Jennifer Jones-Hall, director of Student Life and adviser to the Student Government Association, resigned from her position Monday evening, the university said.
Joan Todd, interim associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications said Jones-Hall resigned “to pursue other opportunities.” She had been with the university since 2011.
Jones-Hall has not yet responded to attempts to reach out to her.
She was recently mentioned in a letter to President Paul W. Ferguson from Student Government Association Chief of Staff Chris Taylor and the Student Government Association President Nick Wilkey.
The letter expressed concern about the selection of the John R. Emens Outstanding Senior Award winner, racial sensitivity and the lack of dialogue on campus.
In the letter, Taylor said leaders from the SGA and the Big 4 — the Black Student Association, Spectrum, the Latino Student Union and the Asian American Student Association — had received threats of funding cuts for steering away from the university’s message.
Jones-Hall said in an email: “The Big 4 are not making comments [about the Emens Outstanding Senior Award] because the[y] are funded through the University and so is SGA. I would be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you. My two cents.”
Jones-Hall apologized Wednesday for her remarks.
David Jones, president of the BSA, said his organization was restricted from talking about the Emens controversy with anyone, including their own members.
“In the back of our minds, we were thinking ‘If we say something, there won’t be a BSA,’” Jones said.
Details for the search for her replacement have not yet been determined, Todd said.
Sang Nguyen, president of AASA, said Jones-Hall “is an extremely compassionate and positive person with so much energy and love for her students.”
