Denise Marcoux Nelson

As the Assistant to the Chief Student Affairs Officer for Student Retention and Entrepreneurial Development, Denise Nelson assists the CSAO in providing leadership and direction for the Division of Student and University Life and in support of the university’s mission to students.

In this position, Denise is responsible for being on call to respond to emergency situations.  She also serves as the chair of the university wide Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) which was established in 2005 as a vehicle for making sure that the needs of  “at risk” students are methodically and successfully addressed.  Denise often works one on one with individual students who need and/or request assistance to help them successfully navigate the university experience.   In addition, it is her responsibility to look for opportunities to improve policies, processes, protocols and programs that impact student retention.

Denise is also responsible for the enhancement and development of revenue producing opportunities for the university.  The intent of this work is to offset expenses, fund new initiatives and keep the cost of attending USM lower for students while improving the quality of the experience.  Most recently, this has brought her into a number of work groups that are exploring the possibilities of internationalizing and diversifying USM as we look to the future of the university.

Over the past 30 years, Denise has worked at the following institutions.  First at the University of Maine (while completing a Masters in Student Personnel Services), next at the University of New Hampshire, then at Binghamton University and since 2000 she has been employed at the University of Southern Maine.  Until recently her professional world  focused on Residential Life and it will always hold a place that is near and dear to her heart…nothing like a good ice breaker, nervous students and families on opening day, an RD holding their first all hall meeting, RA programs and the like to make her smile. 

At USM, Denise has provided leadership on a number of campus initiatives.  A sample of these include:  the Gorham Task Force,  USM’s Critical Incident Response Team, the Veteran’s Advisory Committee, the Enrollment Council, the Foundations of Excellence committee, the Strategic Planning Task force, the Athletics Advisory Board, the Promoting Reduced Risk Alcohol Choices, the Safety Project Advisory Council, the BRIDGE advisory board, the Dining Services Advisory Council, the USM Cares Advisory Board and the Internationalizing USM Advisory Board.

Some of Denise’s professional affiliations include:  the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), serving as Housing Commission Directorate Board member from 2011-2013, the Maine Association of Student Affairs Practitioners (MASAP), serving as Co-President from 2007 to 2009, the National Behavioral Intervention Association (NaBITA)

Denise assures you that USM offers a supportive atmosphere and that the faculty and staff provide a personalized caring approach for our students. She looks forward each year to watching students test their autonomy, form community, get involved in campus life and through it all grow. She hopes that if she can serve your needs in any way that you won't hesitate to ask.