Dean of Students
The Office of the Dean of Students oversees and coordinates the Office of Residential Life, Counseling Service, Health Services, Disability and Support Services, International Services and the array of faculty, administrative, and student personnel who assist in the residence halls.
Dean of Students: David "D.B." Brown
The dean meets collectively and individually with the directors of each office below, meets regularly with a number of student leaders and organizations. A substantial portion of the dean's time is spent dealing with a wide variety of problems, concerns, and emergencies brought to his attention by students, their families, faculty, and other administrators. In addition, the dean supervises the student fellow program—recruiting, training, and coordinating the activities of student fellows.
Contact Dean Brown
Residential Life »
Director: Luis Inoa
The Office of Residential Life sets and implements policies related to the residential life of the college. The staff is responsible for the staffing and operation of the residence houses and is concerned with the residence hall furnishings and equipment, as well and maintaining health and safety standards. The office handles the assignment of rooms and the training and supervision of house officers.
Contact Residential Life
Student Fellow Program
An important part of the residential life team, student fellows and house interns work closely with the dean of students to provide leadership in the residence houses. House interns are usually third-year students who act as leaders for the student fellows as well as co-leaders with the house presidents. Student fellows, usually second-year students, act as peer advisers for first-year, transfer, visiting, and exchange students. Each student fellow is assigned eight to 15 fellowees; their primary goal is to help their fellowees adjust to academic, social and personal pressures of the new college experience.
Counseling Service »
Director: Sylvia Balderrama
The Counseling Service provides confidential psychological assistance to help Vassar students address concerns about their personal, social, and academic lives. Services include individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, educational programs, consultations, assessments, and referrals to off-campus psychological services.
Health Services »
Director: Irena Balawajder
Open 24 hours a day during the academic year, Health Services provide a wide range of clinical services from a staff comprising a director (an M.D.), consulting physicians, a physician's assistant, and nursing personnel.
Health Education »
Director: Michelle Soucy
The Office of Health Education reflects Vassar College's commitment to the development of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Primary objectives of this office are to provide support and training to student peer helper groups and develop educational programs related to various aspects of student health, specifically in the areas of substance abuse prevention, nutrition education, and sexual health awareness. Furthermore, the Office of Health Education facilitates connections between student health needs and other services provided by the college.
Disability and Support Services »
Director: Belinda Guthrie
The Office of Disability and Support Services coordinates and directs various services and accommodations to facilitate the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of college life.
International Services
Director: Andrew Meade
The Office of International Services offers a full range of resources for our international community of students and scholars, including advice and assistance in visa, immigration, tax, employment, cultural and general matters.
The office collaborates with the International Studies Program, Office of International Programs, Vassar International Student Association, Office of Career Development, and other offices and organizations in efforts to provide programming that speaks to the college’s mission to promote a global perspective among all our students. Support is provided to the college’s several fine international summer programs.