Assistant Vice President of Campus Life and
Wanda Collins, assistant vice president of Campus Life and director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), will depart Emory University on Oct. 1. After more than two decades in higher education, including six years at Emory, she will explore other personal and professional opportunities, including serving as a private practice clinician in Atlanta. A national search will be launched for a permanent replacement. During the transition, co-executive directors Cynthia Whitehead-LaBoo and Jane Yang will lead CAPS.
In the weeks to come, Collins will work closely with the transition team to prepare the department for Emory’s return to full density this fall and help ensure continued excellence in delivering counseling and psychological support for students. More information about transition plans will be provided later in July, and details on the national search will be shared when they are available. “Serving Emory’s extraordinary students and working with the university’s equally extraordinary faculty and staff have been a high point in my career,” said Collins. “I have had the honor and pleasure of leading an amazing team of professionals and being embraced by the exceptional Campus Life family. I will miss the Emory community more than I can say.”
Collins joined Emory in August 2015 after directing counseling centers at Duke University and American University. She quickly became an invaluable member of Campus Life’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and the Campus Life community.
Leadership in challenging times
“Wanda is a consummate professional and an extraordinary colleague,” said Enku Gelaye, senior vice president and dean of Campus Life. “Her impact has enabled us to significantly enhance our excellent mental health services to Emory students.”
Gelaye explained that Collins led CAPS during a period of dramatically increased student demand for mental health support at Emory, which reflected a nationwide trend that began before the pandemic.
The demand for such support increased by 46 percent over a 5-year period. Addressing that need, Collins grew her CAPS staff by 49 percent and increased the diversity of the team to better reflect that of the Emory student body.
“Wanda and the CAPS team that she assembled have been essential in more areas of student services than I can name,” said David Clark, associate vice president of Campus Life. “And when the pandemic hit, she and her team were on the frontlines helping our students cope with the emotional and psychological impact from the countless changes that followed.”
During the pandemic and the abrupt move to remote work, Collins led the complex transition of CAPS’ clinical service delivery from in-person to telehealth services and provided guidance to university leadership in planning for students’ mental health needs.
Among numerous contributions, Collins made significant changes to the clinical service delivery model to increase access for students and promoted a Mental Health @ Emory framework that focused on engaging campus partners to help address student concerns. Working with the university’s Commission on Racial and Social Justice, she partnered with students to create the Black Mental Health Ambassadors organization.
Leadership beyond CAPS
Collins chaired and/or served on search committees to fill many key positions in Campus Life. She has also been a key player involved with the Threat Assessment Team, the Suicide Means Reduction Initiative, and the Graduate Student Experience working group.
Representing Emory in the nation’s professional community, Collins served on the Board of the Association of University and Counseling Center Directors, as vice president of the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS), and as chair of the IACS Board of Accreditation, among other volunteer roles.
“It has been a personal and professional privilege to serve with Wanda Collins,” said Gelaye. “We will miss her, but she’ll always be a member of our Emory Campus Life family.” |