A Conversation with Dave Stanfield, Sarah Lawrence’s New Vice President and Dean of Students

Isabel Lewis ‘25

Photo by Isabel Lewis

On the second floor of Westlands, Dave Stanfield walked around his office, which overlooks the North Lawn. He examined the photos mounted on the soft yellow walls that he picked out from the Sarah Lawrence Archives. The photos depict students from different periods at the college. The photos “represent the distinct character of Sarah Lawrence,” he said. “To me, it says don’t mess with us.” He smirked when pointing out little details of the photos, the bulky computers from the ‘90s and the 20-cent egg sandwiches. 

Stanfield was recently appointed as the Vice President and Dean of Students of Sarah Lawrence. He officially started his role on Aug. 1. He is responsible for managing various departments, including the Dean of Studies, the Learning Commons, Access and Disability Services, First-Year Experience, Career Services, Health and Wellness, Housing and Residential Education, Athletics, Student Engagement, Title IX, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).

In an interview with The Phoenix, Stanfield talked about how he ended up in this position and some of his goals at Sarah Lawrence. He realized he wanted to work in student affairs when he was an undergraduate student at Texas A&M, where he worked as a Resident Advisor and student orientation leader. 

“I felt like I was making a positive difference in people’s lives,” he said, reflecting back on these positions. Although he was studying business at Texas A&M, he said, “the more that I learned about higher education, the more I knew that aligned with my own values and felt that it could be something that really brought fulfillment to my life.” He added, “I never looked back.” 

From there he went on to receive a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from Miami University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. 

More recently, from 2019 to earlier this year, Stanfield held the position of Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Yale-NUS, Singapore’s first liberal arts college. Stanfield feels the student population at Sarah Lawrence is similar to Yale-NUS, describing them as “advocacy-minded. They’re engaged politically. They’re left-leaning and they push admin to be better.”

The most striking difference, according to Stanfield, between his initial experience at Yale-NUS and Sarah Lawrence is that he feels Sarah Lawrence has been more welcoming. At Yale-NUS, there was a long history of distrust between students and the Dean of Students, according to Stanfield. 

He is not under the illusion that every student at Sarah Lawrence trusts him, saying, “trust is earned,” but he said that so far his student encounters have been positive. “I don’t feel at all as [though] I’ve been Sarah Lawrenced,” he said, chuckling. 

Stanfield lives on campus, on Wrexham Ave., with his wife, Karen, and two children, Mira and Owen. He and his family eat at Bates Dining Hall and the Barbara Walters Campus Center a few times a week and have been pleased by the “nice environment.” 

Stanfield views his role as Dean of Students and Vice President of Sarah Lawrence as consisting of three pillars: ensuring students have easy access to academic resources, prioritizing students’ health, and fostering co-curricular activities that empower students to pursue their interests. He believes that the school has a solid foundation with these pillars, citing the school's class Dean system, donning, various clubs, mental health resources, and more. However, he recognizes there are many students who may need additional support, particularly in these times as the world emerges from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To better understand the needs of the student body, Stanfield has made a goal of finding new and creative ways to connect with students. He said that administrators typically address student needs by connecting with student leaders, but often these students are not the ones who need extra support. “I want to know more about the students that don’t find their people and learn more from them,” he said. He hopes to connect with students who struggle to find a sense of belonging on campus and figure out what the school can do better. 

When asked how he plans to connect with the students who fall through the cracks he said, “it’s a challenge.” He is actively trying to find a creative way of connecting with students. 

“I was really intentional in my first email to say that I enjoy connecting with students,” he said. In this email, sent out on Sept. 4, Stanfield introduced himself and included a Calendly link that allows students to book appointments with him. “I will meet with any student for any reason,” he said. “I love it when students come in just to have a chat and don’t necessarily have a topic.” 

Another way Stanfield hopes to connect with students is by hosting outreach events. He and his wife enjoy making their own kombucha, so he thought of hosting a kombucha-making workshop that any student can sign up for. 

Although Stanfield believes that Sarah Lawrence has built a strong foundation for its student body, he recognizes that students want more. He has heard about the student initiative for “more informal spaces that are good for hanging out or [hosting events] that don’t necessarily work at the Barb.” He is optimistic about the recently announced renovation of the Siegel Center. However, he feels that Sarah Lawrence can “push further on meeting student space needs.” 

“To me, the job is never done,”  Stanfield said. “Until 100% of students feel as though they can say that they feel as though they really belong here, that’s when we can call it a day.”