Don Stansberry to Receive APLU Council on Student Affairs Award

Dr. Don Stansberry, Interim Vice President of Student Engagement & Enrollment Services at Old Dominion University, will receive the inaugural APLU Council on Student Affairs’ (CSA) Senior Student Affairs Officer Newcomer Award. The award recognizes a demonstrated record of: dynamic leadership at their institution and profession; innovation and dedication to role; and evidence of involvement, leadership and scholarly endeavors.

During his tenure, Stansberry has championed low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority students. In addition, Dr. Stansberry works with the Old Dominion University Center for Social Mobility’s educational outreach, which includes hosting symposiums and workshops for national leaders, as well as presenting at regional and national conferences. The Center for Social Mobility is committed to providing top notch education for higher education leaders and will continue to host symposiums focused on low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority student success.

“We are so excited to be awarding the 2020 CSA Award to Dr. Stansberry,” said Travis York, Assistant Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at APLU. “His has had a deep impact on students, the Old Dominion Campus, and the student affairs profession. We applaud for his commitment to helping meet student needs, especially amid the pandemic.”

“Dr. Stansberry is a champion for students who need it most: individuals from low-income families, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students,” said Augustine O. Agho, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Old Dominion. “What I am most impressed with is Dr. Stansberry’s scholarly endeavors on top of his administrative role. His work as an administrator and as a scholar in promoting access, affordability, and completion of all students is truly remarkable.”

Most recently, Dr. Stansberry suggested a student outreach initiative to ensure no student slips through the cracks during COVID-19. With his vision, the university mobilized more than 350 staff members checked in on students amid the pandemic. Each faculty and staff member who participated made personal phone calls to 50 new and returning students. The five-day initiative, focused on care, reached nearly 20,000 students.