The mission of the Dean of Studies Office is to facilitate student success through collaborations with campus partners that promote student development and support academic achievement.
Stellar advising is an important foundation. Class Deans specialize in the unique experiences of each class year, collaborating closely with every office on campus to connect students to Colby’s robust collection of resources, opportunities and mentors; to share timely and accurate information and guidance around administrative policies and processes; to provide holistic support to students experiencing challenges that impact their academics; and to contribute directly to student growth and self-knowledge in the fundamental areas of Learning, Scholarship, Engagement, Leadership, and Wellness.
Helpfully placed to assist students with processing and finding solutions to their unique challenges, and with insight into many facets of the student academic experience, Class Deans also design and partner in strategic programming to address common challenges that impact students across their four years at Colby.
Academic Success should not depend on a student’s financial situation, and to that end the Dean of Studies Office maintains the Student Success Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to help with expenses related to pressing situations outside of a student’s ability to control that would otherwise impede a students’ academic success. The Student Success and Support Case Manager is available to meet with all students to discuss eligibility for these support funds. For more information, please visit the Student Success Fund website or set up a meeting with the Student Success and Support Case Manager.
Please see our detailed Frequently Asked Questions page for College Policies and other helpful information regarding academics, the residential experience, wellness, and campus resources.
Please make an appointment with your Class Dean by calling 207-859-4560 or drop in to visit us in Eustis 107 to discuss any questions or concerns, brainstorm options, or think strategically about your academic and future planning.
Sonnet Graham serves as the Assistant Dean of Students, Director of the Dean of Studies Office, and is the Class Dean for Senior Students and Programs at Colby College. She is the primary contact for senior students to assist in the last year of their undergraduate studies. Dean Graham is an advocate for her students and works to support them academically and holistically.
Sonnet comes to Colby from Philadelphia where she worked as a Case Manager for the state of Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College where she was the Andrea K. Willikins Poetry Prize recipient. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Florida where she also taught Rhetoric and Gender Studies.
Dean Graham can be reached via email or by visiting the Dean of Studies Office in Eustis.
Jillian M. Duquaine-Watson (she/they) serves as the Class Dean for First-Year Students and Programs at Colby College. She is the primary contact for first year students to assist in their transition to the college environment. In her work with students, Jillian seeks to cultivate genuine and meaningful mentoring relationships, working in collaboration with colleagues to support and advocate for students as they define their own goals and needs while also helping them identify the specific steps and resources required to address those goals and needs.
During her more than two decades as a higher education professional, Jillian has assumed a variety of roles and responsibilities related to teaching, administration, and service. She has dedicated considerable time to mentoring students via internships, sponsorship of student organizations, and advising. Her professional ethics are grounded in principles of diversity, social justice, equity, integrity, cooperation, and respect.
Jillian holds a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies and an M.A. in American Studies from The University of Iowa. She completed her B.A. in Social Change & Development at The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. She is an award-winning educator with teaching experience in a broad range of disciplines and topic areas. In addition, she is an accomplished researcher who is committed to engaged, applied scholarship. Jillian spends much of her free time photographing plants, animals, and other natural wonders. She also enjoys travel, kayaking, volunteering, and tending her organic garden.
Dean Duquaine-Watson can be reached via email or by visiting the Dean of Studies Office in Eustis 107.
Jessica Woods (she/her) serves as the Class Dean for Sophomore Students and Programs. Dean Woods is a practical problem solver and solution-focused in her work with students. She also believes deeply in maintaining a student-centered approach to education, and will work tirelessly to enhance and support each sophomore in their Colby journey! As a public high school educator for 20 years, there is really no scenario that Jess hasn’t helped students to navigate and she welcomes students to share both their successes and their struggles with her.
Dean Woods is a Maine native who has spent the majority of her career serving secondary students in mid-coast Maine as a School Counselor, educational consultant, and high school administrator. Jess has been passionate about the field of higher education since her undergraduate days at Simmons College in Boston, and is thrilled to be stepping back into work at the post-secondary level of education at Colby.
She enjoys life in this beautiful part of the world, and can often be found hiking one of our beautiful Maine mountains in her free time. She is also a proud mom to two human children,
Grace and Levi, and two dog children, Hazel and Baxter.
Dean Woods can be reached via email or by visiting the Dean of Studies Office in Eustis 107.
Sam Sowl (he/him) serves as the Class Dean for Junior Students and Programs at Colby College. Dean Sowl is a resource for junior students as they enter the last half of their undergraduate studies. He makes it a priority that his office is a welcoming and inclusive place for students to feel comfortable sharing what is truly affecting them, in order to best connect them with the supports and services they need.
Dean Sowl comes to Colby from Marquette University in Milwaukee where he served as the Assistant Director of Academic Advising. Sam received his B.A. from Knox College where he majored in in American Studies. He subsequently earned his M.A. in Education with a focus on Differentiated Instruction. Before transitioning into higher education, Sam worked in the youth development nonprofit world, primarily focused on social/emotional skills, identity formation, and restorative practices.
After spending a decade in San Francisco, Sam returned home to Wisconsin to slow things down a bit and start a family. Now he is excited to explore a new area of the country with his family in tow. In his free time, Sam is a major music nerd, and has a far too large record and tape collection. He also enjoys going on drives in the country, exploring small towns, and swimming in cold water – quite the fit for Maine!
Dean Sowl can be reached via email or by visiting the Dean of Studies Office in Eustis 107.
Colby College, Student Life
5300 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8853
