At a special dinner tonight, members of the college community will say goodbye to Dean of Student Affairs Craig Bradley and Dean for Academic Affairs Craig McEwen. These two men have guided the College's student life and academic programs into a new century. While at many colleges and universities the word "administrator" is said with distaste, Bradley and McEwen have shown that administrators can lead with integrity, compassion, and wisdom. We can say with certainty that their leadership has made Bowdoin a better place to live and a better place to learn.
The common threads between Bradley and McEwen extend beyond their first names. Both men seemed to appreciate the role of a college newspaper, and we have appreciated their candor and willingness to meet with our reporters over the years. In the late 1990s, then-professor McEwen and Dean Bradley were integral to the overhaul of Bowdoin's residential life system. Bowdoin's abolishment of fraternities bettered the academic and social climate. The administration's action during this time took significant courage, leadership, and foresight.
In their own spheres, both men provided wise leadership. Bradley was known to many students as being a dean of student affairs who could be both a mentor and friend?but he was also known as someone who could stand tough and impose discipline when necessary. Bradley's Office of the Dean of Student Affairs is a place where students can receive the assistance that they need. McEwen, known as a careful listener and a skilled consensus-builder, improved relations between the faculty and the administration. The academic program under McEwen has strengthened, with change encouraged but not undertaken in haste. The new distribution requirements that will apply to next year's incoming class allow students flexibility while making sure that all graduates receive a taste of scholarship in differing disciplines.
We are glad that we will still see them in future years. Bradley is moving to Paris to work for the Aga Khan Development Network, but he plans to maintain a home in Brunswick and one of his daughters hopes to enroll here someday. McEwen will take a year-long sabbatical before returning to teach in the sociology department. But we will miss their daily leadership. For their service to Bowdoin?and most importantly, their service to Bowdoin's students?we offer them thanks and wish them the best of luck.
The editorial represents the majority view of The Bowdoin Orient's editorial board. The editorial board is comprised of James D. Baumberger, Drew Fulton, Bobby Guerette, Evan S. Kohn, and Beth Kowitt.