Pettid Named Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Wellbeing

Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, announced today that Cathy Pettid, LMHP, has been identified as UNO’s associate vice chancellor for student life and wellbeing following a system-wide search, pending approval by the NU Board of Regents.

Pettid, who has served in the role in an interim capacity since November of 2021, will officially begin the role on Thursday, May 26, as a member of Chancellor Li’s executive leadership team. She will also continue her role as dean of students for UNO.

“Cathy is a tireless advocate for our students,” Chancellor Li said. “In every role she has held at UNO, the student experience has been a priority for her, and she has played a key role in supporting student engagement opportunities, overall wellness, and maintaining a welcoming campus for our students.”

With a growing number of students requiring not just strong academic support, but also a sense of purpose and belonging as they complete their education, the role of the Division of Student Life and Wellbeing will help amplify UNO’s role as an urban university that is meeting the needs of today’s students and thereby improving their classroom performance and preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow. Finalizing of Pettid's position is the next step in a innovative restructuring effort that began earlier this year, which also includes the forming of the Division of Institution and Student Success.

As associate vice chancellor for student life and wellbeing, Pettid will be the chief strategist and provide leadership for all UNO student support services, working closely with other members of the chancellor’s leadership team to help meet students where they are, provide trauma-sensitive care, and purposeful engagement opportunities. She will oversee areas including the Office Multicultural Affairs; Gender & Sexuality Resource Center; Military Connected Resource Center; Health Services; Accessibility Services; Student Conduct and Community Standards; Student Involvement; Housing and Residential Life; Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS); Campus Recreation; Youth Safety; Success Academies; and Project Achieve.

“Having been a part of UNO’s growth into the campus it is today, I am excited to see what the next chapter will bring as we look at what the next generation of student engagement and student support looks like,” Pettid said. “After two years of significant changes to our world and what our day-to-day lives look like, building stability and resources for our students is one of the most important things we as an institution can be doing right now.”

Pettid, who is a licensed mental health practitioner, joined UNO in 1995 as a part of what was then UNO’s University Division and Counseling Services. She became director of CAPS in 2012, a role she served until becoming senior director of achievement and director of the Academic and Career Development Center. Pettid was named assistant vice chancellor for student success and dean of students in 2016.

In her time at UNO, Pettid has helped lead and innovate student support initiatives including mental health awareness, career development opportunities, revising the student code of conduct, learning community development, and more. She was the 2020 recipient of the UNO Chancellor’s Medal and has also received the Del Weber Student Service Award in 2019 and 2021 as well as the 2014 Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement Award.

Pettid is a member of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA); Association of Title IX Coordinators, Investigators and Administrators (ATIXA); and Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) among others.

A UNO alumna, Pettid earned her Master of Science in counseling from UNO. She also holds a psychology degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University