RISD Works Series: Sara Rothenberger, Associate Dean of Students
From the dining hall to the mailroom and beyond, RISD staff work hard to make the campus a home for our students.
How do you work with students?
I think of myself as a student experience generalist. It's my job to know kind of a little bit about everything, mostly to help identify the gaps for students as they work towards completion of degree and learning life skills, towards being a successful human upon leaving RISD. I work with Ray Quirolgico, vice president of student life, and we ask questions like: What do we need to help students be successful? Where do we find the resources? How do we navigate current generational needs? How do we create a sustained plan?
Have you always worked with students?
I always thought that I would be a counselor, actually. When I was studying for my master's in counseling psychology I worked for the housing office at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The atmosphere there was upbeat, solutions-focused and hopeful. So, I chose the path of working with students in higher ed settings. In 2015, I received my doctorate in human development with an emphasis in higher education administration, and after that I looked for opportunities to continue working with students and also mentor a team. I landed here at RISD in 2023.
Now that you’ve gotten to know RISD, what stands out?
Out of all the places that I've worked, I find our students to be so kind. Kind to each other, kind to staff. They care about each other, which is really nice to see. Even when I have tough conversations with students, they tend to be reflective. And this generation of students are very good advocates for themselves, in a way that my generation was not. Today’s students know a lot and there is an educational exchange that happens between faculty, staff and students. We’re all learning from one another.
What do you want RISD families to know?
My training in human development taught me that emerging adulthood is challenging, both for the student and the family member. Young adults are developing their identities and asking questions like, what do I believe in? What's my purpose in life? There's all of that hard work going on in addition to the work of the classroom. Families should keep that in mind.
I always tell families that their students are going to call them when something is going wrong. That is when students need help and support. But don’t forget to ask them what’s going right. A lot of things will be going right!
