A committee of students, faculty, and administrators will assemble in the coming weeks in order to select a candidate to become the permanent Associate Dean of Students at Tufts. The University, which began soliciting applications for the position over the summer, will begin reviewing the documents as soon as the search committee has been formed.
Lisa Smith-McQueenie has been serving as Associate Dean of Students in an interim capacity since then-Acting Dean of Students Bruce Reitman was promoted last year, but University policy dictates that a nationwide search must precede any deanship appointment.
While sources indicate that the committee already has a good idea of the qualities and skills that it is seeking, it will solicit input from a variety of sources before making a decision. According to Reitman, the school needs "someone who is flexible in a day to day routine, because, in that position, you can be working on one type of emergency one day and a different type the next."
The Pachyderm, Tufts' student handbook, says as a part of student services, the associate dean should be in tune with student feelings and issues. "The Dean of Students Office is the primary advocate for students on campus. It is the students' central contact on campus for any and all ideas or suggestions," the booklet states.
One goal for the selection process is to find someone who has a background working in a dean of students office or student services operations. A candidate also should have a degree in higher education administration.
Significant experience is important, Reitman noted, because the job of Associate Dean is rather varied. The Associate Dean is involved in judicial, medical, and committee work, as well as being responsible for the Residential Life offices. He or she is also designated as a member of the class team for graduate students, and helps supervise the various departments within the Dean of Students office, including the Alcohol and Health Education, Counseling Center, Office of Residential Life, as well as all the cultural centers.
"It's a lot of general work of student life," Reitman said. "[The Dean of Students office wants] someone who has experience working with students in a variety of ways." He jokingly added that they want "someone who has some good ideas about social life. Clearly we need that."
With the Dean of Students office move to Dowling Hall this year, student services have already experienced quite a few changes. With the proximity of all the offices in Dowling, the new associate dean will now be able to effectively collaborate and work with the other departments. The positions in the student services department are slightly different now than when they were in Ballou Hall, according to Reitman. He stressed that due to this alteration, "It's more important than ever to find someone who is a collaborative colleague and interested in working with all of the people in Dowling Hall."
The vacancy in the associate dean's position is the end result of administrative juggling, which kicked off when Bobbie Knabble retired as the school's dean of students two years ago. Then Associate Dean of Students Reitman formally left the position last spring when he became the new dean. To fill the role in preparation for the search, Tufts then appointed Smith-McQueenie as Acting Associate Dean.
