A March meeting of the Dean of Students’ student cabinet. The cabinet, now in its second year, brings together student leaders for monthly meetings with Dean Jason Campbell-Foster and his leadership team.

Student Life

Incorporating Student Voices at the Dean of Students Office

Now in its second year, the student cabinet is a key source of insight to the office’s leadership team

On a Monday evening in late March, Boston University students and staffers gather in the Terrace Lounge on the second floor of George Sherman Union. Everyone grabs plates of steak tips and vegetables, provided by BU catering. They take their seats and catch up on how they spent their spring break—spoiler alert: the students had more fun. Finally, it’s time to begin tonight’s agenda: discussing updates to BU’s Code of Student Responsibilities.

This Monday gathering is the latest meeting of the Dean of Students (DOS) student cabinet. 

Dean of Students Jason Campbell-Foster started the cabinet in the 2023-2024 academic year. The cabinet, comprising student leaders from around campus, meets monthly to discuss topics related to the student experience at BU. Current members are Neela Agarwal (CAS’25, SPH’28), Evrosina Awad (CAS’25), George Jiang (CDS’26), Jordan Kramer (Questrom’25), Tommie Lee (CGS’23, CAS’25), Samantha Perez (Pardee’25, Questrom’25), and Meera Rao (CAS’28, SPH’29). Each was nominated to the cabinet by a BU staff member.

The group serves as a key source of insight to the DOS leadership team. Prior to starting the cabinet, Campbell-Foster says, “I found that one-off focus groups and large committees often missed the full diversity of student voices, especially from those who don’t typically speak up in large forums. I needed a small, representative cabinet to be a consistent sounding board.” 

The meetings combine a formal committee setting with more casual conversation. Each meeting has an agenda, with time for side discussions. Members bring their opinions on issues big and small—Orientation, sexual misconduct, campus renovations, how events in the Middle East impact Jewish and Muslim students—directly to Campbell-Foster and his team, including David Zamojski, senior associate dean, and Nancy Martinsen, associate dean. 

That access is invaluable, say current and former members. 

“Being part of this cabinet allowed me to engage with the DOS office in a collaborative manner,” says Hanna Dworkin (CAS’24), an inaugural cabinet member and former chair of the BU Student Senate. “Normally, as a student leader, I was bringing issues to Dean Campbell-Foster; in this cabinet, he was bringing issues to us.” 

“I’ve seen firsthand how invested the DOS team is; they genuinely want to hear from us and act on our feedback,” says Agarwal, a second-year member who also is an Admissions ambassador and a resident assistant. “Being part of the cabinet has shown me how impactful student input can be. I believe that the more voices we have at the table, the stronger and more inclusive our campus will become.”

It’s easy to think that reaching out to students is just paying lip service, says Faisal Ahmed (CAS’24, GRS’24), another inaugural cabinet member. And because change in higher education often takes time—sometimes a lot of time—it can feel like your efforts are pointless, he says. But student advocacy works.

“I believe most of BU’s issues come from a lack of information, as opposed to an unwillingness to make positive changes,” says Ahmed, former president of the Undergraduate Economics Association. Ahmed has worked with administrators throughout his time at BU. One area where he’s seen real change? “In the past three years, I would say there’s been a complete transformation in access to religious life for Muslim students,” he says. “This is owed in great part to the DOS office and their willingness to collaborate with students.”

Back in the Terrace Lounge, Campbell-Foster explains why he wants to update the Code of Student Responsibilities, which lays out conduct expectations as well as consequences for violations. For one, the code’s text reads as though attorneys wrote it—which they did—so it’s not exactly accessible. It also lacks information on digital harassment and doxxing. The biggest issue, however, is that the code, as well as the Judicial Affairs (JA) process, can come across as overly punitive. Both are supposed to be educational first, Campbell-Foster stresses. 

Cabinet members weigh in. 

One describes their experience of being called into a JA meeting for a roommate’s conduct violation. Even though they weren’t in trouble, that wasn’t fully clear until they attended the meeting, the member says. Agarwal, a West Campus RA, says her residents have had similar experiences after receiving ominous-sounding—and confusing—JA summonses. Campbell-Foster, Zamojski, and Martinsen listen thoughtfully. 

Later in the meeting, Lee, Student Senate chair for BU Student Government, offers a suggestion: what if the code adopted more of a “know your rights” framework for some policies? That might feel more accessible, and empowering, to students, rather than listing all of the things they can’t do, Lee says. The reception is immediate, and enthusiastic. Everyone likes that idea. Leadership takes notes.

That suggestion is precisely why he convened the cabinet, Campbell-Foster says. 

“Hands down, what I enjoy the most about the cabinet is the energy and creativity that members bring,” he says. “These are students balancing academics, jobs, and cocurriculars, yet they consistently show up with fresh ideas. Their generosity of spirit and willingness to roll up their sleeves remind me why we’re here: to cocreate a campus where every student feels they belong and can thrive.”

But you don’t need to be nominated to the cabinet to make a difference, he stresses. There are endless leadership and volunteer opportunities all around BU. 

“Getting involved is the fastest way to shape the campus you want to live in,” he says. “The University doesn’t happen to you—it happens because of you. So get to work!”