Frances Walton ’26
Editor-in-Chief
On Aug. 6, Scripps welcomed Dr. Stacey Miller as interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs (AVPSA), a student-facing position overseeing key offices including Campus Life, Academic Resources and Services, the Motley, the Scripps Store, and the Tiernan Field House.
The role has been contentious in the past, with the former AVPSA, Deborrah Hebert, being the first to reach out to students at the Motley requesting that they take down a Palestinian flag displayed in the coffeehouse.
“In many ways, my position is a bridge between administration and students,” Miller said.
Since starting, the Scripps College environment has left a positive impression on Miller. Within her 30 years of experience in higher education, Miller found Scripps to be one of the best institutions she has worked at.
“Scripps students are smart, engaged, and clearly dedicated to their academics,” Miller said. “I have talked to so many students who have so many interests and are doing so much.”
As AVPSA, Miller works with students in several contexts, advising the Motley and Scripps Store student leaders, overseeing student interns, and meeting with students regarding policy violations. Specifically, her advisorship of the Motley and Scripps Store helped her visualize the student culture and work ethic.
Laila Hannum ’26, one of the co-head managers of the Motley, worked with Miller to open the Motley this semester.
“I feel like she respects us as adults and tells things to us how they are,” Hannum said. “She’s really straightforward with us, but also is very good at defending us as students.”
One of Miller’s main goals for her interactions with students was mutual respect and understanding, even in times of conflict.
“We must constantly listen and engage in honest dialogue with each other,” Miller said. “All administrators and students need to give each other grace, assume the best of intentions, and learn to lean in and trust more.”
The Scripps student body experienced a significant loss of trust in student-facing administration following the debates about the Palestinian flag at the Motley. As a new hire, Miller encouraged students to judge administrators based on their current experiences, not impressions from the past.
Another student leader, Syd Godwin ’26, co-manager of the Scripps Store, worked with Miller on various upkeep and opening tasks, including posting and social media.
“The semester began with discussions around our social media, and these discussions are ongoing,” Godwin said. “We have currently settled on being able to keep our student-run Instagram as long as there is a disclaimer in the bio and we do not post anything ‘inappropriate’… I’m honestly not sure; they have not given us specific guidelines.”
Similarly, Hannum noted ongoing conversations regarding decor and posting guidelines at the Motley after students decided to fully remove decor last year rather than accept administrative alterations to the physical space.
“Obviously, we’re still in talks about the poster policy,” Hannum said. “Even with that, I do feel Stacy always respects where we’re coming from and tries to offer us a nuanced perspective and understanding on what is needed from administration, but also doing so to advocate for us.”
Miller emphasized that learning the job, community, and culture of Scripps would take time and effort, but she is committed to putting in the work.
“My most pressing agenda item is to learn Scripps, connect with students, faculty, and staff, continue advising the Motley and the Scripps Store, and support my team and division,” Miller said.
Students noticed Miller’s efforts to genuinely understand and advocate for Scripps students, adding to a general sense of optimism regarding the student-administration relationship.
“She’s gone above and beyond to learn how the Motley works … learning all of the ins and outs, learning the names of our entire management team, coming in to get drinks whenever she can,” Hannum said. “Even during our opening party, there was a mix-up with OSE, and she answered the phone at 11 p.m. and then called Campus Safety to make sure our party didn’t get shut down.”
Despite past, and probably ever-present, disagreements between students and administration, Miller’s arrival on campus promised a new beginning. As AVPSA, Miller holds an optimistic outlook, learning school policy and culture, advocating for students, and building strong relationships.
“Sometimes we will still disagree, but to me, it’s about learning,” Miller said. “It’s what I love most about the collegiate environment.”
Photo Courtesy of Scripps College
