4 questions with Philip Venticinque

Philip Venticinque, AB’01, AM’02, PhD’09, has spent most of his adult life at the University of Chicago, and most recently worked as one of the University’s Associate Provosts. 

Yet, he still considers his recent appointment to the position as the College’s Dean of Students to be a homecoming, of sorts. 

“I know from firsthand experience how demanding, exhilarating and rewarding the distinctive UChicago undergraduate experience is,” he said. “What drew me to the role of Dean of Students in the College is the chance to continue to work with all of our amazing students who are on the same path that I once was.” 

The Dean of Students office, which Venticinque is now leading as of Feb. 1, offers individualized services that support students, their academic success and their holistic development. It encompasses the College Academic Advising Office, the Center for College Student Success, College Programming & Orientation and the Office of College Community Standards. 

What experiences during your time as a student led you to accepting this new role?

I could go on forever about the amazing things that I had opportunities to do as a student, both in the College and in the Division of the Humanities as a graduate student.

But to use one example, as an undergraduate, I was lucky enough to be a student marshal. We would have regular meetings with [former Dean of Students] Lorna Straus. Something that she said, and that I've been saying a lot, is that it’s not really the Dean of Students. It's the Dean for Students.

You are supposed to be an advocate, she said. You are supposed to be someone who's defending student interests, who's looking out for their wellbeing, who's thinking about them holistically and trying to support their time here. 

I really like that. It stuck with me and it was formative. 

What are the qualities of UChicago that brought you back in 2018 after a nine-year stint teaching at Cornell College in Iowa? 

This place, especially if you're doing it right, will push you out of your comfort zone. Whether that is through the Core curriculum, your major or any number of the student organizations that so many are involved with, the education inside and outside of the classroom is one of the things I think that keeps me coming back to the University of Chicago and has kept me here all through the years.

Because I was a student, I understand the distinctive quality of a UChicago education that focused on learning how to think and not what to think. In the College especially, you learn how to get more comfortable with not knowing and uncertainty and learning how to find the answers yourself, and I’ve always loved that. 

It's been a home and a community for me. And I’m really excited about helping students find their place here. 

How was your time in the Office of the Provost office influential in your development as an advocate for students? 

In the Office of the Provost, I've worked on so many things related to the College and student teaching and learning. Each day, I'd like to think we're moving mountains to support the teaching and learning mission of the University. 

As a professor at Cornell College, I learned very quickly that students were the center of our world. When I wasn't teaching students or advising students, I was talking with my colleagues about teaching and advising students. 

I have missed that and that's one of the things I'm most excited about returning to the College. I am very much looking forward to working with students, instructors, advisers and my colleagues across the University to think about ways to support students as they complete their academic journey here. 

What is your message to current and future students in the College? 

Just remember that good stuff happens when you're pushed out of your comfort zone. When you're there, I want you to know that that's where the rest of us will meet you and help you along the way to find the answers you're looking for, and even some of the ones you weren't even expecting to find. 

As you chart your own course, you’ll find ways to answer your own questions, and learn to be intentional and reflective about the choices you're making inside and outside of the classroom.