Resignations grow in number over school year

Athletic Director Don Hunsinger called a time out in November.

Hunsinger announced he did not want to be considered as an applicant for his position when his four-year contract runs out on June 30th.

"I'm not leaving Oberlin College," Hunsinger said. "I just want to go back to coaching. I had a four year appointment and I want to give plenty of time just to coaching and not to administration."

In the last 20 years, Hunsinger has coached or assisted football, baseball, basketball, tennis and track. He has been named NCAC coach of the year multiple times.

Hunsinger feels he has made some improvements during his term. "I wanted to stabilize the coaching staff, which is much better than it was a few years ago, and we made a lot of improvements to the facilities." He listed the new gym floors, new weight rooms both in Phillips and in Hales, and the new tennis courts as examples.

However, Hunsinger is not completely satisfied with the job he has done. "I feel bad because we haven't had the success I'd like to see in this program," he said. "I take it personally because I was hoping to provide enough positive leadership to break out of the mold we have been in. I had four years and I wasn't able to accomplish what I wanted to."

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Clayton Koppes said, "I have enjoyed working with him very much. He is utterly devoted to Oberlin College and its values and I'm very glad that he is going to continue his highly effective coaching."

Head Football Coach Pete Peterson said, "Hunsinger has done a fairly good job of balancing the various wants and needs with finite resources. He is one of the better athletic directors that I have worked for and a lot of that is the way the job is defined here. Given the responsibilities, he's one of the better directors I have worked with."

"All of us have faults but Coach Hunsinger has two things that are very important," Peterson said. "The first is that he really loves Oberlin College. The second is that I think deep down in his heart, he wants this to be the best experience for every student on campus. That's worth hanging on to. His heart is in the right place and that's what's important."

Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs Young Dawkins resigned last summer to head the University of New Hampshire Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of the state's higher education system.

Dawkins said, "It's the only job I would have left Oberlin for."

Dawkins, one of the College's most successful fundriasers, said he couldn't resist returning to the Granite State.

In a July 28 letter to the Oberlin community Dye said, "I am very disappointed to see Young leave Oberlin. He is a tremendously effective development officer who has taught the College a great deal about raising money."

Dawkins helped orchestrate three major gifts to Oberlin during his four-year tenure at the College: two of $3 million and one of $6 million.

Former Director of Major Gifts Kay Thomson replaced Dawkins as Vice President.

Assistant Dean of the Conservatory John Jacobson resigned in November. Jacobson had worked at Oberlin for six years.

"I'm just moving on to another part of my life," Jacobson said.

"He has been thinking maybe he wants to do other things in his life," Wolff said. "I'm going to miss him a lot."

Associate Professor Richard Povall, chair of the TIMARA department, said, "He has been a wonderful colleague."

Michael Lynn, associate professor of recorder and baroque flute, was appointed interim assistant dean of the conservatory. Former assistant dean John Jacobson resigned from the position last month.

Lynn will be responsible for supervising instruments and mantaining equipment at the Conservatory.

"There are a million and one projects," Lynn said. "It's a very big job."

The doctor is out.

College physician Judith Appleton retired October 1. Appleton had served as the college physician for 20 years.

Appleton said, "I do this with mixed feelings. I think change is in the future and I thought it would be easier if they didn't have to work around me."

According to surveys conducted by the Student Senate in 1996, many Oberlin students were dissatisfied with Appleton. Survey participants were asked to rate Appleton on a scale of one to five, five being the highest. Of 439 respondants, 41 percent ranked Appleton a one or a two.

"I was not encouraged to leave," Appleton said. "There was no outright anything, just inferences on my part."

Appleton's position remains vacant. Nurse practioner Laura Hieronymous has tended to ailing students this year.

Director of Career Services Lanna Hagge resigned this year after 22 years at Career Services.

Wendy Smith-Miller was named Director of Career services in January. She served as Acting Director of Career Services after Lanna Hagge vacated the position in 1997. Smith-Miller was brought to campus from Case Western Reserve University.

A national search for Hagge's replacement was launched in October. Three finalists were brought to campus.

"I am determined to know what every student is doing after graduation," Smith-Miller told students during her visit. "I'll track them down. I'll track their parents down."

Barb Mehwald took on a hodgepodge of responsibilities during her years of Oberlin. She supervised students as an area coordinator, handled administrative duties as acting associate dean and discussed eating disorders as health educator. But she rarely had the chance to play tennis.

"It's my next wish list," Mehwald said in February. "I want to play more tennis."

Mehwald will have the opportunity to sharpen her game in retirement. After five years at Oberlin, Mehwald will retire in June.

"I love being with students," Mehwald said. "I've loved it. It's just that simple."

Donna Raynsford is out of operation.

Raynsford has served as Vice President for Operations since 1988. Her responsibilities included maintenance of the physical plant, facilities planning and construction.

Raynsford plans to retire to Florida.

In 1973, Gene Matthews came to Oberlin as an electrician. In 1998, he left as Director of Facilities Maintenance.

Matthews announced his resignation in March. He began work at Case Western Reserve University in April.

Matthews said, "As part of my professional development, it's the next logical progression."

Matthews said he was excited to move to a large university, although he was sorry to leave Oberlin behind.

"There's only one Oberlin," Matthews said. "In my heart, I'll always be an Obie."

What goes up, must come down.

Director of Facilities Planning Bob Scheren was asked to resign in February. Scheren was charged with overseeing the College's major building projects. Although Danforth Professor of History Geoffrey Blodgett applauded Scheren's talents, College President Nancy Dye said she believed Oberlin would be better served by an outside corporation.

"We are entering an enormous period of construction," Dye said. "You need a lot of different kinds of expertise to draw on, not only architecture."

Facilities Research Management, a company based in Madison, Conn., was commissioned to supervise future construction.

"It's just a business decision," Dye said.