UMD VP of Student Affairs to Receive National Award from NASPA

The national organization for student affairs administrators in higher education, NASPA, recognized Linda Clement, University of Maryland vice president for student affairs, as the recipient of the 2018 Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean.

Named for NASPA’s founding chair of the Board of Directors (1919-1920) and former dean of men at the University of Wisconsin, the award is presented to a dean or senior student affairs officer who has demonstrated sustained professional achievement in student affairs work, innovative response in meeting students' varied and emerging needs, effectiveness in developing staff, and leadership in community and college or university affairs.

"I am thrilled and deeply honored to receive this award,” said Clement. “I am truly humbled to join a list of student affairs professionals who have been recognized for their passion, enthusiasm, and ability to engage and mentor students.”

Clement joined UMD in 1974 as a staff member in the departments of Resident Life and Orientation. She also held positions in Undergraduate Admissions and Academic Affairs, and served as the President’s chief of staff before assuming her current position in the Division of Student Affairs in 2001. In her role, Clement oversees 14 departments, 2,000 employees, 48 percent of the campus land and space and a $200 million budget. She is also an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education, where she has taught and advises masters and doctoral students.

NASPA will honor Clement in March at their annual conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Scott Goodnight Award is one of numerous recognitions Clement has earned during her professional career at UMD. Other awards include Outstanding Woman of the Year, Greek Advisor of the Year, Black Faculty and Staff Association Award for Student Diversity Initiatives, and the Thomas Magoon Distinguished Alumni Award from the Counseling and Personnel Services Department in College of Education.

Clement earned her B.A. from the State University of New York-Oswego, her M.A. from Michigan State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

About University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. Its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 60 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu.

About NASPA

NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Our work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.