Chances are you’ve already seen or talked with Dr. Penny Rue, our new Vice Chancellor – Student Affairs. In her first three months here, she’s participated in student government and town hall meetings, handed out ice cream to students, opened the Welcome Week UnOlympics festivities, met with campus and community leaders, and attended many UCSD basketball, volleyball and water polo games. She has made a concerted effort to learn about student life and is open to suggestions on ways to improve it.

Penny Rue has spent more than 30 years as a creative educator and champion of students at some of the most prestigious universities in the nation. Most recently she served as dean of students at the University of Virginia. She obtained her undergraduate degree in English and Religion at Duke, her master's in student personnel work at Ohio State, and her doctorate from the University of Maryland in counseling and personnel services.

In this interview, Penny Rue talks about her first three months on the job, her goals and priorities for student life and services at UCSD, and how she unwinds at the end of the day.

Rue: The transition to college was a wonderful experience for me. I just loved everything about it, so much so that I wanted to help incoming students get acclimated, so I served as an orientation leader in my sophomore year. I then pursued an internship with one of my deans. From there, one thing led to another, and I’ve been working with college students ever since.

Rue: I must admit that I had to be wooed away from my previous position, where I was very happy. But dozens of people, the Chancellor chief among them, convinced me that the challenges facing UC San Diego were a good match for the skills and experience that I bring. UC San Diego’s quest for excellence and recognition of the importance of student life in that mission is very compelling.

Rue: My entry into the UC San Diego community has been a whirlwind, but that is typical of student affairs. I’ve put a priority on meeting people and hearing what they love about UC San Diego and how they think it could be better. I’ve been able to meet with the Associated Students and with four of the six college councils so far. I’ve opened the UnOlympics and dished out ice cream, square danced and eaten chili, watched water polo, volleyball and basketball, and attended Marshallpalooza.

There are way too many acronyms to learn and I keep getting tripped up by them, but people have been very welcoming and invested in helping me learn. The wildfires, as a disaster averted, provided an excellent opportunity to learn about our emergency capabilities and assets, and to connect with the people who make this extraordinary place work.

Rue: I’ve been most surprised at the level of interaction within and across the UC system. I’ve been able to learn a great deal already from my UC colleagues and it is great to have rich centralized resources at the Office of the President in Oakland. On the other hand, I’m used to more campus autonomy than we have here.

Rue: My highest priorities as Vice Chancellor are strengthening the sense of community at UCSD, supporting individual student’s health and well-being, and supporting and learning from the diversity within and around us.

Rue: Affordability and housing are two concerns I hear most from students. The erosion of state support has left college out of reach for many students, despite our commitment to aid. We have to remain steadfast in providing educational access without regard to family income, and Student Affairs has to make sure that students from low-income families do not have a differential college experience because they can’t afford to be involved.

On-campus housing remains a key issue for graduates and undergraduates alike. The Chancellor’s commitment to building additional on-campus housing will help us continue to support students’ academic experience, create a vibrant student life and reduce our carbon footprint.

Rue: We continue to make strides in diversifying our student body so that students can learn from and engage with each other across a range of differences right here on campus. Outreach efforts are making connections between previously underserved communities and UC San Diego—like the recent “Dare to Dream” conference sponsored with Cal-SOAP, which brought over 600 African American students and family members from the local community to UCSD. We’ll continue to attract more international students, and we find that virtually each year, the incoming class brings better academic preparation, more diverse accomplishments, and higher test scores.

The Price Center expansion will have a significant impact on student life, creating a more vibrant gathering place with greater potential for late night events. As we continue to build additional student housing, more students will have a residential experience that bonds them to campus. We foresee that more students will have an international experience in the coming years, through academic programs, internships, and even international service work. We’ll be working more closely with Alumni Affairs to provide a stronger connection between current students and alumni, giving more opportunities for alumni involvement in the ongoing life of the university and creating a lifelong bond to UC San Diego.

Rue: There are literally hundreds of ways for students to get involved in the life of the university, limited only by their own imaginations and resourcefulness. Students participate in everything from tutoring to College Councils to undergraduate research. Students are deeply engaged with the local community, perform career-related internships, and play on intercollegiate and club sports teams. Over 450 student organizations provide a home base for students, from cultural groups to political organizations, performing arts groups, Greek letter organizations and religious groups. We know that over 80 percent of our students use our recreation facilities and dozens write for publications or keep our TV stations going strong.

Everywhere I go, I challenge students to envision new UC San Diego traditions. Imagine being a part of creating something that takes hold, endures, and still exists when you come back to campus in 10 or 20 years. Students can do just that, but they have to think big, they have to work with other groups on campus to make it work, and they have to involve others in the planning who can provide leadership in the future.

Rue: Come visit, and you’ll catch our spirit. UC San Diego is innovative and entrepreneurial. There’s no right way to do things here, no one path, but a host of options. Students can come in with one idea and literally have mind-expanding experiences that change the course of their future. Yes, it is academically rigorous, but students are supported in achieving their dreams in myriad ways. Our reputation for a lively social life needs work, but I think that’s more myth than reality. I find that students are engaged in all sorts of stimulating out-of-class activities. The college system allows everyone to have a tight-knit home base from which they can explore.

Rue: UC San Diego is special because it is a university on the move. There’s plenty of room for students to make a lasting contribution here as we create new traditions and opportunities for involvement. I always ask students that I meet why they chose UCSD, and they typically answer both the challenging academic experience and the location. Students love the natural beauty of the campus and its location in one of the most vibrant cities in America. We have much to build upon in our young history.

Rue: At UCSD, I like the sense of adventure and the opportunity to try new things. People who have come and stayed have an entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to surround themselves with interesting people doing exciting things. I don’t hear “We’ve always done it this way,” because we haven’t. There’s lots of uncharted territory along with a quest for excellence.

My husband and I are delighted with the natural beauty of San Diego and are enjoying beginning to explore, now that boxes are finally unpacked. We also like the range of ethnic restaurants and our own very eclectic neighborhoods—we live right between Hillcrest and North Park, and love the atmosphere there. Balboa Park is an amazing resource just two blocks away.

Rue: I like to workout every day and, over the course of the week, I swim, lift weights and walk. I love to take long walks on the beach. I enjoy gardening and reading, but have not had much time for either since I’ve been here. I’m a college basketball junkie and that season is just starting up.

Rue: Canyonview Pool =)