Division of Campus Life

Susan Layden (she/her) is the Chief of Staff and Senior Director for Student Success in the Division of Campus Life. In this role, which she began in May 2023, Sue is charged with leading initiatives that bring together the work of the entire division of Campus Life. She will often serve as the primary point of contact for external collaborative partners. As a national leader with decades of experience working on impact assessment among administrators, Sue will be a critical addition to the division’s assessment efforts, particularly in relation to the Campus Life Roadmap. 

Sue brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to Brown – the last 20 at the senior leadership level. She previously served as Senior Associate Dean for Student Success at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). Among her many responsibilities, Sue led the development and implementation of a range of initiatives to support students, including new, evidence-based programs supporting student success, wellbeing, and access, including financial aid. She also worked on CMC’s assessment efforts, CMC’s Presidential Initiative on Antiracism and the Black Experience in America, intergroup dialogue training for faculty and staff, and two signature CMC student leadership programs – the Romero Success Coaches and 1Gen. Sue and her colleagues on the Student Success Team were recognized for their work with the 2022 CMC Inclusive Excellence Team Award. 

Prior to joining CMC, Sue was the inaugural Research Analyst for Enrollment, Retention and Student Achievement at Skidmore College; she also served as the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, responsible for Student Academic Services (SAS) and the Opportunity Program (OP) for nearly 15 years. Under her guidance, the OP received national recognition for its success in the access provided to, high academic achievement of, and sense of belonging among historically underserved students at Skidmore. At Skidmore, Sue successfully secured over 35 million dollars in grants and donations to include support for 1Gen and Pell-eligible students, hearing-impaired students, students with learning and access needs, an NSF S3M program, peer leader programs such as success consultants and coaches, programs to support mental health and wellbeing, and structures to assist international students attending college in the United States. Sue was a member of the faculty leadership group responsible for creating the Intergroup Relations minor at Skidmore–the first in the nation. Sue served on the national steering board for the Consortium for High Achievement and Success (CHAS) from 2015- 2022 and was honored as a board member emeritus for her many years of service. CHAS is the oldest and largest national consortium of colleges and universities focused on liberal arts education and the academic success of students of color. Sue had teaching appointments in Skidmore’s First-Year Experience, and the departments of Intergroup Relations, Sociology, Anthropology, and Education Studies, and taught in the graduate Literacy master’s and doctorate programs at the University at Albany. 

Sue earned a Ph.D. in literacy education and anthropology, with a focus on reading/literacy and identities, an M.S. Ed. in literacy and reading from the College of St. Rose, and a B.A. with a major in psychology from Siena College.