B R I E F S
STETSON WELCOMES NEW
DEAN OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
the opportunity to work for a professional college appealed to
her – hence the move to Stetson College of Law.
Hudson wears many hats and enjoys the variety of challenges
her daily work presents: “Every day is something new,” she said.
Her favorite part of the job is helping students achieve success as
they define it and achieve their goals, big or small. How does she
know she’s made progress with a student? If the student speaks to
the person at the front desk after leaving a meeting with her.
“If the student says goodbye to the person at the front desk,
that means we’ve had a good meeting and made progress. It is
my litmus test that they felt heard, comfortable and validated,”
said Hudson.
Hudson sees the future of higher education as being
centered on free speech and First Amendment rights issues.
Administrators will increasingly face how best to facilitate
and foster uncomfortable dialogue in a respectful way. Other
challenges she points out are federal regulations such as Title
IX. Whatever challenge comes Hudson’s way, she meets it head-
on with a wealth of experience and natural leadership ability.
When she is not focusing on making the Stetson experience top
notch for students, Hudson enjoys painting with watercolors,
crafting, crocheting and reading.
B Y M O L LY K A E L I N
JoCynda Hudson joined the College of Law as the new
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs this year. An Indiana
native, Hudson graduated from Georgetown College in
Georgetown, Kentucky, and earned a Master of Student
Affairs Administration and Higher Education from Texas
A&M. She went on to receive her Ph.D. in Higher Education
Administration from the University of Florida.
Hudson’s interest in higher education began during her time
as an undergraduate. Georgetown College was a small, private,
liberal arts college. The dean of students recognized that Hudson
held several leadership roles on campus, including resident
assistant, ropes course facilitator and many others. He told her
she could turn that initiative into a career and would excel at
it. Hudson realized she enjoyed her leadership roles more than
her classes and was closer with the administrators than she was
with other students. She appreciated how they had the power to
encourage change on campus and decided to pursue a career in
student affairs administration.
Hudson has worked all over the country at multiple universities.
She moved to Florida in 2007 when she accepted a position at
the University of Florida. At UF, Hudson noticed the students
did not have as much access to the administration as they did on
a small campus. She missed the intimacy of a smaller school, and
6
Photo credit: Daniela Gomez
p y
Data as of August 26, 2019
2019 TOTAL J.D. STUDENTS 2019 ENTERING CLASS
28%
MINORITY
52%
FEMALE
139
PART TIME
723
FULL TIME
255
FULL TIME
44
PART TIME
2019 J.D. ENTERING CLASS