Dean of Students

Kids need rules. When the rules are clearly defined, the obedient children know exactly what to do to comply, and the disobedient children know exactly what to do to get in trouble and get the attention they crave. As a Dean of Students, you define these rules, mete out punishment for students who break them, and work with unruly students to find and solve the cause of their disobedience.

As Dean of Students, you may work for a large public school, a smaller private boarding school, or a large college or university. Regardless of where you work, though, your duties are generally the same. You put together a student handbook that outlines how each student is expected to behave. As a Dean of Students, you may specify what the students can and cannot wear, for example, or you may ban them from using curse words in the school.

You spend time walking the grounds of your school, looking for students who break the rules. And when you do spot them, you may simply remind them of the guidelines written in the student handbook, or you may ask to see them in your office for a quick chat. You’re firm but kind to unruly students.

Sometimes, you refer students to Academic Counselors or Mental Health Counselors so they can reduce their stress levels. Finding long-term solutions for them allows you to reduce your stress level as well.

Some students do horrible things that require severe punishment. When this happens, you look over the reports of the incident and then talk to the parents. You may be forced to expel these students from your school so the others have a safer, quieter place to learn.