The Dean of Students provides essential leadership in student support, crisis response, and community well-being.
As Dean of Students, Dr. Graney oversees a range of critical services that support student well-being and campus operations:
- Community Standards: Student conduct, integrity, and accountability
- Disability, Access & Inclusion (DAI): Accommodations and accessibility support
- Student Support and Advocacy Services (SSAS): Outreach, crisis response, and basic needs
- Alcohol and Other Drugs Education (AODE): Prevention and recovery resources
- Commuter Affairs: Off-campus and commuter student support
These areas are led by a highly skilled and student-focused professional team who work closely with Dr. Graney to ensure students receive timely, thoughtful, and effective support. In most cases, our team is the best first point of contact—and can offer faster, more direct assistance on your concern or question.
Academic concerns can be common for students, including lack of engagement in the classroom, missed assignments, repeated absences, frequent attempts to obtain extensions on assignments, or failure to respond to repeated communication attempts. The first step to take when there are early signs of academic concerns is to raise an Academic Concern or an In Danger of Failing flag about a student’s academic progress in Starfish. After a flag is raised, and the concern persists, or if the concern requires a higher level of support, please submit an Early Alert referral.
Most questions or concerns can be resolved directly by our experienced Dean of Students Office staff. They are best equipped to help you quickly and thoroughly with student conduct, accommodations, academic concerns, or accessing resources.
However, there are specific cases where it may be appropriate to contact Dr. Daniel Graney, Dean of Students, directly:
- Escalated or unresolved concerns after working with our office staff
- Matters involving campus-wide student advocacy or systemic policy issues
- Requests for coordination with senior university leadership or external agencies
- Follow-up on serious student safety matters, such as threats, major incidents, or crises
- Collaboration requests related to Title IX, threat assessment, bias response, or postvention
About the Dean
Dr. Daniel Graney serves as the Dean of Students at the University of Rhode Island (URI), where he is dedicated to supporting more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students in both their academic and personal journeys.
Dr. Graney is a trusted resource for students navigating crises and challenges, and his leadership is centered on ensuring the campus community feels supported and empowered. In his role, he also serves as the University’s Chief Student Conduct Officer, a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and the convener of key student safety teams, including:
- Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
- Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT)
- Bias Resource Team (BRT)
Dr. Graney is a Certified Threat Manager (CTM) through the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and regularly contributes to campus-wide safety and wellness strategy. He holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Johnson & Wales University and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College.