From Missouri to Madrid: Ashley Jost Appointed Director of Student Affairs

After more than three years of working at SLU's St. Louis campus, Jost joins the SLU-Madrid community to meet its ever-growing needs.

Saint Louis University's Madrid Campus officially welcomed Ashley Jost as its new director of student affairs on March 9. Jost had been serving as interim director since Jan. 1.

 

Prior to coming to the Madrid campus, she held two positions at the main campus in St. Louis. There, she served as chief of staff to SLU's vice president for student development and director of presidential communications.

"It's with pleasure that I announce Ms. Ashley Jost's appointment as Director of Student Affairs," said Director and Academic Director Paul Vita, Ph.D., in a message to faculty and staff. "Ms. Jost brings to the SLU-Madrid community her expertise, creativity, professionalism, and deep commitment to the University's mission."

She brings more than eight years of higher education communications and journalism expertise, having worked as a higher education reporter for various publications including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before moving into higher education as deputy chief of staff to the chancellor at the University of Missouri.

"My approach to student affairs work — and working at a university in general — is being audience centered in all that we do," Jost said. "I believe the best thing we can do for our campus community is to be transparent and to communicate clearly, consistently and effectively. And of course, we have to listen more than we talk."

Jost shared that she has a lot to learn about what it means to live, work and learn abroad, and that she doesn't believe that learning should happen in a vacuum. She hopes to start a listening tour with student groups and academic departments soon.