Darius Bridges to Lead Student Activities

Including the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA)

Darius Bridges is the new assistant dean for Student Involvement, Leadership & Activities (SILA). (Photo by Darren Heslop)

Darius Bridges has joined the Andrews University Division of Campus & Student Life as assistant dean for Student Involvement, Leadership & Activities (SILA). He will serve as the lead sponsor of the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) and will provide training for various student leadership positions.

Bridges is an alumnus of Andrews University and holds a BBA in marketing with a minor in architecture. During his time as a student, he was involved in many aspects of campus life and leadership, including serving as president of the Andrews University Black Student Christian Forum and being active in music leadership and vespers programs.

“I've always been very passionate about the student experience,” Bridges explains, partially attributing this to his background in marketing. “Our whole thing is, what does the consumer want? What does the consumer need? How do you appeal to this group of people?” He notes that although students are not the same as consumers, addressing their needs is just as important.

Bridges’ past experience in student leadership will help him effectively connect with and support student leaders. One of his goals as he oversees the clubs and organizations is to provide basic leadership training to student leaders in order to help them become more efficient in managing their organizations and performing their roles.

Bridges is also passionate about diversity. He hopes to encourage education on diversity in a variety of ways and would like to improve the student experience by helping students feel they belong at Andrews and are appreciated. Given the level of diversity found at Andrews, Bridges aims to achieve this goal by helping students feel represented. He recognizes that students often bear a sense of loyalty to different things such as their culture or their friends, and he would like to create this type of affinity between the students and their school. “I just want students to feel like we appreciate them being here, that they belong here,” he says.

Before joining the Division of Campus & Student Life, Bridges worked in the Division of Marketing & Enrollment Management as an enrollment counselor and recruiter for freshman students. In that role he traveled to many schools around the United States, speaking with high school students about Andrews University and what it stands for. As an enrollment counselor, Bridges also admitted students to the University.

It was in this position that Bridges developed AUnited, a weekend-long program designed to showcase the diversity of the Andrews experience, both culturally and academically. He worked with student leaders and organizations to make this vision a reality, presenting the project during a Preview weekend for visiting prospective students to attend. “That was kind of our way to show the students, this is what we mean by diversity. This is what we mean by the experience that you can have at Andrews University. And it's something that’s hard to get anywhere else,” shared Bridges.

Looking ahead, Bridges shares, “With this new year on the horizon, I am excited to see Andrews continue to change and evolve. We want to truly embody the mantra World Changers Made Here!”