The two committees in search of a new College dean and dean of students will start the first round of interviews in January. In the meantime, both interim deans say they are satisfied with what they achieved during their first semester.
All of the current dean searches are on track, Provost Arthur Garson wrote in an e-mail, noting that he is "pleased that the initial words are of large numbers of extremely well-qualified women and men."
According to Pat Lampkin, vice president of student affairs, the next step in the search for the Dean of Students will be to form a search committee comprised of faculty and students.
"[The search committee] will begin requesting applications and nominations and the intent will be to have the search conclude shortly before Spring Break and have a dean by July 1," she said.
According to Interim Dean of Students Allen Groves, his first semester as Dean of Students has gone well.
"One of the things that was a key objective for me was to see who was doing what in the office and see if I could better align skills with duties," Groves said.
Groves added that the goal was to make the Dean of Student's office more accessible and responsive to students.
"I wanted to make this place the first place students thought of when they wanted help," Groves said. "I am very pleased with how that is going."
Groves noted that while he has been given the authority of a dean, he is unable to make "sweeping changes" as an interim dean.
"I don't want to presume to do something that the new dean would feel binded to do," Groves said.
Interim College Dean Karen Ryan agreed that there have been certain limitations to being an interim dean.
"I have tried not to make decisions that will tie the hands of the new dean, but you still have to plan proactively for the future," Ryan said.
According to Ryan, the College has gone "full steam ahead" this semester and she feels that it is "in a really good place."
She noted some of the things she has worked on this semester include new hires, working with the Provost's office on a new science building, continuing the South Lawn Project and improving undergraduate advising.
"I think we have really improved lower division advising," Ryan said.
As far as showing any interest in becoming a candidate for the permanent College Dean, Ryan said she is only concentrating on her current commitment.
"At this point, what I have committed to is through the end of this year," Ryan said.
According to Groves, he is waiting until the upcoming break to assess the possibility of becoming a candidate for the permanent Dean of Students.
"Over break I will talk to colleagues, students and my family to see if people feel that I would be a good and effective Dean of Students," Groves said. "If the answer is yes, I would be a candidate. If no, I wouldn't"
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