President's Goals for 2010-2011

1. Work with the NASPA staff to mentor our members and contribute effectively to the national dialogue to develop, assess, align and improve learning results for the good work NASPA members continue to do.
2. Expand outreach to community and K-12 partners through the Enough Is Enough campaign to collaboratively develop strategies that address the symptoms that lead to violence.
3.  Explore approaches and practices to conduct our work more effectively in the context of our international, interdependent, sustainably-focused global society.
4. With the NASPA staff, support professional development and networking through alternative and new modes of program delivery, especially using technology, in the context of our stressed economy and reduced institutional budgets.
5. Support and implement the report of the joint task force on professional competencies for the profession of student affairs.
6. Explore the recommendations of the joint task force on the strategic vision for the future of the profession of student affairs.

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2010-11 President Elizabeth Griego

Elizabeth Griego serves as Vice President for Student Life at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Appointed in April 2006, she is charged with enhancing students' educational experiences and working collaboratively with faculty and staff to build community, foster learning, and develop student leadership. She is responsible for 140 staff in 16 departments and a budget in excess of $25 million. She is also Professor of Education, teaching in the undergraduate general education Pacific Seminar courses and in the graduate program in higher education.

Former positions include Associate Director for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (2000-06); VP of Student Affairs and Academic Support Services at Samuel Merritt College (1989-2000); and Assistant and Associate Dean of Students, Executive Assistant to the President, and Director of Planning and Research at Mills College (1976-89). She has also held student affairs positions at San Francisco State University and the University of Nebraska.

Her bachelor's degree is from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in Speech and Hearing Pathology and Audiology; her master's from the Ohio State University in Student Personnel Work; and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in Higher Education Administration, where she was awarded the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Experience in Professional Associations

Elizabeth Griego has held various leadership positions in NASPA in addition to her current service as President. She served as Region VI Vice President from 2000-2002. For the last 15 years, she has served on the Northern California Executive Committee and as chair from 1994-96. Griego has also served NASPA on various conference committees, as Coordinator of the Region VI Women's Network, member of the NASPA Journal Editorial Board, Liaison to Region VI Senior Student Affairs Officers and organizer of two SSAO weekend retreats.

Griego worked extensively with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) before joining the staff in 2000. She has visited 40 colleges and universities to assist them through their review process and was an active participant in developing the WASC Standards of Accreditation before joining WASC and afterwards, as Assistant Director for Policy Development. She worked closely with the Department of Education and wrote the WASC Renewal of Recognition self study. She also was the Accreditation Liaison Officer at Samuel Merritt College for 11 years and chair of the College's two accreditation self-studies in 1989 and 1999.

During the time that she served as Director of Planning and Research at Mills College, Griego served on the Executive Committee for the California Association for Institutional Research (CAIR) for several years, chaired the 1991 CAIR annual conference, and served as President of CAIR in 1991-92. From 1986-89, she served as Representative for Independent Colleges to the National Board of Directors of the Higher Education Data Sharing Group and site chair for the annual conference. She is an accredited Baldrige Examiner and has served as a Baldrige Quality Improvement Examiner and site visitor. Under her leadership, Samuel Merritt College was awarded the California State Governor's Baldrige Award for Excellence in 1999.

Community Service

Griego has served on several community boards of directors and committees, including the Women's Center of San Joaquin County, Summit Medical Center Health Education Advisory Board, Camp Fire International, Mercy High School's Project 2000, Displaced Homemakers Association, and President of the Claremont Hills Neighborhood Association. She was the producer of an original children's opera and organized a fund raiser for the "Heal the Children" foundation to assist women acid burn victims in India. She also organized and staffed after school tutoring and mentoring programs in four Oakland Elementary Schools and served as Deacon for Piedmont Community Church.

Professional Presentations and Consulting Work

Elizabeth Griego is an active researcher, consultant, and presenter at professional conferences. She has presented at over 60 professional conferences and gatherings and authored over a dozen journal articles and book chapters. Her scholarly interests include the practice of student affairs, assessment of learning, accreditation review, leadership development, and the history of professional women in the U.S. She has consulted with eleven colleges and universities across the country on issues related to student affairs, visioning and planning, accreditation, and assessment of learning.

Her awards and honors include leadership awards from NASPA Region VI and CAIR, the President's Award from CAIR, and the outstanding service award from NASPA Region VI. At Samuel Merritt College she was given the outstanding employee Strommen-Dilleshaw award in 1991, Staff of the Year award in 1998, and the outstanding student leadership award was named in her honor in 2000.