About the Vice President
for Community & Student Affairs
Originally from the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, Tom has over 30 years of experience in higher education. In his role as Vice President for Community & Student Affairs at Teachers College, Tom provides strategic leadership and vision for cultivating a vibrant, inclusive and supportive College environment for students, faculty and staff. He oversees the offices that create programs, services, and initiatives that build community, enhance student life, and foster an overall sense of belonging at Teachers College.
Tom leads the offices and staff members in the departments of Student Affairs & Community Affairs, which includes oversight for the Office of Access & Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Title VI, VII, and IX, and Community Programming and Engagement. Together, these offices and teams are integrated to advance a more cohesive framework for campus engagement, community development, and student success.
A long term community member at Teachers College, and an Elaine Brantley Memorial Award Recipient for Community and Civility, Tom earned his Ed.D. from Teachers College in 2002 and has worked at the College since 2003 in various roles including the Director of Admission, the Vice Provost for Enrollment Services, the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and most recently as the Associate Vice President & Chief Student Affairs Officer.
He is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Higher & Postsecondary Education program where he has been teaching a Student Affairs course since 2004. Previous to his work at Teachers College, Tom worked in various roles at the University of Dayton, Alfred University, The Albany Academy, Columbia University and Hofstra University. He also received a Certificate of Completion from the Harvard Graduate School of Education for participation in the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE). Tom was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2018 where he traveled to Japan as part of the Fulbright Administrator Scholarship Program.
In his spare time, Dr. Rock enjoys running (he's finished 15 NYC marathons), pickleball, tennis (he is a USTA certified tennis official), spending time with his family and traveling.