While she might reside in the same office in the fall, 2007 Class Dean Brenda Grier-Miller will have an additional title. Oberlin College recently announced that Grier-Miller is the new associate dean of student academic services.

When Dean of Students Linda Gates was appointed to her current position, the position of associate dean of student academic services was given to Grier-Miller under the title of “acting full-time associate” basis in October of 2004. She is now responsible for the administration of all the programs offered by student academic services.

Grier-Miller, a social worker by training, came to Oberlin in 1993 as a special advisor for Trio, a federally granted program that supports first-generation students, students of low income and disabled students by offering them peer liaisons and other services.

Trio was established because the College received a federal grant to aid just these students. Wishing to serve a broader range of students, however, Oberlin decided to set up a more inclusive service for the entire student body out of its own fund, which is how Student Academic Services was born.

“We don’t work on that type of separating people out,” Grier-Miller said. “It wouldn’t go well with our philosophy.”

Grier-Miller estimates that about three-fourths of the student body use Student Academic Services at one point or another, while 628 students qualify for Trio. Grier-Miller said part of her job was to make sure all students had an equal opportunity to succeed regardless of their background.

Student Academic Services is a department of the College that “provides comprehensive support by helping students maximize their learning opportunities and assisting them in their personal growth through Learning Assistance and Guidance Services.” Its offices are located in Peters 118, where administrators facilitate workshops and seminars and provide tutoring services for students looking to improve their study skills in a variety of disciplines.

The office is also responsible for assisting students with disabilities and for students looking for fellowships and pre-medicine guidance. The office helps students organize their references for job applications as well.

“I always say that the College believes enough in peer tutoring that they pay for the idea, whereas at other schools students have to pay for it themselves,” she said, though she admitted most of the money comes out of the student activity fee.

Grier-Miller said her background as a social worker has contextualized her position as a dean — she described herself as a sort of navigator for students.

“We’re here to support all students, to make their time here a profitable, efficient journey for them, both intellectually and socially,” she said.

Grier-Miller also emphasized the social development students experience at Oberlin.

“If students only came to further their intellectual ability, then when they left here in four years they’d be very stunted. You all are going to go places and do things; you are going to make differences,” she concluded. “I find it important to help you in that process.”