Festive, Memorable and Purposeful: The New VCSL Embodies It All

Dr. Kay Robinson sits in Ordean Court. Photo by William Bauer

Tunnels, school pride and… bears? Oh my! Wherever could someone find these things? The new Vice Chancellor for Student Life (VCSL), Dr. Kay Robinson, discovered all three reside in Duluth. Within one week of moving to Duluth, a bear walked across her patio, which she later learned wasn’t out of the ordinary for Duluthians. 

“When I told people about it, they were like ‘oh, okay’ and I’m like ‘you’re being very calm about this,’” Robinson said. 

She’s an Oklahoma native who’s used to rattlesnakes and tornadoes, but not close encounters with larger furry friends.

Luckily, the bears didn’t scare the new vice chancellor away, because her job is an important one here at UMD. Robinson will provide the leadership and strategy for the division of student life. What does that mean? Almost everything students touch, the VCSL oversees: dining, housing, RSOP, student organizations, health services and the UMD stores are just a few of the areas. 

As Robinson steps into the position, she brings an extensive background in education. This year marked her 44th consecutive first day of school. Robinson noted, “I started school in Pre-K and just kept going.” 25 of those years have been in higher education. UMD is Robinson’s third university, not counting grad school, which she likes — it shows longevity. 

Robinson plans to use her knowledge to move the student experience forward. “My goal is really just to elevate the student experience here for our Bulldogs,” Robinson said. One theme she hopes to put into practice is providing “festive, memorable, and purposeful experiences for students.” In short, she wants students to enjoy their time at UMD. 

She also wants students to feel like they belong. “We want you to find a home at UMD. We want you to leave here after four, five, whatever years and look back on your experience and have loved it,” the vice chancellor said. Part of this is providing what Robinson calls basic needs. There are services on campus to make sure everyone has what they need. Champs Cupboard can provide food if students need it, if students need clothing, they have an option, and there are even emergency grants to help students out. 

With these goals and others in mind, Robinson is looking forward to the coming year for a couple of reasons. “I’m excited to see a full academic year,” Robinson said. She’s gone from knowing everything about her last university to knowing almost nothing about UMD, but she’s learning quickly.  “I’m eager to learn everything and see a full cycle of students and feel a full school year,” the vice chancellor added, saying she’s asked lots of questions, and everyone is responsive and willing to answer them. 

In the near future, she’s looking forward to her first winter. “Either people have been scaring me about the winter or they’ve been like you’ll be fine,” Robinson said with a laugh, “...I’m excited about seeing what's all the hubbub with winter, you know?” 

Robinson plans to spend time outside no matter what the seasons bring. She’s been busy exploring the Duluth area and the north shore already, getting out and about with her family. She has two boys in elementary school and said, “their schedule is my schedule.” They have activities every day, Monday through Thursday, keeping her busy during week nights. On weekends, they take advantage of Duluth's beautiful weather. 

But soon enough the snow will come, and students will enjoy the luxury of UMD’s tunnels. Robinson said she’s used to more outdoor campuses, so the tunnels were an interesting discovery. She likes it though, saying “it’s such a cool environment…I’ve never experienced it before, and I thought that was really unique to UMD for sure.”

What’s not unique to UMD is that everyone needs someone to go to for advice. Robinson said, “I want people to know that I have an open office.” She enjoys talking to students and encourages them to find someone they can ask their questions to and talk to if they have worries, concerns, a joke, a story or anything else. 

Robinson said, “if they need somebody, I’ll be their somebody,” acknowledging that, though she has the title of vice chancellor, she still wants to talk to students and stay connected. “I’m still here for the students, no matter what,” Robinson continued. 

Students can find her office by walking through the food court, out the doors by the pasta and pizza stations, and down the hall. The room number is 245 Kirby Plaza.

Finally, Robinson wants the students to know “if you invest in this place, it’ll invest back in you and you’ll have a great experience.”