Interim Dean Selection Panel Moves Toward Goal

by Amanda Rivkin

Tuesday March 7, 2006

This past week, the Advisory Committee interviewed three faculty candidates, Melissa Frazier, Fred Smoler and Pauline Watts for the position of interim dean. President Michele Myers will most likely announce her decision after spring break. In reference to the selection of an interim dean, Myers said, "the sooner we know the better."

The Interim Dean will serve part-time next year as a "shadow dean," acting as an understudy for Dean Barbara Kaplan’s position. In the immediate interval following Kaplan’s anticipated departure in June 2007, the Interim Dean will advise the new president on the nature and structure of the college as well as the selection of a permanent dean. After consulting with the Advisory Committee, Myers will be ultimately responsible for determining who will be the new Interim Dean.

Following the decision of Kaplan to step down last fall, the position was opened up to the faculty for either self-nomination or to nominate each other. A search committee headed by Italian professor Judy Serafini-Sauli and comprised of faculty from each of the academic disciplines—arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences—was formed to assist the Advisory Committee in the decision-making process.

Following the nomination of faculty willing to serve as interim dean and the selection of three candidates, the candidates submitted statements detailing the transitions facing the school in the next few years, outlining what they hope to bring to the now open position of Interim Dean. Psychology professor Barbara Schecter, one of the faculty members on the search committee, said that each statement provided a "very thoughtful and reflective take on the transitions the college is undergoing at this time."

These statements are available online to the faculty but have been withheld from students and publication in The Phoenix as a result of decisions made by the advisory committee.
When asked to articulate the sort of challenges Sarah Lawrence is facing, many faculty members responded that the pedagogical traditions of the college were at the top of the list. These traditions are exemplified by the seminar structure, complete with conferences, low faculty to student ratio and faculty governance.

Following the announcement of the five candidates, members of the faculty were invited to write letters of support. At this point, one nominee withdrew. The search committee deliberated and provided the advisory committee with the names of the three remaining faculty candidates, as well as the letters of support written for them by other members of the faculty.
At this stage, the advisory committee is interviewing the candidates and will meet with the search committee this week to discuss their impressions before putting forth a recommendation to Myers.

Of the three candidates, both Smoler and Watts are Sarah Lawrence alums. Watts has also previously served on the Advisory Committee.

None of the faculty and administration members interviewed for this article questioned that the Interim Dean should have as much experience as possible at the college. However, being an alumnus of the college or former member of the Advisory Committee are not crucial since, as Religion professor Cameron Afzal said, "all three could have served at any point [on the Advisory Committee] with great distinction."

After this reporter approached the three candidates for interviews, the Advisory Committee determined that it would be inappropriate for them to interview with The Phoenix; however, the decision was not conveyed directly to this reporter or a representative of The Phoenix.

While there is no statement available from the Advisory Committee at this time outlining the rationale for this policy decision, Myers expressed an unwillingness to "politicize this process anymore than it already is." Serafini-Sauli said, "I think I would not have been in favor of using The Phoenix for political campaigning," but then added that, "This is not electioneering."

Faculty expressed mild reservations over the Advisory Committee’s decision to prevent the candidates from interviewing with The Phoenix. History professor Jeff Adams did not believe the decision was necessary but found it to be proper for the confidentiality of the process, believing that confidentiality encourages candor. Schecter had doubts about the Advisory Committee’s final decision but said, "they [the Advisory Committee] do not want students to get involved in a competition among the faculty." Professor Nick Mills found the decision to be peculiar at a college that encourages transparency. "We are not, after all, looking for a stealth dean," he said.

Three years is the term limit currently set for the Interim Dean. While some faculty thought the term would last only a few years, others said it could last much longer. Myers affirmed that the decision would ultimately rest on "the decisions of the new President."

Kaplan was unavailable for comment last week due to illness, but will be sitting on the Advisory Committee responsible for advising Myers in selection of the interim dean. While Afzal foresees no problems with Kaplan’s decision to remain on the Advisory Committee during this part of the process, he said there "can be both pros and cons."

Serafini-Sauli said, "on the one hand she should not be picking her successor and on the other hand she is not," since Myers and eventually the new president will be responsible for selecting the new dean.

Serafini-Sauli added, "The operative word is ‘interim’."