Search for Dean of College has no clear plan for student involvement

To the Editor:
We, majors' representatives from several departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, are writing to express our concern that the search for a new Dean of the College currently has no clear plan for student involvement. It is our understanding that the process of forming the search committee has already begun and that the actual search will take place over the summer.

Although we recognize the desire to have the position filled as quickly as possible, and that the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences is a dean for the faculty, nonetheless this position is one of vital importance to us. While students do have a Dean of Student Life, our primary reason for being at this institution is academics, and thus we logically have an investment in any decisions that will affect academic policy. The Dean of the College helps make decisions about Oberlin's faculty and curriculum which have a deep impact on our experience as Oberlin students. As critical participants in the academic life of the college, we believe our voices should be included in deciding what Oberlin is looking for in a new dean and in choosing who will fill that position.

Specifically, we request that there be voting student members on the search committee, and that there be student forums held with the final candidates, as has been the practice with previous searches. This letter is a product of an open meeting for majors representatives, and we will be meeting again on April 2 to further discuss the role of student input in this search. It would be useful to us if you could inform the campus of your responses to this letter and our status within the search before that meeting.

-This letter was signed by the following major representatives. [African-American Studies: Nakisha Heard, sophomore; Art: Emily Kaiser, senior; Sherri Wasserman, sophomore; Biochemistry/Chemistry: Joshua B. Burton, junior; Mayya Geha, senior; Biology: Michael Bunuan, senior; Leonard Kusdra, junior; Laura Sessions, junior; Anita Stone, senior; Computer Science: Jonathan Rochkind, senior; Creative Writing: Erin Wilson, senior; Dance: Deborah Gordon, senior; English: Rebecca Phares, junior; Environmental Studies: Miriam Axel-Lute, senior; Kirti Baranwal, sophomore; Jessica Resnick, junior; Expository Writing: Audrey Marcus, junior; German: Geoff Sharpe, senior; History: Rob Harper, junior; Maggie Juliano, senior; Philosophy: Noah Bopp, senior; Politics: Yvonne Shen, senior; Religion: Michael Isaac, senior; Theater: Abby Bush, junior; Dan Somerfield, senior; Russian: Rebecca Goodman, junior; Sociology: Kristin Schwartz, sophomore; Women's Studies: Rimma Ashkinadze, senior; Isabel Lee, senior; Correne Spero, sophomore).]