Melissa Vito Bio
Melissa Vito, Vice President for Student Affairs
Melissa Vito is the Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Arizona. Previously in her Dean of Students role, her contributions to the UA have been numerous, significantly impacting students in the areas of safety, diversity, faculty/student interaction, accommodations for student parents, assessment, and fund development.
Under her leadership, safety measures for the campus community have increased, including establishing policies addressing disruptive student behavior, changing the Student Code of Conduct to include sanctions for sexual assault, heading the Student Life Crisis Management Team, and ensuring that campus lighting is checked regularly
Melissa spearheaded construction of the $60 million Student Union/Bookstore project, completed in 2003, expanded the nationally recognized and award-winning Faculty Fellows and Faculty/Student Interaction Grants programs, and established the Campus Climate Survey in 1996.
Creativity is her hallmark: her initiatives bring students and faculty together outside the classroom in unique, instructive ways, and her assessment efforts enable faculty, staff, and students to understand student needs, opinions, and trends. She also serves as director on three collaborative grants with Campus Health. Recently the grant addressing fraternity and sorority alcohol use won Model Program designation from the U.S. Department of Education, one of seven awards in the country last year.
Melissa’s guidance has produced a successful, also award-winning, fundraising effort in the division of Student Life, one of the few student affairs units in the country that can make such a claim. Her fundraising strategies include the establishment of a Student Life National Leadership Board, whose members provide guidance on program design, structure and marketing, and take an active role in fundraising, which is vital to Student Life’s continued growth and success in today’s climate of budget challenges. Three endowments have been created: New Start, which helps transition minority first generation and needy students through their first year; ASUA student government; and the Donna Swaim Travel endowment. Over $2 million has been raised for student scholarships and programs in the last three years.
Dr. Vito manages a $100 million budget, and oversees more than 3,000 employees in various departments within the division of Student Affairs including Arizona Student Unions (Center for Student Involvement & Leadership), UA BookStores, Health and Wellness (Campus Health, Campus Recreation and SALT/Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques), Multicultural Affairs and Student Services (Undergraduate Initiatives, Multicultural Programs & Services, and Disability Resource Center), Residence Life and Student Life (ASUA, Arizona Student Media, Career Services, Dean of Students Office, Military Science and Parent & Family Association). She also provides leadership to other student engagement and success programs including Orientation, the University Learning Center and Early Academic Outreach. She is committed to creating diverse learning communities for students, preparing them to work more effectively in a global society. Dr. Vito commissioned a study of multi-cultural programs on campus and as a result, was instrumental in creating the Department of Multi-cultural Programs and Services, which has been rated "one of the top five campus programs for student satisfaction." She is a strong advocate for students and ensures that they have a voice in all of her operations. She has been recognized for her efforts as a recipient of the UA Commission on the Status of Women’s Vision Award for making improvements in the areas of compensation and equity, campus climate, and career and professional development a reality on the University of Arizona campus. She has also been recognized by the Asian Pacific Student Association, African American Student Center, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual students for her work on their behalf.
Melissa has been active in the Tucson community. Currently she serves on the Pima County Task Force to Reduce Underage Drinking and the Task Force Addressing Alcohol and Drug Use at Catalina Foothills High School. She is working with the Catalina Foothills School District to implement a social norming approach to tobacco, drugs and alcohol in their middle schools and high school. Her dissertation explored the impact of out-of-classroom student faculty contact on faculty attitudes, satisfaction and empathy for students. She is the mother of twin sons who are currently juniors in high school.
