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New Vice President for University Compliance and Ethics Appointed

Saint Louis University has appointed Jessica M. Evenson as vice president for university compliance and ethics, a newly established role that will serve as the primary architect and steward of enterprise-wide compliance initiatives at SLU. Her appointment is effective Feb. 20.

Jessica M. Evenson
Jessica M. Evenson

Evenson has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, most recently at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as the director of compliance. In that role, she led the strategic direction and operations of the compliance program to include campus-wide risk assessments, policy development and oversight, budget management, staff supervision and hotline investigations. 

During Evenson’s tenure in Minnesota established investigation procedures, developed and implemented multiple policies, and directed quarterly compliance meetings with more 30 leaders across campus. For the past four years, she has participated in a senior-level compliance benchmarking group in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that included multiple Fortune 500 companies. 

Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, she worked in student services, accreditation, regulatory affairs and as an adjunct instructor. 

Evenson received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from North Dakota State University. She earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from St. Cloud State University and is pursuing a doctorate of philosophy in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota. 

"I came to SLU because of the University's clear commitment to academics, ethics, mission and service,” Evenson said. “These values are in alignment with mine and are foundational to building and maintaining a healthy compliance culture. I look forward to joining the university community and to future collaborations across campus."

About the New Leadership Position

The University’s Board of Trustees, through its Audit and Legal Committee, and SLU’s internal auditors have stressed the importance of establishing a University-wide compliance and ethics program.

This new position – reporting jointly to the Board and to the President ­– will lead SLU in identifying and managing legal and reputational risk, and in advancing a culture of ethical conduct throughout the University. Responsibilities include: