BATON ROUGE, LA – Baton Rouge Community College has named Donavan L. Johnson, Ed.D as the Dean of Students. In this role, Dr. Johnson will provide leadership, organization, supervision and evaluation for the Office of the Dean of Students and Office of Student Life, including student clubs, organizations and the Student Government Association. He is also the primary administrative contact and advocate for BRCC students in regards to concerns and grievances wherein he will administer college policies and procedures regarding student’s rights and responsibilities. He will work collaboratively with deans, department chairs, faculty, and academic support personnel to achieve student access and success. Dr. Johnson began his new role in January 2020.
Before coming to BRCC, Dr. Johnson served as the Assistant to the Dean for Undergraduate Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he assisted the dean and associate deans with planning, coordinating, and implementing college retention and student success initiatives.
Dr. Johnson has also served leadership roles in a variety of extracurricular affairs. He was a co-organizer and panelist for the 2019 Southern Miss Student Leadership Summit: Minorities in Leadership: Living, Leading, and Succeeding. He has served as chair of conduct hearing panels and as co-chair of housing and residence life conduct boards; facilitated sexual misconduct cases; and served on tuition and housing appeal committees. Dr. Johnson also served as chapter president and as an on campus advisor for the Kappa Iota chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc.
Dr. Johnson received his doctorate of education in higher education and administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a master’s of science in student affairs and a bachelor’s of science in history, both from the University of West Alabama. He was the 2017 recipient of the W. L. Pierce Leadership in Higher Education Award. He holds memberships in the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) organizations. A native of Bay Springs, Mississippi, Dr. Johnson enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching sports, reading, traveling, and golfing. He attends Blue Mountain Baptist Church in Bay Springs.