Darrelene Rachavong Named Interim Vice President For Student Affairs at U. T. Dallas

Darrelene Rachavong Named Interim Vice
President for Student Affairs at U. T. Dallas

RICHARDSON, Texas (March 18, 2004) – Dr. Darrelene Rachavong has been named interim vice president for student affairs at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Rachavong will assume the position in several weeks when Dr. Mary Evans Sias leaves UTD to become president of Kentucky State University.

Rachavong joined UTD more than two decades ago and is currently dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs.

In making the announcement this morning, UTD President Dr. Franklyn Jenifer said Rachavong would serve as interim vice president for student affairs “until my successor as UTD president is named and he or she decides on a process for either putting in place a different organizational structure or filling the student affairs vice presidency on a permanent basis.”

Jenifer, who turns 65 later this month, announced last Oct. 2 that he is planning to retire but would remain at UTD until a new president is selected. A national search currently is being conducted to find the best possible person for the position.

“We are very fortunate to have someone of Dr. Rachavong’s ability and devotion to students to fill this important position on an interim basis. She has done an outstanding job in her current capacity as dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs.”

Jenifer went on to say, “The UTD family, of course, will miss Dr. Sias very much. But one of the greatest tributes I can pay her is that in addition to providing me with sage counsel and the university with strong leadership over the years, she leaves behind at UTD a legacy that includes a student affairs team composed of many, many extremely talented people. That, of course, made my decision in selecting an interim vice president that much more difficult. But in the end I am extraordinarily pleased with the appointment of Darrelene.”

Sias joined UTD in 1995 and is senior vice president for student affairs and external relations and a member of Jenifer’s Cabinet at UTD.

In her new position as interim vice president for student affairs, Rachavong will be responsible for overseeing all issues affecting prospective and current students, including recruitment, admissions, registration, financial aid and such other related student services as health, counseling, the career center, the women’s center and athletics.

Rachavong has an Ed.D. degree from the University of North Texas, an M.A. in reading education from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies and a B.A. in social sciences from the West Virginia Institute of Technology. She joined UTD in November 1983 as special assistant to the executive director of student services.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to serve the university in this capacity and feel honored that Dr. Jenifer has asked me to serve,” Rachavong said. “We have an incredibly strong student affairs team, and I am confident we will continue to reflect the strong leadership Dr. Sias has provided.”

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 13,700 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at http://www.utdallas.edu.