Justin Kitts, originally from Minot, North Dakota, graduated in 2010 with a M.A. in college student development (now student affairs administration). He completed his B.A. in English literature from Lees-McRae College.
"I choose Appalachian State University and college student development (CSD) for two reasons. One was that the program had a good reputation and was respected at other institutions. The second reason was that during my formative years in undergrad I spent a great deal of time with some influential Student Affairs practitioners. It wasn’t until I was looking into graduate programs that I found that all of those professionals had studied at Appalachian and had been a part of CSD.”
Recently, Kitts was named Dean of Students at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. He will oversee the student affairs department, providing guidance and visioning for the department. Before Lees-McRae, Kitts was Dean of Students at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky.
“My approach to student affairs is collaborative work within the department as well as working across campus and breaking down silos,” said Kitts.
Impacting Education in His Community
Kitts is making an impact on education in his community.
“I work with our student body at Lees-McRae College daily,” said Kitts. “We educate our students outside of the classroom.”
Depending on the functional area, the education received by the students is different:
- Campus Life - programming and event management;
- Housing and Residence Life - leadership development and managing people and events;
- Outdoor programs - leadership development and trip management and effective training/management skills; and
- Conduct - emotional wellness and behavior
Justin Kitts
