Jill N. Reich has been Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Bates since 2000. As Dean, she is responsible for the College's academic programs and curricula; faculty appointments; review, promotion, and tenure; and programs for faculty development, including funding for student-faculty research. As Vice President, she is a member of the College's senior staff, involved in the college's long-term policy issues and strategic planning, and she works closely with the Office of College Advancement to develop funding for academic programs, and oversees the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, the Department of Athletics, the Imaging Center, the Mathematics and Statistics Workshop, the Museum of Art, Office of the Registrar, and the Peer Writing  Program and Writing Workshop.

The Dean of the Faculty values a strong faculty as the foundation of an outstanding College and all in the Office organize their work to advance and support the faculty. Over the years, Dean Reich has worked with faculty and staff to complete a comprehensive curriculum review leading to a new General Education curriculum, expand the First Year Seminar Program, strengthen the senior thesis program and enhance community-college partnerships. Programming for Sophomores focusing on the important benchmarks of this stage of their College career such as choosing a major, leadership opportunities and engagement in research and civic activities is organized around the Sophomore Hub. The progressively complex and multi year General Education requirements is supported throughout a writing initiative providing new pedagogies and other faculty development; expanded direct support for student writing through a program of drop-in peer tutors, tutors embedded in courses and the Writing Workshop; and an assessment program designed to clarify faculty goals, measure change and use these outcomes to strengthen student writing. The Learning Commons initiative is designed to bring together and develop support and services important for faculty and student learning; units involved in this initiative include the Math Workshop, the Imaging Center, the Honors Program, Graduate Fellowships and the new process for writing. In addition, Dean Reich has successfully reorganized the faculty workload, implemented a more competitive faculty compensation plan, developed new structures for all levels of faculty and academic staff support, merged the Library and Information and Technical Services, built a faculty-coach liaison program and introduced a peer tutor program in the Sciences. Through consortial arrangements with our sister colleges Bowdoin, Colby, Wellesley and others, a longitudinal program is underway to identify best practices and common goals as the foundation for assessing outcomes and developing ways to strengthen teaching styles, academic programs and student outcomes. By supporting a variety of initiatives around faculty development, new pedagogies, and scholarly support, Dean Reich works to strengthen and enhance learning for all members of the Bates community.

Dean Reich is a Professor of Psychology. Her research has focused on the long term development of babies born at risk. She led an interdisciplinary, longitudinal research project funded by the March of Dimes Foundation following children from birth through nine years of age. Her particular area of interest is the long term effects of prematurity, illness and prolonged hospitalization and their impact on the development of perception, memory, and learning in infants and young children.

Dean Reich received her B.A. from Regis College and her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Dartmouth. She went on to build a distinguished career in developmental psychology at Loyola University of Chicago. Before coming to Bates, Dean Reich served as department chair and Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Loyola of Chicago. During this time she began and directed The Center for Children and Families. She also consulted with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Illinois Legislature, and WHS&A architects and planners. In addition,  Dean Reich served as Executive Director of Education for the American Psychological Association and as Dean of the Faculty at Trinity College in Connecticut.