Meet Shaka Sydnor, Assistant Dean of Students

Shaka Sydnor brings more than ten years of higher education experience to the School of Data Science as Assistant Dean of Students. He holds a joint appointment with the University of Virginia Office of the Dean of Students, where he has served as Assistant Dean of Students since 2016. During that time, Sydnor developed the first-generation student resource center, First Generation Student Support, that now supports more than 1,000 first-generation and low-income (FGLI) students in their path to attend UVA. 

As a first-generation, low-income student himself, Sydnor remembers the many challenges he faced as a student acclimating to college. It was his own experience that fueled his desire to work in higher education with an emphasis on underserved populations. 

“At Geneva College, there was an office called the Access Office for Academic Support, and they were pivotal in why I was ultimately successful in college,” Sydnor remembers. “During my first semester freshman year, I had to meet with the Access Office and really learn how to ‘do college,’ how to study, and how to manage my time.”

Influenced by his own experience at Geneva, Sydnor decided to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and went on to work at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and University of Cincinnati. With each leadership role, he continued to develop crisis response skills and create resources for students facing a variety of challenges. Always dedicated to helping underserved populations, Sydnor also briefly worked for a women’s shelter in Asheville, developing education programs for women seeking to complete their GED.

UVA hired Sydnor in 2016 as an Assistant Dean of Students to provide student support across Grounds, and to specifically build a foundation for first-generation students at UVA. Sydnor pulled together any existing resources for first-generation on Grounds and engaged with over 200 faculty and staff who were passionate about this student population. He developed workshops on financial literacy and FAFSA completion, “College Knowledge” workshops focused on general transition to college and breaking down barriers to student success, as well as First-Gen Fridays, First-Gen specific Career Events, and more. These events and workshops facilitated relationships and camaraderie amongst FGLI students. Sydnor worked in partnership with colleagues from the Provost's office to help them create a new initiative called the First-Generation Mentoring Network, a faculty-student mentoring program, which has just finished its first year.

“During my time at UVA, we have seen a 10% growth rate of enrolled first-generation students which is both incredible and exciting,” Sydnor commented.

Within First-Generation Student Support today, there are close-knit first-generation student groups, an established mentoring program, and dedicated student leaders. First-Generation Student Support is committed to providing all students with equitable educational opportunities and academic and social support.

Sydnor joins the School of Data Science during an exciting time, with the expansion of programs and students, as well as a pending new building. He will split his time evenly between the Office of the Dean of Students and SDS. Sydnor will head a team supporting residential, dual degree, and online master’s and doctoral students, as well as any other future graduate or undergraduate programs.

“This is a really interesting and exciting time to join the SDS team,” Sydnor commented. “I’m excited to help create a culture at a new school and how to ensure an unparalleled graduate experience. My hope is to lay a strong foundation on which the School can grow.”

For more information on Shaka Sydnor, see here.