Over the course of its long history, Student Unions and Activities has included several leaders including Ray Higgins, Gordon Starr, Paul Whitney Larson, Edwin Sigglekow, Berton Atkinson, Rufus Simmons, Charles Rausch, and Clare O’Brien.
Maggie Towle
Maggie Towle served as Student Unions & Activities director from 1996 to 2017, though she’d first started working at the University as a student employee in the fall of 1979, just three years after the 1970s renovation of Coffman Memorial Union was completed. When she became the director in 1996, Coffman Memorial Union was in disrepair—water leaks were common, daily traffic was low, and there were limited cafeteria options. Towle led a major renovation of Coffman Memorial Union in 2003 to restore the building, as well as the combining of union forces between Coffman Memorial Union, the St. Paul Student Center, and the West Bank Skyway into what is now known today as the overarching department, Student Unions and Activities. Under Towle’s leadership, Student Unions & Activities’ three facilities became and continue to be gathering places for student development, engagement, and leadership on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. Towle became Interim Vice Provost for Student Affairs in 2017 and held that role until 2021, then becoming Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs until her retirement in 2025.
Denny Olsen
Denny Olsen served alongside Maggie Towle for much of his career. He began working at the University of Minnesota in 1990, and in 1992 he started working for the Student Unions as assistant director of programs in Coffman Memorial Union. In 1996, he became associate director. He also served as interim director of the St. Paul Student Center from 1998 to 2000, and the Student Activities Office from 2000 to 2002, during the transition to the combined Student Unions & Activities. In 2002, he became senior associate director of Student Unions & Activities and in 2017 became interim director. He provided notable leadership during the challenging times of the COVID pandemic: fostering resilience, hope and adaptability among students, staff, and faculty. He retired in 2021.
Jason Hancock
Jason Hancock is the current director of Student Unions & Activities, though he began his career with the department in 1996, starting as a student activities program manager. He’s held several positions across the department in his decades-long tenure, including assistant director of facilities and operations, associate director, interim director, and finally becoming director of Student Unions & Activities in 2023. Under Hancock’s leadership, Student Unions & Activities continues to thrive in its mission to serve the University of Minnesota’s diverse student community through innovative, inclusive, and impactful programs and services.