Wilson College names new Director of Student Life

Wilson College announced Aaron King as its new Director of Student Life in an email to students last Monday.

The Director of Student Life is responsible for the non-academic aspects of undergraduate life within a residential college.

Former Wilson College DSL Regan Crotty ’00 is now the Title IX Administrator for the University.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Michael Olin, who took part in the hiring process of Aaron King, said King’s experience in residential education and attention to diversity and inclusion was a strength that made him stand out.

“He brings experience in areas supporting students, in both long-term and crisis situations and in supporting community standards,” Olin said.

King was previously a program manager at Stanford’s Office of Residential Education who oversaw the Row, the upperclass housing system at Stanford.

King said that being a DSL appealed to him due to both the ability to support students broadly by working with the residential college advisers and meeting with students one-on-one.

“At the individual level I hope to raise awareness [of issues] that are invisible to others,” he said, explaining that he hopes to connect to students using his own experience as a first-generation college graduate.

Crotty said the best part of her previous job was working with RCAs and interacting with students.

Wilson College RCA Jack Jenkins ’15 said the RCAs’ relationship with Crotty as DSL had been marked by her availability and interest in individuals.

“We basically all joked that Regan was the RCA of the RCAs in addition to being our boss,” Jenkins said.

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Diversity-related programming for the RCA training week and encouraging RCAs to hold diversity-related events were notable elements of programming while Crotty was DSL, Jenkins said.

King recently met with RCAs to plan a week-long series of dinners featuring different aspects of diversity, Jenkins added. The series will include four different dialogues on diversity related to religion, class, admissions and race.

King said he respects the path that Crotty established but hopes to bring his own style to the Wilson community.

“I want to learn about the culture that is here and what conversations are happening here,” said King.

King added he values the commitment of Master of Wilson College Eduardo Cadava to social justice and hopes to establish a community in which individuals are willing to learn from one another.

Cadava did not respond to a request for comment.

“For me I think about who is all involved in the community,” King said. “Does everyone feel connected? Does everyone feel accountable? Do people watch out and care for one another? ...The opportunities to connect beyond surface levels is a beautiful thing.”

Dean of Wilson College Anne Caswell-Klein said King’s prior experience will help him in his new role.

“He has had to deal with challenging student situations, and it was clear that he handled them beautifully,” Caswell-Klein said.

She added that she plans to work with King on further developing the non-academic side of college life and thinking more extensively about the role of Wilson College in the campus community.