The Student Services Office, as it was known during Linda Fossen's time, has undergone several name changes. The Office of the Dean of Students was created in 1965 and became Student Personnel Services in 1967. It was changed again in 1976 to Student Services. In 1997, the department reorganized and merged with Instructional Services to become the Office of Instruction and Student Services.

Linda Fossen (formerly Holladay) succeeded Robert Marshall (who retired in 1992) as vice president for the Student Services office in July, 1992.

From 1995-1996, Lane Community College began work on a project called Process Redesign, which reinvented the way the college operated, making the organization more cost effective, efficient, and student-oriented (see A-047 for details). Fossen was on the Process Redesign Leadership Team during the design phase of the project and was an advisor to the Implementation Team once the design was complete.

In March of 1997, Lane Community College President Jerry Moskus merged the Student Services and Instructional Services offices to form the Office of Instruction and Student Services, which eliminated one of the four vice president positions. This reorganization meant the end of Fossen's position. She accepted a position as the vice president of Student Services and Student Success at Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon, Washington. She is currently the associate vice president for Enrollment Management at the University of Texas at Brownsville.

Before taking her position at Lane Community College, she was the director of Admissions and Records at Central Wyoming College (1987-1992), director of Student Services and Admissions at Northern Montana College (1985-87), and was the student services coordinator at Prince William Sound Community College (1982-1985). In addition to her administrative work, she taught high school English for six years.

She has a bachelor of science in secondary education, a master's degree in education from Northern Montana College, and a public school administration certificate from the University of Montana in Missoula.

Fossen was active in community and civic activities. She was the chair of the Red Cross of Lane County; volunteered for social service agencies serving victims of violence and abuse; and belonged to the American Association of University Women, the League of Women Voters, Soroptomist International, chambers of commerce, and genealogical societies.