BOONE, N.C. — Kristen S. Bonatz has been appointed general counsel and vice chancellor of institutional integrity at Appalachian State University, announced Chancellor Heather Norris. The appointment is effective May 27.

The general counsel and vice chancellor of institutional integrity reports to the chancellor and is responsible for leading and coordinating all aspects of the university’s legal and institutional risk and compliance portfolio, including the Office of General Counsel, Internal Audits, the Office of Access and Opportunity and the Office of Compliance and Ethics.

“Kristen is a seasoned attorney with nearly two decades working in the UNC System, and her portfolio includes a vast array of higher education experience,” said Norris. “I am looking forward to Kristen joining my leadership team, and I’m confident she will lead her division with integrity and vision.”

Bonatz worked most recently at UNC Greensboro, where she served in the Office of General Counsel since 2016, most recently as deputy general counsel, since 2020. Prior to UNC Greensboro, she was assistant university attorney, then associate university attorney at East Carolina University.

Her experience in higher education includes the areas of First Amendment, employment law, policy development, financial aid, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX compliance, internal investigations and external responses to the Office of Civil Rights, and considerable experience in policy development, compliance and risk management.

Bonatz holds a Bachelor of Arts from UNC Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She served as a law clerk for Chief Judge John C. Martin of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

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About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.