New Dean of Students named

From a narrowed pool of candidates of about 30 to 35 qualified individuals, Dr. Ainsley Carry was chosen to fill the position of Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students effective Oct. 4. Carry joins Temple’s administration from the University of Arkansas.

Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Theresa A. Powell appointed Carry as the new dean of students According to Powell, Carry’s “high energy, excellent interpersonal skills and experience” make him a good candidate for the position.

“Dr. Carry brings to Temple exactly what we need to move student affairs to another level,” Powell said. “We needed someone who could hit the ground running, someone who could come in on the first day and start the job.”

Temple ‘s diversity was a key factor in Carry’s acceptance of the position. Carry also said the professional opportunity to work with Powell also played a role in his decision.

As the new dean of students, Carry plans to first familiarize himself with the current Temple environment and community.

He plans to focus on three areas that will contribute to improving the department of student affairs: student leadership development, student learning and staff development.

“Temple students can expect a dean of students who is out and about,” Carry said, “spending time with students, touring residence halls [and] conducting focus groups for students to discuss their experiences with the university and how they view their treatment by the institution.”

Carry’s student leadership initiative will work toward developing leadership skills in young adults. Student learning will focus on in-class learning but will also incorporate learning outside the classroom, including residential learning and community experiences. Staff development will focus on growing and developing staff to better serve students.

The dean of students also often serves as a bridge for communication between students and administration.

“I will be an advocate first and foremost for the students,” Carry said. “Students need to feel and believe that if they bring up an issue, it will be addressed at a higher level. I want to be someone they will get to know, get to meet.”

Carry looks forward to being involved in the performance and success of the student body both academically and socially.

“Success as a student is not always being involved in organizations we recognize,” Carry noted, “but it is involvement in their own lives, sitting in the front seat of their own lives. Students are students everywhere. They want to be challenged, they want to grow and to be respected and feel like they have a voice in decisions at their university.”

A native of New York, Carry was educated at the University of Florida, where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, along with a Ph.D. His highest degree is in educational leadership and higher education administration.

Before accepting the position at Temple, Carry served as director of multicultural affairs at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and as associate Dean of Students at the University of Arkansas.

Charmie Snetter can be reached at snett77@temple.edu.