Following two external searches that took place last semester, Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet announced that two positions have been filled on her Executive Leadership Team and an interim position has been extended. 

In an email sent to faculty and staff on Jan. 16, Sobanet announced Robin Parent as the vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and chief of staff and Lynn Vidler as the provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Vidler served as the interim provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Parent is new to the university. 

The chancellor also announced that she asked Stephanie Hanenberg, interim vice chancellor for enrollment management and student affairs, to remain in her interim position “to help stabilize the current leadership team” while the university starts the searches to fill open dean positions according to the email. 

The Executive Leadership Team consists of six individuals, who lead key departments and initiatives on campus. Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Kathy Kaoudis, Senior Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Martin Wood and Managing Associate University Counsel Amanda Hull serve of the Executive Leadership Team in addition to Vidler, Parent and Hanenberg. 

“This is a very cohesive team that is dedicated to putting work in for students … All the [departments] are at the table together working on the strategic enrollment plans,” Hanenberg said.  

Lynn Vidler 

Vidler initially withdrew from consideration due to personal reasons, which was announced in an email from University Communications on Nov. 21.  

The position was offered to a different candidate who also withdrew. The chancellor asked Vidler to reconsider their withdrawal. They agreed to reenter as a candidate and took over the role on Jan. 21.  

Before serving as interim provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, Vidler served as the Dean of LAS, a position they held for almost four years according to previous reporting from the Scribe. 

Vidler’s goal is to increase collaboration when curating an academic vision that aligns with UCCS’ mission. Their responsibilities include student support, research and administrative duties. Vidler is focused on supporting student endeavors and success by providing resources and aid. 

“I’ll be responsible for collaboratively working to create an academic vision for the campus and making sure that vision aligns with the campus mission. Of course, that means collaborating with the other vice chancellors and their divisions to support student success,” they said. 

Vidler plans to create programs for faculty, staff and graduate students to help cultivate leadership skills in all members of the UCCS community. They also aim to improve the Division of Academic Affairs by adding an Office of Faculty Affairs, intended to support the development of faculty via assistance and training.  

According to Vidler, UCCS has two years left of its ten-year accreditation cycle, so they are dedicated to ensuring the university remains accredited to award degrees. 

Vidler said they are committed to protecting academic freedom and serving all UCCS students.  

Robin Parent 

Being new to UCCS, Parent said she is excited to begin her career on campus. “The opportunity to serve as chief of staff for a university leader while also engaging in strategic initiatives to serve the mission of the institution is the dream opportunity,” she said.   

Parent’s position plays a critical role in shaping and advancing UCCS’ vision. Her responsibilities encompass a broad focus on operational alignment across the university, including ensuring strategies align with UCCS’ values and mission statement. Parent also helps to manage the chancellor’s administrative team.  

Before coming to UCCS, she worked at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), where she worked closely with senior leaders to better the accessibility and integrity of higher education institutions, according to previous reporting from the Scribe. 

Looking forward, Parent plans to use her six years of federal experience to guide UCCS through the federal government transition. 

Stephanie Hanenberg  

Hanenberg oversees 32 departments and programs. Her responsibilities include “everything from admissions till we get [students] across the stage and kind of everything in between,” she said.  

Her primary responsibilities are recruitment and retention rates, but ultimately, she is responsible for curating the student experience at UCCS by providing care and aid.  

According to Hanenberg, UCCS’s student retention rate is 68%, but she hopes to increase it to 73-75% through a new enrollment program. This program will be composed of five strategic initiatives, which are yet to be announced, and continuing the retention rate focus groups conducted by Chief Strategist for Enrollment Wendi Clouse. 

Hanenberg is committed to serving all UCCS students and welcomes feedback on things that can be improved. 

More information about each member of the Executive Leadership team can be found on Communique. 

Photo via The Scribe archives.