Rachel Kelley '19 named director of student conduct

Norwich University has appointed Rachel Kelley '19 as director of student conduct following a successful internal search. Kelley reports to Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gregory McGrath.

The director of student conduct position was reintroduced as part of a strategic realignment within Student Affairs. The role is designed to mitigate institutional risk by strengthening student experiences and consistency in incident reporting and case resolution, while reinforcing accountability to University policies and procedures, and improving data and trend tracking. Kelley will also mentor the Honor Committee and oversee related case resolution, and will work closely with Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Will Kraman to prioritize student wellness across policies and procedures.

Kelley graduated from Norwich in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology. As a student, she worked as a dispatcher for Public Safety. She began her professional career with the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court in 2019 before returning to Norwich as a public safety officer in November 2021, which was a role she held through July 2023.

Kelley then joined Student Affairs staff as assistant director of residence life, a position she held for the next three years. In that role, she trained and supervised a student leader staff of 24 resident assistants, senior resident advisors, and residence coordinators. She also worked in student conduct adjudication with an emphasis on student development, supported new student orientation leader training, served part-time as a public safety officer, and acted as a hearing officer and decision-maker for civil rights case resolution through the Compliance Office.

Her broad experience across Residence Life, Public Safety, student conduct systems, and civil rights compliance makes her well suited to lead in the office. Kelley's approach to student misconduct resolution and character development centers on education over punishment, fairness, consistency, and accountability for actions and their impact on the community.