Stacy Godnick Retires after 32 Years

Former associate dean for student academic life had a big impact on CGS students and programs

By Chelsea Feinstein

A few years after Stacy Godnick joined the CGS academic affairs staff in 1991, she realized something important: the college could become a second home for her.

“It was the perfect fit for me—both personally and professionally,” Godnick says. “Personally, CGS resonated with my core values on undergraduate education.” She appreciated CGS’ small, tight-knit community centered around educating students in the liberal arts, with an emphasis on interdisciplinarity. “Professionally, the position offered a balance of working directly with students and working with technology, systems operations, and strategic planning and implementation. I loved that no two days were ever alike, yet the educational cycle was predictable.”

Godnick worked her way up at the college, and in 2013 became associate dean for student academic life. This summer, she retired after 32 years at CGS, leaving behind as her legacy a robust academic advising program as well as a deep impact on the countless students she mentored.

Three Decades of Impact

“Stacy always has students’ best interests at heart, and she is willing to go the extra mile—or many extra miles—to support them,” says Laura Johnson, BU’s assistant provost for undergraduate affairs.

Students and alumni echo this sentiment.

“Dean Godnick is not only an incredible dean who helps students academically, she’s helped me grow as a person and made the transition to college seamless,” says Gaelle Pierre (’23). “Regardless of the ups and downs, she’s always there to push students to achieve their highest potential and ground them when things are overwhelming.”

Graham Rodes (’20, Pardee’22) says meeting Godnick during an Admitted Students Day in 2019 had a profound impact on his BU journey.

In a message to Godnick that was solicited to celebrate her retirement and read at a CGS faculty meeting, Rodes wrote,“I am so proud to have called you my mentor through it all. Not to sound too cliché, but I truly do not know where I would be today if it weren’t for your advice, guidance, and mentorship. You helped me carve a pathway for myself at BU and beyond, and for that I am so, so grateful.”

In addition to her mentorship, Godnick’s legacy is seen in the programmatic changes she helped shepherd in at CGS. As BU transitioned to the Hub, the University’s general education program, she worked to ensure that all CGS courses are approved for three Hub units each. She modernized scheduling at CGS so that it’s easier for students to take electives. Her focus on academic advising built out a robust system that allowed students to connect deeply with their advisors.

She also assisted in launching and growing CGS’ transition to a January admissions model, with first-year students participating in a summer semester in London or Boston. And she aided in seeing the college through the challenges of the pandemic, translating the experiential-learning-based first-year program to remote learning.

Through it all, she never stopped working directly with students. “Working with 18- to 20-year-olds as they begin to blossom intellectually and personally has been one of the greatest joys and honors of my life,” Godnick says.

Godnick was honored for her achievements in the spring of 2023, when she received a John F. Perkins Award for Distinguished Service, presented annually by the Faculty Council to three members of the BU community.

Leadership Changes

Godnick’s retirement has led to leadership changes within CGS, as well-qualified internal candidates have been promoted to open roles.

Alyse Bithavas (’85, CAS’87, Wheelock’89,’97), who served as director of student services and academic advising for 10 years and has been at CGS since 1997, took over the associate dean’s role in June. Her prior role was filled by Matthew Bae (’10, COM’12, Wheelock ’17), a longtime academic advisor with CGS.

The leadership team plans to follow Godnick’s example, by staying positive through challenges, prioritizing academic advising, and always putting students first.

“I want students to feel that they can see me with any concern that they have. My door is always open,” Bithavas says.

Bae, who first worked with Godnick as a student orientation leader in 2010, says that, to this day, he tries to emulate her balance of kindness and directness in his work with students.

“I was very nervous and unsure of myself as an orientation leader, and Stacy was always great at allowing us to focus on being ourselves rather than trying to mold ourselves into someone else,” Bae says. “She took genuine interest in our lives outside of school and orientation and was always able to find some kind of common ground with each of us.”

Godnick’s genuine interest in each student was key to her positive impact at CGS.

“The heart and soul of what we do as educators is to foster student development,” she says. “Although planning and implementing successful and efficient programs and systems is rewarding, working closely with students, one-on-one, as they learn, reflect, and develop agency, is the most gratifying aspect of my career.”