McLaughlin Earns a Promotion to Executive Director Role

New responsibilities will entail coordination with deans, faculty and advisors

Sacred Heart University has promoted Jennifer McLaughlin to director of the newly established office of student advising and success in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS).

McLaughlin, a Fairfield resident, formerly was the director of academic advising at the CAS. In her new position, she will supervise student success coordinators and will report to the associate provost for teaching and learning. Her new role also will entail working with associate deans on student success, faculty and professional advisors, the registrar’s office, dean of students and academic departments. She will coordinate and support freshmen advisors’ efforts across the University and will establish and lead faculty development workshops on first-year student advising, including curricular and developmental issues. Other responsibilities will include directing the CAS freshmen advising program, including the identification and training of all CAS freshmen advisors.

“The best part of my job at Sacred Heart has always been teaching and advising students, especially freshmen, and working with faculty and staff from across the University to support our students,” McLaughlin said. “While I love being in the classroom, my role in the advising program has brought me outside that space to work with colleagues in student life, admissions, registrar’s office, student success and the office of student accessibility, as well as advisors in all the colleges.”

McLaughlin began work at SHU in the history department in 2003. She has served on the freshmen advising program and was director of the women’s studies program. She became assistant director of academic advising for CAS in 2015 and director in 2020. She also has worked closely with the registrar and associate dean of students’ office.

“I’ve learned so much from all of them about the wider student experience. I’m so excited that, in my new role, I will be able to build those connections in even stronger and more meaningful ways to help students navigate our expanding University campus and community,” McLaughlin said.