Heather Kropf

Heather Kropf (she, her, hers) serves as the Assistant Vice President & Dean of Students. She grew up in California and has worked professionally in Oregon since 2008. She joined the WU community summer of 2022 as the Director of Residence life and Student Conduct and moved into the Dean role summer of 2024. She previously worked at the University of Oregon, Pacific University, Augsburg College, and Azusa Pacific holding different roles in residence life, student leadership, orientation, civic engagement, and career services. Heather graduated from Azusa Pacific University where she received her Master’s degree in College Student Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication studies. Heather also graduated from the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program from Portland State University. Her research focused on organizational cultures and structures that support a learning centered approach in student affairs. Her dissertation is titled: Residence Life as Learning Organizations: An Inquiry Into Organizational Elements that Support Integration of the Residential Curriculum. Heather views herself as a scholar practitioner and is dedicated to supporting efforts that assist student learning and success. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, enjoying downtown Salem, cooking, and getting to the coast as much as possible.