Michele Rasmussen, current dean of students in the university at the University of Chicago, will begin her new role as vice provost for student affairs at Stanford on Sept. 10.
Rasmussen is “very keen” to meet new and returning Stanford students to hear about their expectations and experiences, she wrote in an email to The Daily.
Rasmussen has served in her current role for 11 years and believes that her experience at UChicago will “offer perspective on how I can make positive changes without compromising long-held traditions and values that make Stanford distinctive and one of the world’s great universities.”
Rasmussen’s selection as the new VPSA received votes of confidence from Stanford faculty, including interim VPSA C. Matthew Snip, sociology professor and vice provost for faculty development, diversity and engagement. Despite having never met Rasmussen until her interview, Snipp told The Daily that he has great faith in her abilities.
“Michele is going to be great,” Snipp said. “She brings an enormous well of background knowledge to the office.”
The VPSA serves as the University’s senior student affairs officer and helps develop policies based on students’ needs to provide the “best possible educational experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students.”
Rasmussen said that in her new role at Stanford, interacting with the students and staff is “essential to understanding what issues and needs I should prioritize.” She anticipates it will be “fulfilling” to contribute to the Stanford experience.
“On any given day, eminent scholars, political leaders, activists, artists and world-class athletes can be on campus — there aren’t too many places beyond universities where you can access that kind of breadth and depth of scholarship, energy, talent and excellence,” Rasmussen wrote.
Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) vice president Divya Ganesan ’25 said she was excited to work with Rasmussen. She hopes to build on previous momentum, to keep “empowering instead of over-regulating and getting Stanford back to the culture where students get fun.”
Ganesan said that the ASSU hopes to continue receiving VPSA grants to host several neighborhood and row house events throughout the coming school year, and to build “student databases of fun traditions” such as crepe nights at the Toussaint Louverture House, formerly known as the French House.
With VPSA funding, the ASSU would especially focus on building traditions for freshmen through activities such as Full Moon on the Quad, Ganesan said.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be one of [Stanford’s] newest members,” Rasmussen wrote. She looks forward to getting started and meeting as many community members as possible.
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