Our New Vice President of Student Services
June 21, 2018
Dear Colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to announce that I have appointed Rob Mieso as the permanent vice president of Student Services. Thank you to the search committee members for their dedicated work, and to all who participated in this week’s candidate Open Forums.
Our national search to fill this position ultimately brought us back to De Anza College, where Rob has worked for more than two decades on behalf of students. He is a person of deep commitment and extraordinary competence. During these most challenging of times, and in the few months he has served as interim vice president, he has co-chaired the Student Services Planning and Budget Team, leading that PBT -- with openness and clarity -- through the incredibly difficult process of recommending budget reductions. He will continue that leadership as Student Services and the rest of the college move through the review, adjustments, and enactment of the reduction plans, and the inevitable pain that brings. He will serve a key role as the college emerges from the worst of the cuts, through the opportunities for making the most of mandates, the most of available funding, with the most marginalized students as central as ever to his leadership efforts.
As I noted in a message to you about Rob’s interim appointment as vice president, he began working at De Anza more than 23 years ago as an adviser in the Occupational Training Institute, then served in a series of progressively responsible positions. Notable among these are his work as coordinator and then director of Outreach and Relations with Schools, the office that succeeded in bringing thousands of historically underrepresented students to De Anza. Rob served as interim director of Financial Aid and Scholarships in 2012 and 2013, and as associate vice president, maintained oversight of Outreach, Middle College and College Now, as well as Admissions and Records, which includes Assessment and Veteran Services. His other areas of administrative responsibility included De Anza's International Student Programs (ISP); the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP); OTI and CalWORKS; and the Food Pantry. He oversaw the development of the college's newest Learning Community, the Men of Color Community (MC2), and is heading the implementation of the De Anza College Promise. Rob also co-leads SSSP/Student Equity/Basic Skills Initiative integrated planning, implementation and reporting. He earned a doctorate in Community College Leadership and a master’s degree in organizational management and development, both from Fielding Graduate University; a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from National University; and a diploma in Agricultural Engineering from Addis Ababa University.
Beneath all this rich experience are Rob’s character and his integrity. He is a colleague for whom service to students is at his very core. Rob has walked the roads so many of our students travel: a refugee and immigrant; first in his family to go to college; a learner of the English language and the ways of this diverse and contradictory country; one who found good work to support a family; one who gave back to his community through it all. His experience and extensive knowledge give me complete confidence in his leadership, and I know his compassion and deep care will guide him always. Please join me in welcoming Rob to his new role.
Best wishes,
Brian Murphy