Photo by Andrew Shurtleff

Newly named VP Patricia M. Lampkin believes “We have a shared obligation to continue to build on the University’s unique student experience, to make it grow and change with the times.” She shares a light moment with U.Va. student Andrew Burdick.

Lampkin named new VP

Staff Report

Patricia M. Lampkin, a veteran student-life administrator at U.Va., has been named vice president for student affairs, President John T. Casteen III announced Oct. 10. She has served as interim vice president since July 2001.

Lampkin, who has held several administrative posts here since 1979 in student affairs, is known for her effective, congenial leadership and organizational skills. “A true student mentor, Pat is highly respected by parents, students, faculty and staff,” Casteen said. “She is committed to the highest ideals of the honor system and student self-governance and to creating the best possible student experience here through the integration of classroom, residential, and extracurricular activities. Pat is a valued colleague, and I am very pleased that the University, and especially its students, will continue to benefit from her visionary leadership.”

Prior to being named interim vice president, she was associate vice president for student affairs for six years. During the 2000-01 academic year, she worked on the University’s long-range planning initiative, Virginia 2020, directing a special study envisioning the “Student Experience 2020.” Last year she created the Envisioning Integrity initiative to integrate integrity and trust as overlapping values into all aspects of life at U.Va.

Lampkin sees her work on both the Student Experience and Envisioning Integrity as the first steps in creating what she believes will be “a rich, University-wide dialogue that embraces every member of the community. We have a shared obligation to continue to build on the University’s unique student experience, to make it grow and change with the times.”

Lampkin’s inclusive approach to University life is one that she hopes will be the hallmark of her tenure. “I am confident that we can build the most seamless student academic experience in the country,” she said. “Our goal in Student Affairs in the coming years will be to create a student experience that complements the academic experience with a strong focus on U.Va.’s core values — academic rigor, honor, student self-governance and public service.”

While acknowledging the ambitious nature of her goal, she said she believes improving the students’ experience will have added long-term benefits. "Among other things, it could deepen the satisfaction of faculty and staff and increase the standing of the University."

As vice president, Lampkin oversees programming and services devoted to students, including the Office of the Dean of Students, Office of African-American Affairs, Department of Student Health, University Career Services and WTJU radio station.

Lampkin became associate dean of students responsible for residence life in 1987. She also served as the University’s compliance officer for the Americans with Disabilities Act from 1991 to 2000. An adjunct professor in the Curry School, Lampkin teaches a popular graduate course on the organization and administration of student affairs programs. She also teaches an undergraduate seminar on honor and ethics.