Amy Johnson named special assistant for strategic initiatives

Amy Johnson, vice chancellor for student affairs, will move into a position as special assistant for strategic initiatives as part of a reimagination of the divisions of student affairs and enrollment management, James Orr, senior vice provost for student success, announced Friday.

A new Division of Student Success will capture student experience, enrollment and academic success, Orr said. The organizational structure will support a vision that connects the dots across the student experience, creating a “no-wrong-door experience” while continuing Carolina’s promise to provide the nation’s strongest return on an investment in higher education.

Johnson’s role will be critical in creating this new organizational structure. She will lead strategies that elevate student success, including a comprehensive review of Carolina’s student onboarding and orientation experience, and guide significant updates to ConnectCarolina through the Students First project. The move is effective Dec. 5.

Amy Johnson, seen here during Move-In Week of 2023, spearheaded several initiatives involving student well-being across the past five years. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Johnson arrived at Carolina in August 2020. Since then, she has led COVID-19 student support, testing and response resources, as well as wide-ranging initiatives around mental health and well-being, community, access and student belonging. In 2021, she launched the Heels Care Network, designed to increase access to mental health and well-being resources and reinforce Carolina’s culture of compassion and care.

Johnson has also worked in close partnership with several student government administrations to champion the renovation of student facilities and the development of a Student Recreation and Wellness Center. In 2025, as a result of these efforts and our campuswide resources, the University was recognized as one of 16 universities on the Princeton Review’s Mental Health Honor Roll.

“We are grateful for her continued leadership and commitment to building meaningful learning and engagement experiences for Carolina students,” Orr said. “We will make this transition as smooth as possible for the team and students, particularly during this busy time of the year. I appreciate Amy’s support as we transition.”

Jonathan Sauls ’94, ’97 (JD), senior associate vice chancellor for student success and administration, will provide leadership to the offices in student affairs during the transition, also effective Dec. 5. He has served in various roles with student affairs across the past 20 years.