When Melissa Shivers isn’t working as the new Dean of Students, she’s rollerblading at an undisclosed skating rink in North Knoxville.
As a child, Shivers’ mom would take her to the skating rink for hours. Today, this activity still brings her joy.
“We had roller skates that had the little pom-poms on top,” Shivers said. “Yeah, it was a big deal. My sister and I thought we were hot stuff.”
Shivers is well-spoken, warm and quick to offer a smile. A self-described “softie,” Shivers embodies the balance between kindness with fairness– a trait which undoubtedly serves her well when interacting with students.
“I think sometimes I can take off my administrator hat and focus more on the feelings and the perspectives of students,” Shivers said, “and then join that with my pragmatic thinking and beliefs.”
An average day for Shivers starts around 5 a.m. and sometimes does not end until 10 or 11 p.m. Whether she is discussing campus issues with other administrators or serving on various committees, Shivers is always focused on students.
“Every day it looks different,” Shivers said. “When I think about my day, some of the most enjoyable moments always center around opportunities to interact with students.”
Before Shivers came to UT she worked for the Department of Intercultural Affairs at the University of Georgia. During her tenure, Shivers worked with the campus LGBT resource center, international student life, multicultural programs and African-American cultural center to create community between students of varying backgrounds and identities.
Shivers has a passion for social justice and diversity, which she says stems from her experience as a first generation college student.
“All through high school [my sisters and I] were told that we weren’t ever going to go to college,” Shivers said. “They told us, ‘you don’t come from the background, you don’t have the pedigree, you’re not really going to go to college.'”
Contrary to what she was told, Shivers left her small hometown of Commerce, Georgia and completed her undergraduate education at Georgia Southern University, her master’s degree at Clemson University and her doctorate degree at the University of Georgia.
Shivers knows what it’s like to be part of an underrepresented group, and now uses her experience to advocate for others.
“I really enjoy sort of looking around the table and figuring out who’s missing,” Shivers said. “And then I try to think about the perspective that still needs to be represented.”
After working with specific groups of students for 13 years, Shivers sought a role which allowed her to oversee the entire student body. She was drawn to UT and became the assistant vice chancellor for student life. Last spring, Shivers became the associate vice chancellor of student life and dean of students.
Shivers is currently working on new programs to make UT’s administrators and faculty more accessible to students.
“I remember when I was in college, and we had a dean of students office – I thought that was like the principal of high school,” Shivers said, “And you never want to go to the principal’s office.”
Singing along to the music at Volapalooza, attending Stomp at the Tennessee Theatre and sitting in the student section at football games has helped Shivers demystify her position and become a friendly face among students.
“If we don’t know what’s happening on campus, it’s hard for us to be able to be an advocate for students,” Shivers said. “And the way to do that is to get out of this office and go out to where the students are.”
