Meet the Dean
Doneka R. Scott serves as vice chancellor and dean for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, which includes University College.
Doneka R. Scott, vice chancellor and dean for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, leads university-wide efforts to support student success — academically, personally and professionally — while helping students find purpose and belonging along the way. She is also a professor of practice in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development.
Raised in a working-class family and the first in her family to attend college, Scott knows firsthand how education can change lives — and how isolating it can feel to navigate that path without a roadmap. She often speaks of her early college years as formative not only for what she learned in class, but for what she learned about resilience, visibility and community. That experience continues to shape her leadership and her belief that every student deserves to be seen, supported and valued.
Scott holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master of Arts in Higher and Postsecondary Education from the University of Michigan. She joined NC State in 2021 from the University of Oregon, where she served as vice provost for undergraduate education and student success.
A nationally recognized scholar-practitioner, she currently serves on several boards and continues to advance research and policy focused on equity, innovation and access in higher education.
“I always say this: student success isn’t one size fits all. We have to create space for every student to be visible — and to be valued.”
Doneka R. Scott
Vice Chancellor and Dean
Student Success by Design
Scott believes that student success is not one size fits all. She has spent her career designing systems that reflect the lives of real students — their goals, their challenges and their need to feel a sense of agency and belonging.
At NC State, she leads a diverse portfolio of programs that touch every undergraduate, from foundational wellness courses in the Department of Health and Exercise Studies, to advising and major exploration through University Advising and the Exploratory Studies Program. Her leadership also supports standout interdisciplinary programs, including the B.S. in music technology, a cross-college collaboration blending engineering, the arts and entrepreneurship, and the interdisciplinary entrepreneurship certificate, which equips students from any major to explore innovation through a practical, cross-disciplinary lens.
Through these efforts and more, Scott ensures students are not just guided through college — but empowered to define their own version of success.
A Vision for the Pack
Colleagues know Scott as a strategic thinker, a collaborative leader and a fierce advocate for putting students first. She works closely with faculty and staff across the university to remove barriers, promote accessibility and align academic and co-curricular programs in ways that support the whole student.
Under her leadership, University College continues to serve as a home for innovative teaching, interdisciplinary learning and shared campus experiences — all grounded in NC State’s land-grant mission and commitment to public good.
“University College reflects the very best of what NC State offers: flexibility, creativity and student-first thinking. It’s where exploration meets purpose.”
Doneka R. Scott, Vice Chancellor and Dean