Old Chapel positions change

Six new administrative changes throughout the College this academic year have quietly shaken up responsibilities from the Health and Counseling Services to Cook and Brainerd Commons.

Five of the six changes fell under the responsibility of Shirley Collado, dean of the College and chief diversity officer. Collado explained the changes in a campus-wide e-mail Jan. 17.

As The Campus reported in the fall, Collado transitioned from her position as vice president of the office of institutional planning and diversity in December 2009 and returned to her new position the following year. Adding the title “chief diversity officer” to her new role as dean of the College emphasized Old Chapel’s commitment to prioritizing diversity initiatives.

“President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz strongly felt that diversity goals and initiatives at the College had to be a central part of the mainline functions of the institution,” said Collado.  “We couldn’t think of a better place to put institutional diversity than the dean of the College area, which is at the heart of what students experience inside and outside the classroom.”

Gus Jordan — entering his 15th year at the College — is transitioning into his new role as executive director of health and counseling services. Jordan’s new position was prompted by the retirement of longtime professor and Executive Director of Counseling Gary Margolis.

Margolis’ retirement gave the College an opportunity to transition Jordan into an ideal role for health and counseling services.

“Gus’s appointment provided an opportunity for leadership oversight of Health and Counseling Services together and Gus is a clinical psychologist, a member of the psychology department and a very experienced clinician,” said Collado. “It made a lot of sense.”

Jordan is no stranger to new positions. After serving as the director of the Scott Center for Spiritual & Religious Life, he was appointed acting dean of the College in 2008. A year later, he became the dean of students in July 2009.

Katy Smith Abbott — associate dean of the College since 2007 — will assume the role of dean of students when she returns from academic leave on August 1.  Abbott has also been assistant professor of history of art and architecture since she came to the College in 1996.

“Alongside the College’s judicial affairs officer, commons deans and the dean of the College, [Abbott] will work to identify and address community issues that will likely warrant attention and support,” Collado wrote.

Without an acting dean of students during Abbott’s academic leave, Collado and her staff have been forced to take on added responsibilities.

“We have a number of people wearing a number of different hats,” she said.

But Collado says Abbott’s leave will be beneficial in the long run.

“I actually see [Abbott’s leave] as an opportunity to be there front and center in ways that are critical for me in my first year as dean of the College,” she said. “I will be able to help Katy in her new role and better understand all the things our students need.”

When the Office of Institutional Diversity was assimilated into the dean of the College area, so was Jennifer Herrera, who had been coordinating and managing diversity programming and events since 2004.

In her new position as special assistant to the dean of the College and senior advisor for diversity initiatives, Herrera will help oversee the implementation of campus-wide diversity initiatives and projects. Herrera will also assist Collado in managing the College’s Posse Program, which awards scholarships to groups of outstanding student leaders from urban public schools who demonstrate academic promise. The College has successfully partnered with The Posse Foundation and recruited New York City students for the last 12 years.

Ian Sutherland has had big shoes to fill since the retirement of Karl Lindholm as dean of Cook Commons at the end of the fall semester. To assist the mid-year transition between deans, Sutherland shadowed Lindholm to learn the intricacies of heading a Commons.

“We usually don’t get that luxury where someone can shadow a Dean and see what the job is like,” said Collado. “He is going into the job with a full semester of sitting next to a dean, which is fabulous.”

Natasha Chang became the dean of Brainerd Commons at the beginning of the academic year.

“[Chang] is a longstanding member of the Italian department,” said Collado. “She has been here for several years and knows Middlebury students very well.”

James Davis — associate professor of religion since 2001 — assumed the role of assistant provost on Feb. 1.

“Davis served very effectively in two roles, as chair of the department of religion, and chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and I felt that his administrative skills would be useful in the provost’s office,” wrote Alison Byerly, provost, executive vice president and professor of english & American studies in an e-mail.

Davis stepped down as the chair of the religion department and the IRB, but will continue to teach part-time.

Despite the flurry of changes within the administration, Collado says students should not notice any negative side effects.

“I don’t anticipate a Middlebury student feeling any ripples from [the changes],” she said. “In fact, I would hope this only enhances and strengthens what we are already doing.”
Asked when she would be fully transitioned into her new roll with her new team, Collado broke into a big smile.

“Any vice-president always has to face some transitions, but I am looking to create a solid, stable structure that won’t have to be changing that much in the future.”