Following a national search, Michele Rasmussen, the current dean of students in the university at the University of Chicago, has been appointed vice provost for student affairs at Stanford and will begin Sept. 10.
“We are delighted that Michele is going to join us at Stanford as our chief student affairs officer,” said Provost Jenny Martinez. “She brings a wealth of experience to the role, understanding the needs of both graduate and undergraduate students. At Chicago, she has led a high-functioning team to support students in campus life. Michele will be joining a team of dedicated professional staff here, and I can’t wait to see how she can bring that team together to ensure that Stanford students are able to make the most of their time on the Farm.”
As vice provost for student affairs, Rasmussen will work to provide support and opportunities for all students to flourish at Stanford. She will provide leadership to both undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and other university offices focused on student life and services.
“I am absolutely thrilled about joining the Stanford community. I am especially looking forward to getting to know my new colleagues across VPSA and building on the great foundation already in place to support students and help them attain their intellectual, professional, and personal goals,” Rasmussen said.
While at UChicago, Rasmussen led a comprehensive assessment of the university’s Housing and Residence Life program, which resulted in the development of an updated staffing model now underway to meet the needs of current and future students. She has worked to enhance the university’s health and wellness services, with a particular focus on improving the physical infrastructure and staffing of wellness and mental health programs. She has also played a pivotal role in supporting UChicago’s “Chicago Principles,” a set of values and procedures outlining the university’s commitment to freedom of expression.
“Key to this work is fostering an environment that actively encourages and supports protest, demonstration, and dissent – all integral to a vibrant intellectual community – while ensuring that such expression does not chill, disrupt, or otherwise prevent others from presenting their ideas and viewpoints,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen holds a bachelor’s degree in history and art history from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in biological anthropology and anatomy from Duke University.
Prior to her role at the University of Chicago, she served as dean of the Undergraduate College at Bryn Mawr College, and she previously served as an academic dean for Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, where she directed the Academic Advising Center.
In her free time, Rasmussen loves to travel, alternating journeys home to New Zealand to see family with adventures in sub-Saharan Africa. She’s eager to move to campus alongside her “two small dogs with big personalities” – Banksy, a Shih Tzu mix, and Biko, a chihuahua.
While at Duke, Rasmussen served as a faculty-in-residence, and she reflects fondly on some of the social events she hosted and the late-night conversations with students over cookies and waffles.
“One of the major draws to this position is the opportunity to spend so much time on campus and to experience Stanford day-in and day-out as a residential member of the community,” she said.
Rasmussen assumes the role of vice provost for student affairs following the departure of Susie Brubaker-Cole, who stepped down at the end of fall quarter in 2023. Matt Snipp, professor of sociology and vice provost for faculty development, diversity, and engagement, has been serving as interim vice provost for student affairs since January.
The search committee, chaired by Martinez, included faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and an alum. The provost also convened a student advisory committee to the search, which held focus groups and input sessions with students over the course of the search and met with finalist candidates.
Rasmussen said she is eager to continue building on VPSA’s mission to educate students “to make meaningful contributions to a complex world.”
“Stanford is one of the world’s great universities, and it will be a privilege to join and support this incredible community of intellectual and creative scholars, students, and staff,” she said. “I also want to make sure that students have a rewarding, transformative, and yes, fun, time at Stanford. This will require a period of listening, learning, and absorbing feedback and ideas, and being thoughtful, consultative, and collaborative in my work as VPSA.”