Robin Olinsky is the Head Class Dean at Union College, providing strategic leadership for student support initiatives while directly advising a cohort of 520 students. Robin also serves as Union’s Principal Designated School Official and Responsible Officer for F-1 and J-1 student visa compliance, and as Deputy Title IX Coordinator, bringing a comprehensive approach to student care, policy development, and crisis response.
Robin supervises a team of Class Deans and international student services staff, fostering a coordinated network of support for students, families, faculty, and campus partners. Their work emphasizes building systems that promote resilience, personal agency, and academic success, particularly for students navigating complex challenges. Robin has led key initiatives including family engagement programming and institutional efforts to strengthen retention and degree completion.
Prior to Union, Robin spent over 15 years at Tufts University in progressive leadership roles, including Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising and Director of the Academic Resource Center. In those roles, Robin managed large advising caseloads, developed innovative academic support programs, and trained faculty and peer educators to better support diverse student populations.
Robin holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Emerson College and a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College. Robin began their career as a middle and high school theatre teacher. Robin believes that this background has been excellent preparation for her career trajectory. Theatre productions and higher education administration both require creativity, diplomacy, and the ability to solve problems in real time when things don’t go as planned.