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Dave O’Guinn named IU’s new vice provost for student affairs and dean of students

For Immediate Release May 15, 2018
Dave O'Guinn
Dave O’Guinn.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – M. Davis “Dave” O’Guinn, currently chief litigation counsel at Indiana University’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, has been appointed vice provost for student affairs and dean of students at IU Bloomington, pending formal approval by the Indiana University Board of Trustees.​ O’Guinn’s appointment is a two-year term.

O’Guinn succeeds Lori M. Reesor, who has served in the role since July 2016. Reesor has been named vice chancellor for student affairs at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Dave has maintained a vibrant connection to his roots in student affairs,” IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel said. “In this role, I know he will encourage and support students throughout their IU journeys, helping connect them with everything from health and well-being resources to leadership development and community engagement opportunities like IU Corps. Dave is well-prepared to effectively impart an understanding of what it means for students to be a productive part of a diverse community of scholars full of many voices, beliefs and experiences.”

IU Bloomington’s vice provost for student affairs and dean of students leads the 14 departments and more than 150 programs and services of the Division of Student Affairs, serving all domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students. The vice provost for student affairs and dean of students also works closely with Residential Programs and Services, Student Central on Union, deans, the provost and other vice provosts to coordinate partnerships, programming and policy to support all students.

“It’s a huge honor to follow in the footsteps of our previous deans,” O’Guinn said. “I am humbled by the tremendous responsibility to care for our students and to take on this legacy. When I was an undergrad and a student leader at DePauw, each of my deans and mentors attended IU for graduate school, which was the primary reason I went to graduate school at IU.”

O’Guinn earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from DePauw University, his master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from the IU School of Education in Bloomington, and his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.

Much of O’Guinn’s early career involved student-facing positions in higher education. While earning his master’s degree at IU, O’Guinn worked at both the Indiana Memorial Union and the IU Career Development Center. He was the assistant director of the Student Center and student activities at Quinnipiac College, where he was a member of the Multicultural Awareness Committee and the Student Affairs Research and Retention Committee, followed by a position as director of student activities and Greek life at Centre College in Kentucky. During law school, he was special assistant to the director of Notre Dame’s Student Union and an assistant rector in the residence halls.

O’Guinn joined IU as an associate general counsel in 2007, becoming chief litigation counsel in 2014. Among his many areas of primary focus are student and faculty affairs, employment, and athletics. Before joining IU, O’Guinn was a senior associate in the labor and employment department at Dinsmore & Shohl in Cincinnati.

In 2011, O’Guinn completed the Harvard Negotiation Institute and earned a Certificate in Public Policy Mediation from the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law at IUPUI. He also served as the vice chair of the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross, an organization for which he has volunteered since 2002.

For the past four years, O’Guinn has served as a residential fellow for freshmen and sophomores in an IU Bloomington residence hall, providing mentoring and guidance. Since 2008, O’Guinn has taught in IU’s School of Education, developing and teaching both the “College Student and the Law” master’s course and “Legal Aspects of Higher Education” doctoral course. He also teaches an undergraduate course every year in IU’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs for aspiring human resources professionals. His commitment to students was recognized with the 2010-11 Dean’s Award for Exceptional Contributions to the Quality of Student Life at IU Bloomington.

“I learn as much from our students as they learn from me,” O’Guinn said. “I’m looking forward to developing and further strengthening my relationships across campus and leading the division with integrity and a strong passion for our students.”

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