Associate Dean of Students Bill Stackman will leave for Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. this June, where he has accepted a position as dean of students. Stackman’s responsibilities at Rhodes College will include residential life, housing ,student activities, multicultural issues and athletics.
During his time at Oberlin, Stackman helped revive the Women’s Resource Center, later reincarnated as the Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender people, advised the student senate, brought back the defunct College Union Board and coordinated events for students, including Wilder Late Night. Stackman also served as the class dean for the Class of 2000.

Stackman came to Oberlin in 1997 with a long history of working with students. After receiving a Master’s in community recreation from the University of Missouri and a second Master’s in student life administration at Glennville State College in West Virginia, Stackman spent 14 years in student union administration. Before coming to Oberlin he was the student union and activities director at Tufts University in Boston.
Open communication with students has been a hallmark of Stackman’s tenure here.
“I watched him all the time come through DeCafe and stop to just chat with a student for half an hour about everything going on in that person’s life,” junior Ary Amerikaner said. “He knew things about so many students, and always stopped to ask how those things were going. That kind of caring attitude is so valuable, and I think it is too bad Oberlin as an institution is losing it.”
Stackman made a deep impression on students and staff.
“Bill Stackman stands out as one of the most generous and kind hearted people I met at Oberlin,” Aaron Leavy, OC ’01, said. “He was supportive without condescension, concerned without prying. Oberlin was a better place for having his services.”
The College has not yet released information on who will replace Stackman, or on the condition of Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith, who has been on medical leave since March.