Farewell frost!
October 30, 2024
Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, vice president for Student Affairs, will conclude her time at Northwestern this summer to become vice president for student success for the entire Indiana University system, President Morton Schapiro announced today. Payne-Kirchmeier’s appointment with the Indiana University system will begin Aug. 1.
A national leader in student affairs administration, Payne-Kirchmeier has been one of the University’s leading voices in support of diversity, equity and social justice.
Since she arrived at Northwestern in 2012, she has served in a number of roles within Student Affairs, beginning as assistant vice president for student auxiliary services, associate vice president and chief of staff, and then interim vice president. She was appointed vice president in 2020 after a nationwide search.
In 2021, she was board chair of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the association for student affairs administrators in higher education.
“Julie has had an extraordinary impact on Northwestern in her 10 years with the University,” Schapiro said. “She has been a compassionate advocate for our students and has led a talented team of student affairs professionals who prioritize students’ well-being and experience at Northwestern. She also has served as a foremost leader in her field as NASPA board chair. It has been a pleasure to work with a colleague of such high character and incredible passion for her work.”
It has been such a joy to be part of the Northwestern family for more than a decade, and I’m proud of all the division has accomplished on behalf of our students and their experiences.”
As vice president for Student Affairs, she has been responsible for the leadership, strategy and management of the division, which includes housing, dining, finance, human resources, counseling, conduct, health services, campus life, fraternity and sorority life, campus inclusion and community, career advancement, Norris University Center, technology, marketing, communications, assessment and long-range planning.
“It has been such a joy to be part of the Northwestern family for more than a decade, and I’m proud of all the division has accomplished on behalf of our students and their experiences,” Payne-Kirchmeier said. “While it is extraordinarily hard to leave a place I love, I’m excited about the potential at Indiana University and of having an impact on student success across a large university system. I will carry my Northwestern family in my heart always.”
She has made a direct impact on the student experience throughout her time at Northwestern. Under her leadership, student spaces were constructed and renovated, including the ground floor of the Norris University Center, several buildings in campus housing, as well as cultural spaces, such as The Black House, the current Multicultural Center refresh and the forthcoming renovation of space for Student Enrichment Services.
She has served on University committees for human resources, budget, change management, emergency planning and threat assessment and policy review. She also is an adjunct faculty member in the Master of Science in Higher Education program in the School of Education and Social Policy.
An announcement regarding plans for an interim vice president for Student Affairs, as well as the search for a new vice president, is forthcoming, Schapiro said.
