Having worked as a college administrator and educator for over three decades, Janice Kassman brings a holistic approach to her work.
With the launch of Kassman Consulting, she is harnessing her wealth of knowledge regarding the collegiate experience to guide parents and students, as well as organizations. She consults with individuals and groups and provides avenues for further reflection, discussion and action steps.
Janice served as Dean of Students (1981- 2006) at Colby College, where her philosophy to “Advocate, Believe and Care “ in students was honed and practiced daily. During that time special emphasis was placed on campus life in the aftermath of the abolition of fraternities and sororities.
She was instrumental in linking the academic realm with residence life through the Faculty Resident program, Residential Hall Book Seminars, Dialogue Housing, and a host of programs which fostered informal opportunities to enhance faculty and student interaction.
She oversaw the following areas: Multicultural Affairs, Health Services, Counseling Center, Disciplinary matters, Academic Advising and Student Activities.
A hallmark of her years in the Dean of Students position, and later as Vice President of Student Affairs, was her “hands on, caring approach.” That approach, coupled with her unwavering optimism and belief in students and their potential, were powerfully felt on campus, as evidenced by the honors she received as dean.
From 2006 to 2012, Janice served as Special Assistant to the President for External Affairs. In that role, she collaborated with Admissions, Alumni Affairs, and Development. These arenas were natural extensions of her work with over 16,000 alumni.
During this time, she oversaw the recruitment effort for a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to launch the Colby Achievement Program in the Sciences for underrepresented students. The innovative and inventive strategy she employed are still in use today.
Because of her extensive knowledge of higher education, and the area of student services in particular, she has consulted with liberal arts colleges to evaluate and assess student life programs, as well as serving on accreditation teams for the New England Association of College and Universities.
More recently she has focused her attention on young professionals and early success in the workplace. Her presentations have included motivational speeches at BlackRock and executive coaching for individuals.
