KSU Names New Dean of Student Success
Michael Sanseviro draws from leadership experience handling student concerns
KENNESAW, Ga…
Georgia
(Oct 13, 2010) —
KENNESAW, Ga. (Oct. 13, 2010) —Following a nationwide search, Kennesaw State University has appointed Michael Sanseviro
as dean of student success. Sanseviro, who served as KSU’s director of residence life
from 2004 to 2009, had served as interim dean for the past year.
“Dr. Sanseviro comes highly qualified and prepared for this assignment and responsibility,”
said Jerome Ratchford, vice president of student success. “We are pleased to have
someone with his considerable expertise in this important position. Dr. Sanseviro
is a natural leader who communicates easily with students and faculty alike. We look
forward to his guidance and solid leadership as our enrollment continues to grow.”
As dean, Sanseviro, who has held student affairs positions at universities in New
York, North Carolina and Florida, will oversee various areas of student success for
KSU’s more than 23,000 students. He will continue in his duties as director of residence
life until a successor is named.
“At its essence the core role of the dean’s office is to help both our best and brightest
students, as well as those who need a little more assistance in order to reach their
full potential,” said Sanseviro. “I’m bringing what I learned from residential life
programs to this position. Dealing with the lives of more than 3,000 residential students
is a 24/7 situation, so I know I have what it takes to help make a difference in our
young people’s lives.”
Sanseviro joined Kennesaw State in January 2004 as the university’s first director
of residence life. He arrived on campus in the middle of the second year of the residential
housing program.
“I was the first director of residence life. I created the department and the residential
life program,” he said. “We had few other employees, so I set out to work with other
departments to build a program from the ground up. I also worked with the leadership
of the KSU Foundation to make our unique public-private partnership successful.”
Sanseviro was named interim dean of student success in 2009, and he is active in
numerous professional associations, such as the National Association of Student Personnel
Administrators and Association of University Housing Officers - International. He
also teaches at KSU with the University College and is on the faculty at the Keller
Graduate School of Management of DeVry University.
Sanseviro has worked at Georgia State University, where he helped with the successful
conversion of Olympic housing to student use. He has also worked for Georgia Perimeter
College and the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia.
In addition, Sanseviro has served as president of the Association of Georgia Housing
Officers, which honored him in October 2008 with the Excellence in Housing award for
his career achievements. Last October, KSU received three out of six statewide awards
at the GHO annual conference, including the Georgia Gee Whiz Award for Tea Time, judged
the most innovative program by a housing or residence life department.
Tea Time is an informal weekly gathering where the residence life staff and university
faculty and staff meet with students over tea and snacks to discuss topics ranging
from current events to campus life.
“Our department has previously won many statewide honors from GHO but this is the
highest number of awards we have won simultaneously,” Sanseviro said. “We were particularly
honored because there were dozens of nominees from more than 20 institutions.”
Sanseviro has a Ph.D. in education policy from Georgia State University. He received
a master’s in higher education from Florida State University and a bachelor’s in educational
research, philosophy and religion from Emory University.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
