Salem State alum now dean of students

May 21—SALEM — The next associate vice president and dean of students is a familiar face around Salem State University: It is Shawn Newton's alma mater, and his former employer for much of his career.

Newton, who lives in Salem, will assume the new role on July 3. He brings 25 years of higher education experience in student affairs and diversity and inclusion, including prior leadership roles at Salem State, according to an announcement.

"Shawn has devoted his 25-year career to student success, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement, which are three of our top priorities at Salem State," said Salem State President John Keenan. "I am honored that Shawn will bring his talent, skills and passion back to our campus. I look forward to all that he will achieve as his longtime impact on students and the region grows even further through this leadership role."

In recent years, Newton served as co-founder of Newton Consultancy Group, which provided more than 1,000 clients with services that included diversity and inclusion workshops, conflict resolution, and higher education consulting. Prior to that, Newton was associate dean of students at Suffolk University, where he oversaw day-to-day operations in the dean of students' office and student affairs.

For 20 years, he had also served Salem State with increasing responsibility in numerous student affairs roles, including assistant director of diversity and multicultural affairs and assistant dean of students.

Newton grew up in Roxbury and relocated to Salem in 1991 to attend Salem State.

"I'm extremely humbled by the opportunity to serve as the next associate vice president and dean of students at Salem State University," said Newton. "I'm most excited about our students and hope that I can contribute to their success both on and off campus. They are the hope of our future and the pillars of our society.

I'm appreciative of the communities that have supported me in my life journey, including Barbados, where my family is from, Roxbury, where I grew up, Wayland, where I went to public school, and Salem, which I now call home," he said. "I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues in a partnership of excellence where we practice a student-centered and student-first approach through a lens that's inclusive of every student enrolled at SSU. I'm eager to start this work in July and look forward to being part of Salem State's bright future."

Nate Bryant, Vice President for Student Success at Salem State, said Newton has "proven to be a dynamic leader" in his career in higher education and committed to building consensus, solving problems, connecting with students, and prioritizing diversity and inclusion.

"Shawn is a proud and dedicated Salem State Viking with a breadth of experience both on and off campus. I have every confidence that he will be a driving force in our ongoing, campus-wide efforts to bring students the best experiences and opportunities possible," Bryant said.

Newton also serves on the boards of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Plummer Youth Promise. In 2020, he became chair of the inaugural city of Salem Race Equity Task Force, which he led for over a year. Working with the city in 2004, he was a founding member and vice chairperson of Salem's No Place for Hate Committee. He is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Newton received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Salem State and currently serves on the university's alumni association. He holds a master of science in community and economic development from Southern New Hampshire University.