Tim Foster, dean of student affairs, announced that Office of the Dean of Student Affairs will be consolidating two part-time positions into one full-time position, which will be known Associate Director of First-Year Programs via campus-wide email on Sunday. Foster also announced the departure of Dean Laura Lee, within the email.
Foster announced these changes after Margaret Hazlett, senior associate dean, decided to leave Bowdoin to become Dean of the College at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
“Whenever you have someone who’s been in a senior position such as Margaret’s, for as long as she has, it’s a good chance to step back and say ‘How do we want to best organize ourselves to best meet the needs of students, faculty and staff going forward?’” said Foster.
The new associate director position will take on a series of new responsibilities. He or she will oversee international students, accommodations for students with disabilities, and the Host Family Programs.
Some of these responsibilities are currently under the purview of Lee, an assistant dean of student affairs.
“For the last eight years, we’ve had a part-time staffing model,” said Foster. “I think given the nature of the work we do, part-time staffing can be difficult when you’re deaning, because there’s times when you’re here and there’s times when you’re not here. But students are always here.”
“I understand the idea behind having these duties focused in the first-year team,” said Lee.
Lee was also the dean for upperclassmen students whose last names begin with A and B. These students will move now move to Dean Jarrett Young, who was formerly responsible for upperclassmen students with last names C through M. Young will now be the dean for students with last names A through L. Leslie Levy, another dean for upperclassmen students will be responsible for students with last names M-Z.
Lee said she did not anticipate a problem dividing all upperclassmen students between two deans instead of three. She said she also realizes the value in having a dean here over the summer when first-year students are in contact with the office before their arrival to campus.
Levy will take over for Lee as the Judicial Board advisor next year. Levy has prior involvement with the Board, as she occasionally took over when there was a conflict of interest for Lee.
Judicial Board student chair Parker Towle ’13 has worked closely with Lee over the past year.
“She’s been everything you can ask for in an advisor for our group,” said Towle. “She’s been a terrific resource for us as we decide cases.”
Towle, who meets with Lee weekly, never noticed a scheduling problem with Lee’s part-time schedule.
Her part-time schedule means that she is not on campus on Tuesdays, and Thursday afternoons. Lee said that working part time only presented a challenge when there was an emergency.
“Certainly things happen on a day that I’m not here, but our office is very collaborative,” said Lee. “I wouldn’t say it’s been a huge problem.”
She says she is uncertain about what professional experiences she will pursue in the coming years,
“I’m like a senior, who hasn’t figured out what they’re going to do next.” said Lee.
Lee said she was surprised by the decision to combine the two part time positions.
“I understand the reasons for this decision, and I’m supportive in that sense,” said Lee.