J. Malcolm Smith
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students
J. Malcolm Smith (he/him/his) joined Kalamazoo College as vice president for student development and dean of students in August 2021.
Roles and Responsibilities
Malcolm oversees all student development offices and departments, including Campus Dining, Chapel/Religious and Spiritual Life, Counseling, Disability Services, First-Year Experience, LandSea, Intercultural Student Life, Residential Life, Campus Safety, Student Conduct, Student Health Center and Student Involvement. As dean of students, Malcolm leads the way in attending to students’ needs; helping create the conditions for a challenging, engaging and supportive out-of-class experience for students; supporting faculty and staff colleagues; and working with parents as appropriate.
Professional Experience
Malcolm came to K from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, where he served as vice president for student affairs and dean of students. He joined Salve Regina in 2013 as dean of students and also served as associate vice president before being named vice president in 2019. During his tenure at Salve, Malcolm led the revision of the university’s sexual misconduct policy, established the Student Conduct Hearing Board to give students a stronger voice in the university judicial process, developed services and programs for the LGBTQ+ student community, and developed a Review and Standards committee to give students, faculty and staff input on proposed revisions to conduct policies.
Prior to Salve Regina, Malcolm worked at a variety of institutions, including John Carroll University, Ohio University and University of Illinois at Chicago. He brings extensive experience in areas such as student conduct and advocacy; retention efforts; diversity, equity and inclusion; Title IX administration; housing management; budget oversight; and crisis management.
He has presented on the national and regional level for the National Association for Student Personnel Administration, the Association of Title IX Administrators, and the Association for Student Conduct Administration. In 2006, Malcolm received the Annuit Coeptis Award for Emerging Professionals from the American College Personnel Association.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, elementary education, Ohio University
- Master of Education, college student personnel, Ohio University
Why K?
“When the opportunity to work at K presented itself, I was full of excitement. I feel that K is a great fit for my leadership style, my vision for student development, and my desire to make an impact on the world through higher education. We have some of the best students in the world and they bring me energy and joy. If I am able to have an impact on their success at K and beyond, I will be fulfilled. Additionally, the opportunity to help lead K into the future is huge for me and I’m humbled to be a part of the leadership team of such an amazing place.”
Life Outside of the College
“When I’m not working, I’m usually spending time with my family. Whether I’m playing with my daughters or hanging out with my incredible wife, I’m always looking for ways to bring joy to the table. I enjoy time in the kitchen making a variety of meals for my family, I play chess every day online (sometimes I even win), and I love playing different games with my girls (I almost never win).
“Currently, I’m serving as a senior fellow for the Aspen Institute. This work brings me tremendous joy, too. We are working to bring leadership development programming to 2.5 million youth in the nation. It is a great institution and wonderful group of fellows to work alongside.”