The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has named Jenny Dodson its new director of the Student Experience Center, formerly known as the Office of Campus Life.

Dodson began her career with UALR nine years ago, working with both the Interfraternal and Pan-Hellenic councils, the governing bodies of UALR’s sororities and fraternities. Six months later, she was assigned an additional group, the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

“I’ve had a fantastic experience working alongside these student organizations,” she said.

Four years later, she was promoted to associate director of campus life. In this position, she worked directly with fraternities and sororities, but also supervised the non-traditional program coordinator, the student development specialists, and the diversity program’s coordinator.

In her new role, Dodson will have the opportunity to make a major impact on students as she reimagines the student experience.

She has designed the Student Experience Center to house some of the same components of campus life, such as the University Program Council and fraternity and sorority life. The center will soon be updated to include different curriculum like leadership and classification programs.

“My ultimate goal is for all of the students that come to UALR to have a very positive student engagement experience,” she said.

Dodson said her education and personal experience have prepared her for this position.

As she now works toward a doctorate degree in leadership studies at the University of Central Arkansas, Dodson is reminded of her time as an undergraduate student at UCA.

“I was a member of Tri Sigma at UCA where I fell in love with student affairs,” she said. “I was very involved on campus and in my sorority and decided this would be fun to do when I grow up.”

Now that Dodson is living out her dream, she hopes to provide students with an even better college experience than she had.