Dean’s Office

The Role of Dean

The Dean is the chief academic officer of Benjamin Franklin College and a faculty member in Yale College. Residing within the college, she serves as the primary academic adviser to the 500 students of Benjamin Franklin College; oversees progress on academic matters; offers guidance on personal matters as well as helps students engage resources throughout the university; and applies and enforces academic and undergraduate regulations and procedures. The Dean also oversees the First-Year Counselors and coordinates the College Advisers for first-year students. She serves on a range of University committees, and with the Head of College, plans and participates in many college activities.

Mica Rencher, Residential College Dean,
Benjamin Franklin College 

Email: mica.rencher@yale.edu

Mica Rencher

As a native New Yorker, Dean Rencher holds a B.A. in Psychology from St. John’s University, an M.A. in Psychology from Columbia University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Policy from Fordham University. She is currently engaged in research which examines trust building methods in communities impacted by various health and economic disparities. 

Prior to Yale, Dean Rencher served as a sophomore dean while teaching in the Psychology Department at Fordham University. She was also involved in the management of a program aimed at helping students from Arts and Sciences turn their research into entreprenurial ideas. Dean Rencher also worked with hospital systems where she managed various medical research protocols and also worked in Emergency Psychiatry, where her main project involved making psychiatric services more accessible through telepsychiatry.

Though a life-long New Yorker, Dean Rencher’s family hails from Trinidad and Tobago, and she can often be found enjoying her summers in the Caribbean with her family. In her free time, you can also find her making jewelry and fully engaged in her artistic love of all things fashion related. Dean Rencher lives in the college with her husband, Niles, and two sons Jeremy and Ezra.

Senior Administrative Assistant II,
Benjamin Franklin College Dean’s Office

Deans role

Phone: (203) 432-2934
Email: michelle.tracey@yale.edu

Michelle Tracey is the Senior Administrative Assistant II to the Dean. Michelle oversees the academic functions for Benjamin Franklin students, including registration, course schedule deadlines, and maintaining student records. She is often the first person to contact if you have questions regarding academic requirements. If you need to make an appointment with Dean Rencher, stop in and see Michelle.