Vice Chancellor for Student Life Suzy M. Nelson to retire this fall

Dear members of the MIT community,

I write to let you know that after 10 years of service to the Institute and a career of remarkable impact at every school she’s served, Vice Chancellor for Student Life Suzy M. Nelson plans to retire this fall. Knowing that searches for leaders at this level take time, Suzy has given us a substantial runway: She kindly offered to remain active in her role until a successor is in place and will then continue to support a smooth transition, taking on special projects as needed. This will give us ample time to celebrate Suzy’s accomplishments, so for now, my remarks will be brief.  

An indelible stamp on the student experience

Over the past decade, Suzy’s leadership transformed student life at MIT. She elevated the importance of student well-being and built lasting infrastructure to support it. Our students have flourished, participating in clubs and athletics in record numbers, seeking out support services at the highest rates in MIT’s history, and actively partnering with Division of Student Life (DSL) staff to help shape programs and policies for the future. Suzy similarly helped reshape MIT’s campus, overseeing the construction of three new residences, steering major renovations to four DSL buildings, upgrading numerous DAPER facilities, and leading the development of architectural principles for undergraduate residential spaces.

Suzy also changed the staffing landscape to improve students’ day-to-day experiences. Examples include bringing the recreation team in house, professionalizing residential house staff, and creating new peer mentor roles for student leaders. Finally, by championing DSL’s team of hundreds of deeply committed staff and faculty heads of house, Suzy helped build a thriving division dedicated to making student life at MIT a best-in-class experience. 

Please join me in congratulating Suzy on her upcoming retirement and thanking her for her steadfast dedication to our students and the MIT student experience. 

Launching a national search

To continue DSL’s positive trajectory, I am launching a national search for the next vice chancellor for student life. I am pleased to share that Joe Higgins, vice president for campus services and stewardship, and Kristala Prather, Arthur D. Little Professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, have agreed to co-chair the search advisory group. They will work in partnership with my office and the search firm Isaacson, Miller. 

The search advisory group will solicit input from our community, including students, staff, and faculty; assess the challenges and opportunities facing DSL; determine the most important qualities and experiences for a future leader; and recommend a short list of candidates for my consideration. 

A position profile is forthcoming. If you’d like to be considered for the role or would like to nominate someone, please write to Arianna Williams, senior associate at Isaacson, Miller. I also invite you to share your thoughts about the search by completing this brief survey. All nominations and submissions will be treated as confidential.

Sincerely,

Melissa Nobles
Chancellor