New head of Student Affairs announced

Ainsley Carry, an administrator with two decades of experience in higher education, has been appointed vice provost of Student Affairs, effective Aug. 1.

“Dr. Carry brings a broad perspective to higher education leadership, having held positions at a range of public and private institutions,” Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Garrett wrote in a memo to USC faculty and staff. “He was the first in his family to complete a bachelor’s degree, and his upbringing fostered his advocacy for personal development and student leadership.”

Carry comes to USC from Auburn University in Alabama, where he served as vice president for Student Affairs overseeing 15 units and more than 120 employees. In this capacity, he successfully rebuilt a division that had been substantially reorganized in 2004, and he established initiatives to advance student learning, retention and leadership development with the Office of the Provost, College of Human Sciences, College of Education and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. He also created the first university-wide convocation program and the approval of a new $72 million Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Prior to joining Auburn, Carry was associate vice president and dean of students at Temple University in Philadelphia. There he designed and coordinated the strategic planning process for the Division of Student Affairs, as well as instituted a comprehensive program review process for all departments within the division. He also launched the Student Learning Collaborative, an interdisciplinary effort to enhance classroom-based learning through activities held outside of the classroom.

In addition to his duties as an administrator, Carry served as an assistant professor of higher education administration at Auburn and an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Temple. He has also taught at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; John Brown University in Arkansas; and Southern Methodist University.

He holds an EdD in higher education, an MS in counselor education and a BS in food and resource economics, all from the University of Florida. He also holds an MBA from Auburn.