When Melissa Shivers leaves the University of Iowa for her new position at The Ohio State University, she’ll leave a lasting impression that student leaders describe as innovative and courageous.

Shivers, who announced in October she will become vice president for student life at Ohio State in January, has served as UI vice president for student life since June 2017. Students and staff members say Shivers’ lasting impact will be felt in the efforts she made to ensure students’ concerns were heard.

“Dr. Shivers has made remarkable change on campus since her arrival,” says Noel Mills, UI Student Government president. “She asked us what would make Iowa the absolute best place it could be and then demonstrated the follow-through to move us toward that vision.”

Shivers led a number of significant projects within the Division of Student Life (DSL), including the Fraternity and Sorority Life Strategic Plan, which is expected to be released in spring 2020. A work group consisting of students, faculty, staff, and alumni advisors collaborated to make recommendations related to risk management, health, and safety; peer accountability and transparency; and on-campus housing options, among a number of other initiatives.

Shivers also implemented a number of programs for building community within the division, says Barry Schreier, director of University Counseling Service. 

“Melissa brought a value of ‘express gratitude’ to DSL,” he says. “Many of us work in difficult situations, with an endless demand for service. In such a context, taking time to recognize, respond, and value the work that everyone does can get left by the wayside on the day-to-day. She encouraged us to value the work we do, express gratitude to others, and recognize that it is not always the ‘big ticket’ items that should get recognized, but also the micro-details, as they are often the glue that keeps the whole structure up and running.”

Shivers has worked in student affairs for more than 20 years. Raised in Georgia by a single mother, Shivers was a first-generation college student at Georgia Southern University, where she studied communication with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. She earned a master’s degree in education from Clemson University and a PhD in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia. Before coming to the UI, she was associate vice chancellor for student life and dean of students at the University of Tennessee.

Shivers says her time and experience at the UI have both challenged her and reaffirmed her passion for working with students.

“Considering the very humble beginnings that I had, it’s made me more thankful for and aware of the importance of public higher education,” Shivers says. “University of Iowa students are some of the best and brightest, and kindest, that I’ve ever had the chance to work with. Through their actions and their willingness to go along a developmental journey as individuals, they have reminded me of why I chose this field 23 years ago.”

Shivers says she thinks one of her most important accomplishments during her tenure was establishing a series called Courageous Conversations. This involved visiting each cultural and resource center, and speaking with international students, members of UI Students for Disability Advocacy and Awareness, and other student groups.

“I wanted to hear from them about the challenges and issues they face,” she says. “During those meetings, they could ask me anything, and they did—nothing was off the table, and I honored that. I think that has helped build trust with the community.

“I have tried to make student success and engagement the foundation of my career, and I firmly believe there are few ways to do that other than to build trust and rapport with the students you serve. My hope is that these conversations helped make a connection; that way, if something difficult comes up, they know there are people here who want to reach out and be responsive.”

Shivers’ approach stood out to Tabitha Wiggins, UI associate director of Multicultural and International Student Support and Engagement.

“I am and have always been impressed with the ways Dr. Shivers engaged openly and honestly with students,” Wiggins says. “She often met them where they are, figuratively and quite literally. She has been a visible member of the administration with the cultural centers and has always made students feel that they were her priority. I’m grateful for her leadership in that way, as it often empowered me to think of my work in similar ways: I can't do student success work without being accessible and available to students.”

Though Shivers is moving on, Mills says she hopes that Shivers’ accomplishments have set a lasting precedent.

“We, as students, need to keep this legacy alive by continuing the hard conversations and upholding her vision for campus,” Mills says. “That means refusing to settle until every Hawkeye feels safe and supported.”