Gail Short Hanson was appointed Vice President of Student Services in 1997. In 2002, Student Services became the Office of Campus Life. Dr. Hanson provides senior executive leadership for 15 areas, including the Office of the Dean of Students, Academic Support Center, Community Service Center, Counseling Center, Disability Support Services, GLBTA Resource Center, Housing and Dining Programs, International Student and Scholar Services, Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services, Multicultural Affairs, New Student Programs, Religious Life, Student Activities, Student Health Center, and the University Center.

Dr. Hanson has spent more than 30 years in higher education administration, including service as assistant vice president and dean of students at The George Washington University. Prior to coming to AU, she was an organizational consultant in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. In 1997, her unit, the Institutional Participation and Oversight Service (IPOS), won the Deputy Secretary's Quality Reinvention Award.

Dr. Hanson is a past president of the National Association for Women in Education (NAWE) and a member of the Board of Trustees of Susquehanna University. She is also on the advisory boards of the NASPA Center for Scholarship, Research, and Professional Development for Women and the editorial board of the Journal about Women in Higher Education. Dr. Hanson earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, and M.Ed., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees from The George Washington University.