Office of the Dean of Student Affairs: records

The Office of Student Affairs administers programs and policies relating to student life at the college, including curricular, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. This includes offering students advice, providing references to other college services, assisting in emergency situations, and acting as liaison between the student and faculty/staff.

The Dean of Student Affairs supervises a wide variety of campus offices that provide services, guidance, and advice to Bowdoin Students and relays student concerns to the President and the Board of Trustees. The dean is also responsible for overseeing the College discipline system.

In 1909, President Hyde formed a new office, the Office of the Dean [of the College]. Most student-related administrative functions of the college as well as some faculty matters were the responsibility of this dean. The first Dean of the College was Kenneth C.M. Sills who was also Chairman of the Latin department. He was replaced by Paul Nixon when Sills became President in 1918. Subsequent deans served in this capacity until 1995 when the office was renamed.

In 1962, the position of Dean of Students was created as a subsidiary office of the Dean of the College. Its function was to maintain a closer contact with students and student issues.

The Office of the Dean of Student Life, founded in 1995, was formed by merging the functions of the Dean of Students and the Dean of the College. The Office of Student Life was renamed the Office of Student Affairs in 1996. This new office also reorganized the class dean structure. Craig Bradley was the first person appointed dean in this new administrative department.

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs also publishes the Student Handbook.