Announcing Lafayette’s next Dean of Students

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am excited to share with you the news that Walter Snipes will be joining Lafayette as our new Dean of Students. Walter brings to this vital role at the College 20 years of experience in higher education, including roles at Davidson College, Oxford College of Emory University, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Walter comes to us following a national search that attracted many outstanding candidates. He will officially join the College on Oct. 1, 2024.

In his role as Lafayette’s Dean of Students, Walter will oversee the offices of residence life, student involvement, wellness & prevention, student conduct and restorative practices, and case management. 

Walter joined Davidson in 2015 as Assistant Dean of Students and Associate Director of Residence Life. He served as the Interim Senior Conduct Officer in 2018-19, and has held the position of Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life since 2019. While at Davidson, Walter established streamlined policies and processes to enhance the student experience, with a particular focus on equity and inclusion. He also brings expertise in residential operations and curriculum implementation, student education and development, crisis management, academic advising, retention, team development, training, and collaborative work with campus partners. 

Prior to Davidson, Walter served for four years as the Assistant Director of Residential Education and Services at Oxford College of Emory University. He started his career as a Residence Education Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, serving in the role for seven years. 

Walter earned his B.A. in religion and mathematics and M.Div. from Emory University. He earned his D.S.L. (doctorate in strategic leadership) from Regent University. He is a member of numerous higher education professional associations and is a board member of The HUE Leadership Alliance. 

My thanks to our search committee for their diligent efforts on this comprehensive search: Associate Vice President for Student Life Mark Sapara, Director of Counseling Services Melissa Garrison, Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives Jaison Freeman, Professor and Department Head of Religious Studies Brett Hendrickson, Associate Dean of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs Christopher Selena, and Tanushree Sow Mondal ‘25.

We look forward to welcoming Walter and his family to the Lafayette community. Notes of welcome can be sent to walter.snipes@gmail.com and, starting Oct. 1., to his Lafayette email address.

Sarah Moschenross
Vice President for Student Life