Office of the Hobart and William Smith Deans
Office Hours
To schedule an appointment with your dean, please contact the office by phone at (315)-781-3467 or by email at hwsdeans@hws.edu. We look forward to connecting with you.
Located on the first floor of Smith Hall, the four Hobart and William Smith Deans are available to assist students in many aspects of college academic life. New first-year students are assigned to their dean in their first-year seminar and get to know them as part of that experience; students will continue to be advised by the same dean throughout their time at HWS. Transfer students will be assigned a dean upon admission to HWS.
Students can meet with their dean for guidance on any topic, such as:
- Transitioning from one academic year to the next
- Selecting an academic advisor
- Building relationships with faculty
- Becoming more academically engaged research opportunities
- Selecting a major/minor
- Academic recognition and ceremonies
- Applying to Honor Societies
- Campus traditions, including Convocation, Blackwell-Hale, and Moving Up Day
- Planning for study abroad, internship, or research experiences
- Transferring credits
- Leave(s) of absence
- Academic difficulty and the Academic Review process
- Helping students plan next steps, such as graduate and professional schools
Meet the Deans
AboutThe Office of the Deans
HONOR SOCIETIES
The Office of the Deans supports honor societies for sophomore, junior and senior students. Honor society members are selected based on their scholarship, leadership, character and service. Typically, they are student leaders who foster a sense of community on campus. Students interested in becoming part of an honor society should inquire about the application process with their Dean.
DEAN'S LIST
The Committee on Standards has established the following standards for Dean’s List Distinction: Students must complete four full credit courses or their equivalent for the academic semester; at least three of the courses must be taken for grades, with no grades below C-; courses taken for CR/NC must receive a grade of CR; no incomplete initiated by the student for non-medical reason may be taken; and a grade point average of 3.5 must be attained.
The Dean's List is calculated each semester. A notation of this honor is made on the student's transcript.
Traditions
Maintaining traditions serves to connect students to the past, present and future of HWS. The traditions encourage students to understand Hobart and William Smith in a historical perspective.
PARENTS AND FAMILIES
The Deans are important contacts for parents and families as they are responsible for the academic and co-curricular well-being of all students. Families should not hesitate to contact the Office of the Deans with questions or concerns regarding their student’s well-being or academic progress. When appropriate, the Deans can often connect students to necessary resources or facilitate relationships with other parties on campus.