About Dr. Sutton
Dr. Melinda (Mindy) Sutton is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, a position she began in May 2019. In this role, Dr. Sutton is responsible for the well-being and student support initiatives for the Division, including the Dr. Bob Smith Student Health Center; counseling services; wellness education; student conduct; student advocacy and support services; the Mustang Band and spirit programs; and the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports (campus recreation). Dr. Sutton also represents the Division of Student Affairs on campus crisis response teams and coordinates student affairs support for the SMU-in-Taos programs that take place on the University’s campus in Taos, New Mexico.
Prior to her tenure at SMU, Dr. Sutton served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Mississippi and has also held positions at The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Tyler, the University of Houston, and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, working in a variety of functional areas and roles at each of these institutions.
Dr. Sutton is active in several professional organizations, including the National Association of StudentPersonnelAdministrators (NASPA), the Association for Student Conduct Administrators (ASCA), and the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors (AFA). In addition, she is an active volunteer for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, having served as a vice president on the organization’sInternational Council for four years.
A native Texan, Dr. Sutton earned her undergraduate degree in public relations with minors in English and French from SMU; a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University –Bloomington; and a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin in higher education administration.
