Elon’s vice president for student life and associate professor of education has been named a ‘Pillar of the Profession’ by NASPA, the largest student affairs professional association.
Jon Dooley, vice president for student life and associate professor of education at Elon, will be recognized in March 2025 as a recipient of the NASPA Pillars of the Profession award for his sustained leadership and contributions to student affairs and higher education.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this recognition. I’m also grateful for the unique opportunity it offers to support the NASPA Foundation, which provides vital scholarships and grants to student affairs professionals nationwide,” Dooley expressed.
Pillars of the Profession recipients have demonstrated significant service to NASPA through regional or national leadership roles, created a lasting impact at their institutions and established lifetime professional distinction in student affairs and higher education.
Dooley has been a transformative leader during his tenure at Elon. Joining the university in 2014 as an assistant vice president for student life and serving as vice president since 2017, he has helped lead significant advancements in the residential campus, health and well-being, inclusive excellence, civic and political engagement, student belonging and divisional excellence. As vice president for student life, he oversees 15 departments dedicated to enhancing student learning and development, fostering mentoring relationships and nurturing a vibrant campus community. His leadership is marked by a deep commitment to students and their success.
Beyond his administrative duties, Dooley also serves as an associate professor of education, having taught courses in the master’s of higher education graduate program and the undergraduate Core Curriculum. Before joining Elon, Dooley served in various leadership roles at Marquette University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“I am proud to join many of my Elon student life colleagues in advancing the field of student affairs through volunteer leadership with professional associations. To have my contributions over the course of my career recognized in this way is incredibly meaningful and motivates me to continue these efforts,” Dooley said.
Dooley has made significant contributions to the profession as a volunteer leader with NASPA. He recently completed multiple terms on the NASPA Region III executive board, helping the region successfully navigate the challenges of the pandemic through his role as treasurer. He was a member of the NASPA Future of Student Affairs Task Force, which issued the Compass Report in March 2022. Currently, he is a member of the James E. Scott Academy board, a group of accomplished student affairs vice presidents who provide advice and thought leadership to the NASPA President.
Dooley has been active with multiple other professional associations throughout his career, as a volunteer leader, conference presenter and consultant. For the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), he served as the chair of the NACA Board of Directors and later as chair of the NACA Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2022 he was recognized with NACA’s highest honor, the Founders Award, for contributions to the association during more than three decades of involvement as a student and staff leader.
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) is the premier professional organization for student affairs professionals. The association provides professional development, fosters research to address critical challenges and advocates for inclusive and equitable practices. Members of NASPA are united by a shared commitment to advancing higher education and guided by the association’s core principles of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and inquiry, placing students at the heart of its mission.
Dooley will be formally recognized alongside the other Pillars of the Profession during a ceremony at the NASPA Annual Meeting in March 2025, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the meantime, Dooley’s nominators will work with the NASPA Foundation Board to raise funds in his honor to further research and scholarship in student affairs. To make a contribution, visit the NASPA Foundation website.