Victoria Livingston, executive director of Enrollment and Student Success, has been selected to receive the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 2020 Academic Staff Award for Excellence. This award is presented to an instructional or non-instructional academic staff member with a minimum of 12 consecutive months of employment at UW-Platteville who has provided essential services to the university while demonstrating excellence of performance, personal interaction, initiative and creativity.
“I am extraordinarily humbled and proud to be the recipient of the 2019-20 Academic Staff Award for Excellence,” said Livingston. “I don’t think I would be a recipient without the many individuals I have collaborated with over the last five years. When I think about my contributions and service to the university, I think about the connections I have made with others, the common ground and relationships we’ve built, and then the successful work that has come out of those relationships. Ultimately, it makes me feel happy and proud to be a member of the Platteville community.”
Livingston earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and history from Ashland University and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from the University of Akron. She began her career at UW-Platteville in 2014 as coordinator for co-curricular assessment and program review in Student Affairs. She became director of assessment and strategic initiatives after the creation of the Division of Enrollment and Student Success in 2017. Livingston was appointed executive director of Enrollment and Student Success in 2019.
Throughout her career at UW-Platteville, Livingston has helped lead a number of crucial university-wide initiatives. She chaired the university steering committee that created the 2019-24 Strategic Plan; participated in the writing team that finalized the 2016 Higher Learning Commission Quality Assurance Argument; and co-led the Future of Advising project team, which helped inform the creation of the University Advising Steering Committee. Livingston also assisted in the creation of the Office of Assessment and Strategic Initiatives in the Division of Enrollment and Student Success. The office works collaboratively with ESS and university stakeholders to be data-informed and create opportunities for solution-oriented change.
“During her short tenure on campus, Victoria has been instrumental in leading many of our most critical campus initiatives,” Dr. Joanne Wilson, retired UW-Platteville provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, wrote in her nomination support letter. “Victoria is a true leader for UW-Platteville. She works tirelessly to share data with the members of the three campuses so that data-informed decisions can be made.”
“As a relational, people-focused leader, the most rewarding aspect of any position I hold is the opportunity to help others grow personally and professionally,” said Livingston. “I cannot speak highly enough of the team of professionals with whom I have the honor of working. Their creativity, dedication and enthusiasm for serving our prospective and current students is amazing. I think people are the most important part of any endeavor and the most rewarding aspect of my job is the opportunity I have to connect with and empower them to be their best.”