Dean of the College

Dear all,

After ten years as the Dean of the College, Chris Roellke has decided to step down and not pursue a third term as the Dean. With mixed emotions, I have accepted Dean Roellke’s decision recognizing that he has made superb accomplishments during his time as Dean of the College. He will be missed in this role. After a well-earned sabbatical, Dean Roellke plans to return to his work as Professor of Education and to continue shepherding the Vassar College Urban Education Initiative, which he founded in 2003. I will seek to appoint an Interim Dean of the College before July 1, and we will begin a national search for Dean Roellke’s successor.

Dean Roellke’s contributions to the College are innumerable. During his ten years as Dean, Vassar has undergone enormous changes. Throughout this time, our community has benefited immensely from Dean Roellke’s positive spirit, his energy and dedication, and his personal and professional support for colleagues and students. Dean Roellke has been at the forefront in addressing the challenges facing our campus and has demonstrated creative and compassionate leadership in times of crisis, such as the counter-protest involving the Westboro Baptist Church, Hurricanes Irene, Sandy, and Irma, and countless other campus and community experiences. Dean Roellke has also supported many innovations in student affairs including efforts to strengthen the ALANA Center, mental health services, sexual assault and violence prevention, career development, campus safety and security, and most recently, transforming dining services for our community. Dean Roellke has also raised millions of dollars in grants and private giving in support of important and sustained collaboration with local area school systems and to prepare future educators.

Personally, I want to express my deep appreciation and thanks for Dean Roellke’s commitment to Vassar and his unending support of me in my first year here. His boundless energy and his positive and humane approach have helped me to learn about and enjoy this wonderful community. Please join me in thanking Dean Roellke for his exceptional service to the College, in which he has invested so much of himself. We wish him well as he transitions back to the faculty where he has been a beloved teacher and a source of inspiration for the College.

Thanks,

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@EHBVassar