In Memoriam: Carole Hughes
Carole Hughes, a longtime Student Affairs administrator at Boston College who most recently served as director of graduate student life, and who earned professional recognition for her perspectives on women’s careers in student affairs, died on September 8. She was 65.
Arrangements are pending.
Carole Hughes. (Lee Pellegrini)
Dr. Hughes filled a diversity of positions during her 39-year career at the University, including assistant and associate (later senior associate) dean for student development, deputy Title IX coordinator, project coordinator in facilities for the Campus Master Plan, a founding member of the University Arts Council, and University harassment counselor.
While her various posts entailed the administrative and organizational tasks typical of a major university, Dr. Hughes also interacted directly with students in various aspects of college life: discussing the Undergraduate Government of BC budget with candidates for UGBC offices; leading an initiative that encouraged students to take an interest in the civic life of their communities; hosting a discussion about issues raised by the controversial David Mamet play “Oleanna” after a campus performance; and serving as advisor to the campus radio station WZBC.
In 1999, the BC Fulton Debating Society honored her as Fultonian of the Year, an award presented to the University community member who supports the society’s ideals.
“ When she saw a need, she was always ready to step up. She had such a deep understanding of the work of Student Affairs and what it means to do that work in the context of the Boston College mission. She had a gift of sharing her experience, energy and relentless positivity with others, always seeking to lift others up and see them succeed. ”
As senior associate dean of students, Dr. Hughes helped initiate the “House Calls” outreach program, in which pairs of BC faculty and administrators fanned out in first-year student residence halls to greet new undergraduates. She also served on the Disability Services Committee, which deals with accommodation and accessibility issues on campus.
Dr. Hughes displayed a similar concern and care for her colleagues as well: During the COVID pandemic, she organized virtual coffee chats for the directors in Student Affairs to come together and support each other.
“When she saw a need, she was always ready to step up,” recalled Vice President for Student Affairs Corey Kelly, who as an entry-level Student Affairs staff member was under Dr. Hughes’ supervision. “She had such a deep understanding of the work of Student Affairs and what it means to do that work in the context of the Boston College mission. She had a gift of sharing her experience, energy and relentless positivity with others, always seeking to lift others up and see them succeed. Carole perpetually met people where they were, never shying away from having hard conversations or addressing challenging situations.”
"Carole's death is a tremendous loss to the BC community, and she, her family, and friends are very much in our prayers during these difficult days,” said Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. “Carole cared deeply about the well-being of our graduate students, and her creative and faithful attention to their needs and their formation will be deeply missed."
Even while she tended to her various day-in/week-out responsibilities, Dr. Hughes pondered a larger context, as a woman in the field of student affairs. When she stayed at home for a couple of months after her second child was born, she recalled in a 2002 interview with the Boston College Chronicle, she began to think more broadly about family and career issues.
“You start asking yourself all kinds of questions, especially ‘Should I continue my career? Should I work full-time, part-time?’ These are things many working parents ask themselves. But I knew I needed a broader perspective, because I felt that women in the student affairs field are contemplating a number of issues, professional and otherwise, especially as they move into mid-career.
“More women are entering administrative positions in student affairs, and at an earlier age, than in the past and many of these women have young families. I was also interested in the challenges professional women face as they reach mid-career, usually around the time they have families.”
So, at the 2002 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) annual conference, Dr. Hughes organized a panel discussion, “Great Women Don’t Always Think Alike: Women in Student Affairs,” featuring presentations by eight women on what they considered turning points in their careers as student affairs professionals. NASPA is a leading organization for student affairs professionals, with 13,000 members at 1,400 campuses in 25 countries.
Investing time and energy in one’s job is a universal issue, she told Chronicle, “but as a student affairs professional, you are concerned with the formation of students, even as you are seeking to define yourself. So as you move through other stages of your life, how else can you measure success other than being present for a significant number of hours beyond the conventional work week? How do you be a good model for younger staff and students?
“Maybe it means being healthy, in mind and body, or trying to find a balance between work and one’s family or personal life.”
Inspired by the panel, Dr. Hughes went on to co-edit a book of essays, Roads Taken: Women in Student Affairs at Mid-Career, featuring reflections from more than 20 women on their personal and professional lives as administrators in the student affairs field. The essays focused on subjects such as pursuing a doctorate, dual-career couples, and motherhood and student affairs, each with an introduction by an expert in the specific topic area. Hughes, who also penned an essay on her experiences as a working mother, wrote an introduction to the section titled “‘I’ve Arrived’: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination.”
In 2022, NASPA named Dr. Hughes a Pillar of the Profession, an honor given to student affairs professionals who have provided significant service to NASPA through regional and/or national leadership roles; created a lasting impact on the institutions or organizations at which they have worked, leaving a legacy of extraordinary service recognized by a cross-section of institutional/organizational stakeholders; and/or have demonstrated sustained, lifetime professional distinction in the field of student affairs and/or higher education.
“Carole brought joy, energy, and passion to her work,” said First Year Experience Director Christopher Darcy. “She mentored, inspired, and motivated so many in the area of student formation, and always carried them in her heart. When she checked in with you, she wanted to make sure you were caring for yourself while caring for others.”
A graduate of University of Massachusetts-Boston, Dr. Hughes earned a master’s degree in educational policy from Boston University. She also held a doctorate from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development—her dissertation was “College Students, Loneliness and Use of the Internet”—and a master’s degree from the BC School of Social Work. She worked as a licensed clinical social worker in the Greater Boston area.