Smith Jackson

G. Smith Jackson, Ph.D., is the current Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Life at Elon University, a private liberal arts college in Elon, North Carolina.
Early life and career
George Smith Jackson was born in Dothan, Alabama. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama. Jackson alludes to being more interested in social psychology and anthropology than clinical psychology. His first position in student affairs was a graduate assistantship at Kent State, and Jackson found a niche in different titles of student life, which included organizing teams and other opportunities. Jackson accepted his first position at Elon, Dean of Students, in 1994.<ref name="elon"/> Jackson cites a desire to move to a more family-oriented community as reason for accepting the position. In 1998, he became Vice President for Student Life and now serves both duties, which include overseeing 15 departments including Greek life, residence halls, and other opportunities to apply learning outside the classroom.<ref name="elon"/><ref name="Interview"/> He is currently serving these positions. Jackson notes, “Every day, I come to work in a botanical garden, where I get to work with some of the brightest people in the nation. I feel like I could pick out 5 random students here, ask them what they are doing, and it would amaze me. This is the best college generation ever.” <ref name="Interview"/>
Accomplishments
Jackson co-founded the Service Learning Community at Elon, which has gained national recognition and has been on the Presidential Honor Roll for 4 straight years.<ref name="Interview"/> Jackson is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as well as the American College Personnel Association. Jackson has also written and published reviews for the Journal of College Student Retention and chapters for numerous books.<ref name="elon"/>
Campus legacy
Jackson has developed a following on-campus for the warning emails he formerly sent to students and faculty in the event of crimes and dangerous situations. This caused many Elon students to view him as a celebrity superhero and a common saying among students is “Don’t be a Smith Jackson email.” A Facebook fan page has also been created, which portrays Jackson as a crime-solving superhero. On the other hand, Jackson is not widely recognized on campus in person, so his public appearances are sometimes viewed with excitement or surprise.

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