Susie Brubaker-Cole announced that she will resign as vice provost for student affairs (VPSA) at the end of the fall quarter in a Wednesday email to students.
A statement from the University confirmed the news, bringing Brubaker-Cole’s six-year tenure as vice provost to a close in the coming weeks. Her resignation is the fourth high profile resignation in under a year. Previous resignations include former provost Persis Drell, former President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Sarah Church, who will step down as vice provost for undergraduate education at the end of fall quarter.
C. Matthew Snipp, the director of the Institute for Research in the Social Science’s Secure Data Center, was appointed interim vice provost for student affairs by Provost Jenny Martinez and will take office after Brubaker-Cole steps down. Snipp is also the former director of Stanford’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) and the resident fellow of Murray House in Governor’s Corner.
A search committee to determine Brubaker-Cole’s permanent successor will be formed.
The VPSA oversees several large offices on campus, including the FLI (first generation and/or low-income) Student Success Center, Vaden Health Services and the Bechtel International Center.
In this morning’s Stanford Report, Brubaker-Cole expressed her appreciation for her colleagues, noting that their “commitment to empowering students to grow and develop to their fullest potential is unmatched.”
Before becoming vice provost, Brubaker-Cole was a live-in resident fellow, as well as the associate vice provost for undergraduate education for eight years. Brubaker-Cole also served as the associate provost for academic success and engagement at Oregon State University (OSU) for six years, and led OSU’s student affairs division for three years.
In addition to her formal roles as advisor and administrator, Brubaker-Cole enthusiastically participated in campus activities such as Band Run and Drag Fest, where she would often dress up in drag.
“I am honored to have served as [my colleagues’] leader and am tremendously proud of all that we’ve accomplished over these six-plus years,” Brubaker-Cole told the Stanford Report. “I know that they possess all that is needed to continue to meet the challenges of our world and to advance the many projects underway, ensuring our students thrive in their lives at Stanford and preparing them to lead in their communities and professions for a lifetime.”
Brubaker-Cole wrote to students that she plans to return home to Oregon to “pursue a new set of career opportunities that are closer to my hometown and my deep family connections there.”
The Daily has reached out to Snipp for comment. Brubaker-Cole’s spokesperson referred The Daily to today’s Stanford Report.