vice president and chief student affairs officer, has announced the conclusion of her tenure. Although Lampkin plans her official retirement to begin in August, she will remain in the role until the University is able to find a successor.
Prior to her appointment to the position of vice president and chief student affairs officer in 2002, Lampkin served as interim chief student affairs officer for 15 months. She received her doctorate degree in education from the University in 1986, then worked at the University in other capacities that included associate dean of students for residence life and compliance officer for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In her role, Lampkin oversaw areas of the University that provide support and services for students, including the Department of Student Health and Wellness, the Office of African-American Affairs, Office of the Dean of Students and the University Career Center.
In the announcement, Lampkin described her time at the University as immensely rewarding and professionally satisfying, calling her interactions with students “invigorating” and “renewing.”
“I’ve spent more than 40 years in higher education at UVA, and I cannot remember one day in which I was ever bored or did not feel that I had accomplished something,” Lampkin said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “But my satisfaction always comes down to the people, the extraordinary students and colleagues I have had the privilege to work with every single day.”
Lampkin has focused on strengthening student self-governance and the student experience through accomplishments such as the creation of the University Board of Elections, which supervises all University-wide student elections, and the establishment of the Meriwether Lewis Institute for Citizen Leadership, which provides select students with leadership instruction and experience.
University President Jim Ryan expressed his gratitude for Lampkins’ service to the University’s students.
“Her legacy will include, among many other accomplishments, creating more opportunities for student leadership development, helping make the expanded Student Health and Wellness Center a reality, strengthening our system of student self-governance, assembling a terrific team in Student Affairs, mentoring colleagues across the University, and handling a long line of crises – both large and small – with compassion and care,” Ryan said to UVAToday.
After conducting research for the University’s planning project, “Virginia 2020,” in 1999, Lampkin authored the summarizing report on the U.Va. Student Experience.
“We remain dedicated to creating educated citizens,” Lampkin wrote. “But we can only accomplish our mission by following a two-pronged approach: preserving our core values while seeking new strategies to meet the challenges of a changing educational and cultural landscape.”
After taking a break for a few months, Lamkin believes she will eventually return to higher education through life coaching with the goal of helping people’s personal aspirations and career goals.
“Initially, I plan to take a break for a few months, and maybe travel a bit or spend time with my husband, Wayne Cozart. I am also determined to make it to Pilates and hot yoga on time, continue my tap dancing class, finish knitting a Christmas stocking for my daughter-in-law that I started two years ago, and read a few good books, beginning to end,” Lampkin said. “Higher education will always be a part of my life.”
The University expects to begin the search process for Lampkin’s successor in the coming weeks.
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