Kitchen Steps Down; Bresciani Pegged for Interim

A press release from the University cited personal matters as the reason for Kitchen's departure.

Kitchen has held the position of vice chancellor for student affairs since 1996.

Kitchen has accepted a yearlong research leave to study "best practices in Student Affairs." It is unknown if Kitchen will return to the University after the study's conclusion.

She will begin her leave in July.

Neither UNC Chancellor James Moeser nor Kitchen returned phone calls for this story.

Dean Bresciani, associate vice chancellor for student services, will serve as the interim vice chancellor while a committee assembled by Moeser conducts a national search to fill the post on a permanent basis.

The announcement of Kitchen's departure comes on the heels of the end of Kitchen's semester-long administrative review.

Provost Robert Shelton said administrators are subject to review every five years and that ideally administrative reviews last four to six weeks.

But Shelton said it is not unusual for reviews to go longer considering the complicated nature of the positions.

Kitchen's review lasted 12 weeks and that the committee met a total of 10 times during that period.

Marian Moore, vice chancellor for information technology, and Linda Dykstra, dean of the graduate school, were subject to review before Kitchen. Their committees each met only once.

The committee charged with reviewing Kitchen -- composed of four faculty members, four staff members and two students -- invited all members of the University community to testify in person or by letter about Kitchen.

Shelton said members of administrative review committees look for patterns in the testimony offered and that they try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the administrator being reviewed. After all the testimony is presented, members of the committee meet with Shelton and present their recommendations.

Both the deliberations and the final recommendation in Kitchen's review have not been made public because they are personnel matters.

Student Body President Jen Daum said she had a great working relationship with Kitchen but that she had heard some complaints from students.

Daum said student opinion seemed to be polarized and that while Kitchen had a good relationship with some students others were vocal in their opposition to her.

But Shelton speculated that Kitchen's reason's for leaving might have to do with the nature of the job.

He said the position was challenging and time-consuming and that, "Sue put her heart and soul into this job."

Shelton said upper-level administration positions often have high turnover rates because they are so demanding.

Kitchen came to UNC in 1996 from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where she served as vice president for student affairs for eight years.

The Division of Student Affairs includes orientation, housing, the Frank Porter Graham Student Union, the Campus Y, Student Health Services, the Counseling Center, the Carolina Leadership Development Program, parent programs, Greek affairs, the Office of the Dean of Students, Disability Services, the International Center and Career Services.

Shelton said Kitchen has been a great asset to the University. "I think Sue has done a lot of really good things, and she will be missed."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.