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Office of Academic Governance

Address

Owen Hall 
735 E Shaw Ln, Room W32
East Lansing, MI 48825 

Secretary for Academic Governance

Victoria Nelson

Victoria serves as the Secretary for Academic Governance in the AGO office. In this critical role, Victoria is the director of the AGO and serves as a key facilitator of shared governance, ensuring that faculty, academic staff, and students have a voice in the decisions that shape institutional policies and outcomes. Additionally, she oversees that governance processes are conducted in accordance with the Bylaws for Academic Governance, maintaining the integrity and efficacy of our shared governance framework. In this capacity, Victoria works with a broad range of constituencies, which include faculty and student governance leaders along with the Provost and the President, on governance-related matters. As Secretary, Victoria also serves as parliamentarian, secretary, and non-voting ex-officio member of The Steering Committee, Faculty Senate, University Council, University Committee on Academic Governance (UCAG), General Assembly of the Associated Students of MSU, Council of Graduate Students, and the Academic Congress. 

Victoria is a current doctoral candidate at MSU in the Information and Media program housed in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences on track to finish in spring 2025. Victoria’s doctoral work focuses on the intersection of science and technology, health communication, legal scholarship, body size equity, and public policy. She received her Juris Doctor from MSU College of Law in 2020. She was a Haslam Scholar, Chancellor’s Honors Scholar, and Supply Management Scholar of Distinction at the University of Tennessee and received her Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management and Political Science in 2017.  Previously, Victoria served as the graduate research assistant in the Office of the President and the Board of Trustees where she worked on policy revision and prioritization for trustee and executive level policy for the University.

Deputy Secretary for Academic Governance

Heidi Pineda

As the Deputy Secretary for Academic Governance, Heidi supports the Secretary for Academic Governance in executing her responsibilities and fostering a shared governance system that uplifts faculty and student voice.

Heidi is dedicated to equity, empowerment, and inclusion in her work in higher education. She has held a variety of roles advocating for victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence and supporting Latina/x student success at the University of Connecticut. She draws on learning from these community-centered experiences to inform her current role in the Office of Academic Governance.

Heidi received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Connecticut in Political Science and Latino and Latin American Studies, and is pursuing her Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration and a graduate certificate in Chicano/Latino Studies at Michigan State University.

Assistant to the Secretary for Academic Governance

Orville Cayaditto

Orville earned his bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Ethnic Studies from the University of Utah, followed by a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration at Michigan State University. Now, he is excited to be starting his first year as a doctoral student in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education PhD Program. 

With experience supporting and advocating for students from marginalized communities, Orville has served as a Multicultural Student Success Coordinator at the community college level and as a College Admissions Coach for the American Indian College Fund.

Orville aims to keep growing professionally and learn within various higher education contexts. He aspires to continue serving first-generation and underrepresented students and hopes to take on leadership roles as he continues his career as a scholar-practitioner.

 

Front End Web Developer

Jack Rockwood

Jack Rockwood (he/him) has been working with the Office of Academic Governance since September 19, 2023.
 
Rockwood is a Bachelor's Candidate for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and will be graduating with a degree in Games and Interactive Media in April 2026. He is an out-of-state student from Rogers, Arkansas.
 
He enrolled in MSU in 2022 and is currently in his Junior year. He is Vice President in the Michigan State Melee Club with collaboration with the E-Sports Club Association (ECA). Prior to this role, he has worked on the staff of the Amazeum Children’s Museum, developing and facilitating STEM-based activities for local children. He has also worked on the University of Arkansas Soybean Crossing Lab.