The Story
Virginia Ambler Elected Vice President of Student Affairs
Virginia M. Ambler (’88, Ph.D. ’06), was named Vice President for Student Affairs on May 12 by President Taylor Reveley. Ambler has served the college for over two decades, including taking up the position of Interim Vice President for Student Affairs following the retirement of former VPSA Sam Sadler.
“When Sam Sadler retired last June,” said Reveley in Wednesday’s press release, “Ginger Ambler stepped into his shoes on an interim basis and kept Student Affairs moving ahead seamlessly this academic year. This has been no small feat. Going forward, Ginger will be able to nurture what is best about our approach to Student Affairs while also looking for challenging new ways to do even better. I look forward to continuing to work with her.”
Ambler has held student affairs offices at Ohio State University and Franklin and Marshall College, and she has worked in the College’s Division of Student Affairs since 1991. She served as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs from 2001 to 2008, which led to her position of Interim Vice President following Sadler’s retirement. Ambler will be the second VPSA the college has ever had, following Sadler’s 18-year time in the office.
Ambler holds two degrees from William & Mary: a Bachelor of Arts degree in English (minor in religion) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational policy, planning and leadership. She also received a Masters degree in higher education and students affairs from Ohio State.
“What a tremendous honor it is to have been asked to serve my alma mater as the next Vice President for Student Affairs,” Ambler said in the press release. “I am excited about the many opportunities that lie ahead for the College, for the Division of Student Affairs and for our exceptional students. As vice president, I will remain passionate about excellence and about nurturing the sense of community that makes William & Mary a place like none other for those of us fortunate enough to live, learn, and work here.”
Ambler’s appointment follows a nearly year-long search for a new vice president following Sadler’s retirement. President Reveley created the Vice President for Student Affairs Search Committee, which appointed Clay Clemens, Chancellor Professor of Government and member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, to lead a committee of faculty to seek out candidates from different universities to find a suitable replacement for Sadler. Among the candidates were Dean L. Bresciani, former vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M, Margaret A. Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2004, and Ángel Martínez Loredo, who has served as associate dean of students at Maine since 1999. Each of the candidates came to campus in April to talk with students, faculty, and alumni about how they would perform if they were elected to the office of VPSA.
“The Committee was quite happy with the extremely high quality of the pool, and especially with the credentials of the four finalists,” stated Clemens. “It testifies to the reputation of the College in general, and of Student Affairs here in particular, that we were able to attract such talented applicants… [Ambler] offers a unique blend of experience at the College and familiarity with broader issues in student life administration, a combination that will be well-suited to building on our traditional strengths while at the same time exploring new ideas.”
The determination of whether or not Ambler will live up to the high bar set by Sam Sadler will be made as returning and new students enter the college this fall and begin a new era of student affairs.