Breanna McKnight has been named director of Clemson University’s Office of Advocacy and Success, a department within the Division of Student Affairs. McKnight joins the office after serving as a community director for University Housing at Clemson. She assumes the position from Dr. Kimberly Poole, who has served as the office’s director since its inception in 2015. McKnight’s official start date is June 1.
In her new role, McKnight assumes supervision over an office comprised of four full-time employees. Advocacy and Success serves Clemson students as a trusted place for care, advocacy and referrals to campus and community partners. The office is primarily responsible for implementation and management of the CARE Network.
“Breanna will be a great addition to our staff in Student Affairs,” said Poole, assistant vice president and senior associate dean of students. “She has a strong familiarity and background with the reporting software we use to manage the CARE Network. We are very fortunate to have her at Clemson and know she will do a great job advocating for all of our students in this leadership position.”
McKnight joined Clemson’s staff in December 2019 as a residential community director for Holmes and McCabe halls. In her role, she provided direct supervision to staff and students, served as CARE file manager and liaised as a housing hearing officer for the Office of Community and Ethical Standards. She also served as part of the dean on-call team providing after-hours crisis and emergency support for students.
Prior to her time at Clemson, McKnight was assistant director of student conduct and a resident director at High Point University in North Carolina. She managed daily operations of two residence halls and was a member of the University’s threat assessment and behavioral intervention team. She also trained full-time staff in conduct reporting technology and facilitated hearings for students accused of violating the Code of Conduct.
McKnight previously served as a counselor and coordinator of Upward Bound, a federally-funded preparation program at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, South Carolina.
She earned her undergraduate degree in healthcare administration from Francis Marion University and added a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University.