As Syracuse University welcomed students back to campus for the Spring 2009 semester, the
Division of Student Affairs appointed veteran residence life leader Terra L. Peckskamp as
director of residence life.
In this role, Peckskamp will lead the Office of Residence Life (ORL), which provides staff and
educational programming for SU's residential community of more than 7,000 students. Every
year, ORL staff conduct more than 1,200 programs for students, helping contribute to an
educationally stimulating living and learning environment on the SU campus.
"Terra's educational background, proven leadership skills, rich residence life experience,
innovative programming abilities and outstanding capacity to collaborate with staff, faculty
and students across the University make her an excellent choice for this position," says Rebecca
Reed Kantrowitz, associate vice president-inclusion, community, and citizenship. "The
Division of Student Affairs and Syracuse University are fortunate to have Terra as an
exceptional member of our team."
Peckskamp's appointment is effective immediately. She was previously interim director of
residence life, a position she assumed in September 2008 as part of the Division of Student
Affairs' reorganization. She fills the position formerly held by Kantrowitz.
"I am thrilled to serve as director of the Office of Residence Life at Syracuse University," says
Peckskamp. "The students and staff who work with ORL are incredibly talented, and I am
excited by the possibilities that the future holds."
Peckskamp joined SU in 1999 as coordinator for academic initiatives in ORL. In this role and
later as director of learning communities for student affairs, she was instrumental in the
University-wide collaboration that launched SU's Learning Communities program. Under
Peckskamp's guidance, the program has grown from just two communities into a thriving,
nationally recognized model with more than 30 learning community options and thousands of
students participating each year. Peckskamp has also been engaged in ORL's assessment
projects, grant writing, faculty and staff development opportunities, and strategic planning
initiatives.
For her efforts, the Division of Student Affairs and the University have recognized her
numerous times, including with the 2002 Exemplary Achievement Award and several Senior
Vice President's Awards for Excellence, Students First, Assessment and Quality. She is also the
recipient of the 2002 Outstanding Research Award from the American College Personnel
Association-College Student Educators International, a leading professional organization for
student affairs.
Prior to joining SU, Peckskamp spent three years as the coordinator of student development for
the Office of Residence Life at California State Polytechnic University, where she directed a
residence hall of 600 first-year students, oversaw resident advisor selection, operated the Peer
Judicial Review Board, and provided on-call crisis management.
Before that, Peckskamp's experience with student affairs administration stretches back to her
undergraduate experience at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she served as a resident
advisor and student hall director while completing a bachelor's degree in management. While
attaining a master's degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State University,
Peckskamp was a graduate assistant in that university's Office of Residence Life. At present,
she is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in higher education administration at SU.
For more information on ORL, visit http://orl.syr.edu.
