Kevin Shollenberger

Kevin Shollenberger was the Dean of Student Affairs for Columbia College and SEAS and Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Student Life. He worked in an associate role in the Division of Student Affairs for nine years before being appointed dean. He's commonly known as Ke$ho, a nickname coined in V117.

Shollenberger was appointed Dean in the fall of 2008, with the expectation that his tenure would last about two years, after which point he'd be succeeded by a dean selected by the new deans of Columbia College (Moody-Adams) and SEAS (Peña-Mora), who had not yet been selected at the time.. Shollenberger was fairly unpopular and held the position until May 31, 2013 when he stepped down to take a position as Vice Provost for Student Affairs at Johns Hopkins University.

Controversies

Dean's Selection Committee

After the resignation of Michelle Moody-Adams as Dean of Columbia College, a search committee was formed to make a recommendation for a permanent dean. President Bollinger appointed two students for the search committee, J.T. Ramseur CC '13 and Mary Kircher CC '13.

The Spectator subsequently published an op/ed by CCSC president Aki Terasaki CC ’12, former Student Governing Board chair Barry Weinberg CC ’12 and University Senators Alex Frouman CC ’12, and Kenny Durell CC ’12 that criticized the lack of elected student leaders on the committee. The students wrote “At no point were members of the Columbia College Student Council given notice that a search committee was being formed, much less asked which students should sit on that committee—two actions that, had they been taken, would have encouraged open communication and collaboration between students and administrators rather than confrontation."

As a result, Shollenberger appointed CCSC president-elect Karishma Habbu CC '12 to the search committee in addition to Ramseur and Kircher .

2012 Scolding of CUMB

Before the Orgo Night of Fall 2012, Shollenberger scolded via a student-body-wide email about a flier they made.

No such rebuke was given to Kingsmen for their "rape me" flyers, or the flyers the following year which alluded to child abuse allegations against priests .

2010 Operation Ivy League

In December 2010, Shollenberger placed Alpha Epsilon Pi, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Psi Upsilon on interim suspension. In an email to students, he wrote "The suspension of these organizations is the result of the NYPD’s arrests of several fraternity members who are alleged to have taken part in illegal drug activity within Columbia’s fraternity houses on West 114th Street." In suspending the organizations, he also initiated an internal review for the fraternities as well as the Intercultural House (ICH) .

Preceded by Chris Colombo

Dean of Student Affairs  2008-2013

Succeeded by Terry Martinez

Cultural References

• The 117th Varsity Show, "Another Scandal!" depicted Kevin Shollenberger as leading a secret double life as a pop star named Ke$ho. Shollenberger was portrayed by Sean Walsh CC '14.

• The 119th Varsity Show made reference to Shollenberger's resignation earlier in the semester. SEAS student Kat in a scene in the S.W. Mudd Building says "I messed everything up and no one likes me here. I should just transfer to Johns Hopkins."