Dean Cole-Newkirk resigns post effective immediately

No acting dean will be named; Roose to oversee department

Charlene Cole-Newkirk, Dean of Student Life and Services, resigned from her position Monday afternoon. The resignation was effective immediately.

Cole-Newkirk, OC '74, first arrived at Oberlin College as a transfer student looking for a more progressive environment. After a 20-year absence from the College, Cole-Newkirk returned in 1995 to succeed Patrick Penn.

Immediate Reaction

Students and staff members were surprised by Cole-Newkirk's sudden departure. Many students who participated in two open meetings with College President Nancy Dye Tuesday were frustrated by the unavailability of specific details of Cole-Newkirk's resignation. Dye said she was unable to comment on the circumstances surrounding the resignation.

"It is wildly and totally inappropriate for me to talk about issues being raised because they are by nature confidential and private," Dye said.

Cole-Newkirk declined to be interviewed for this article.

Cole-Newkirk announced her resignation to Dye at their weekly Monday meeting. According to the associate deans of Student Life and Service, Cole-Newkirk had not indicated she had any intention to resign.

"I was surprised," Director of Security Keith James said. "I'm sure that wasn't a unique reaction."

"It was pretty much unexpected by everyone," Assistant Director of the Student Union Chris Baymiller said. "It looked like she was weathering the storm in the open forum in King."

"This might have been expected some time ago," Acting Director of Residential Life Barb Mehwald said. "I thought we'd turned a corner."

"My feeling is Charlene recognized that her position was just no longer tenable here," Associate Professor of Politics Chris Howell said.

"I fault President Dye for failing to demonstrate leadership in this regard," Professor of Theater Roger Copeland said. "Why was she one of the last to concede what a disastrous appointment this was? A vast amount of suffering could have been avoided if Dye had acted earlier."

"As a friend, I would have known," Associate Dean of Students Ken Holmes said. "I didn't know."

The resignation and announcement to staff

According to Holmes, he and Cole-Newkirk were discussing a diversity program on Monday afternoon. Cole-Newkirk left at 2 p.m. to meet with Dye.

"She said 'Okay, I'll be back,'" Holmes said. Holmes said after Cole-Newkirk left the office, he created a catchy title for the program and awaited her return.

"She was gone maybe 10 minutes and back," Holmes said. "I'm sitting here and she walks in and says she's no longer dean. She said 'I guess I need to tell the secretaries.' She didn't look upset. She wasn't crying. She said, 'I'm going home.' Honestly, we were all in shock."

Dye said she was surprised Cole-Newkirk resigned so abruptly. "I did not expect Charlene to leave on Monday," Dye said.

In a meeting with students, Dye said, "Did I ask her to go back to the office and leave? The answer is no."

"My understanding was that it was Charlene's decision to do this quickly," Howell said. "It was thought she'd stay until perhaps the end of the month, or at least through fall break."

"I didn't think it would come to this," Holmes said.

Cole-Newkirk asked Associate Dean of Student Life and Services Bill Stackman to contact Dye to arrange a meeting with the division Tuesday morning. Although Baymiller conceded that news of the departure spread quickly, Dye officially announced Cole-Newkirk's resignation to staff at a meeting Tuesday morning.

"When we met with Dye, she said Cole tendered her own resignation," Baymiller said. "We were told she felt very good about it and was in fact relieved."

Some students who learned of Cole-Newkirk's resignation by Tuesday morning attempted to gain admittance to the meeting Dye held with staff. Dye agreed to discuss concerns with students after her meeting with staff. Students also arranged an open meeting with Dye Tuesday night at Afrikan Heritage House.

Trustees are notified

As of Wednesday, students had not yet received official notice of Cole-Newkirk's resignation. Trustee James Ford OC '45 said trustees had received a letter from Dye.

"I didn't particuarly see it coming," said Bill Perlick, chairman of the Board of Trustees. "The Board did not try to dictate. We rely on the President on those matters."

Gail Drakes' term as a class trustee expired this year. Drakes OC '94 said Cole-Newkirk had not been discussed at any meetings while she was a trustee.

"The last time I was on campus I was concerned about what was going on. This definitely indicates serious problems," Drakes said. "Problems bigger than her individually."

Concerns

Many students who attended the meetings with Dye suggested Cole-Newkirk's resignation reflected a pattern of racism at Oberlin.

"There are always issues in any workplace that can and sometimes are mediated by gender or by race or sometimes both," Dye said. "There are always issues in any workplace about power and the use of power. Sometimes those issues play themselves out differently for women than for men."

"I think we need to question that Dean Cole is the fifth or sixth person of color to leave since I've been here," senior Andrea Clarke said. "We seriously want answers about why people of color don't feel comfortable staying here."

Dye was unable to discuss the reasons that led to Cole-Newkirk's departure.

"Obviously, in a way I'm not being responsive," Dye said. "These are not public issues."

"I want to convey one thing," Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer said. "Administrative decisions are always very complex and multi-faceted."

Cole-Newkirk's resignation angered students who relied on Cole-Newkirk as a source of support.

"Since I've been here I've seen too many people disappear," said one student "Where can I look for support? They're all gone. The only person I have left is Ken. There ain't no telling when he's going to leave."

"I don't plan on leaving," Holmes said later. "It would really concern me if there was a mass exodus of staff of color. I'll have to be a special support. Cole's shoes will be hard for me to fill."

Cole-Newkirk's settlement and the future of the division

A settlement between the College and Cole-Newkirk has not yet been reached. Dye categorically denied rumors that Cole-Newkirk had negotiated to receive a $1 million severence package.

"It's one of the silliest things I've ever heard at Oberlin," Dye said. "That's absurd. Just absurd."

Dye has declinied to name an acting dean to assume the position vacated by Cole-Newkirk. Assistant to the President Diana Roose will help coordinate the division during the interim. Roose will serve as a resource to the associate deans.

"It is, admittedly, unconventional." Dye said of the arrangement. "But sometimes unconventional measures work best."

"I think the Student Life division will continue to function as always," Roose said. "We've got very good people. Part of my function is to make sure the transition is smooth."

The associate deans voiced support for the scheme. Roose has worked on special projects with the deans in the past.

"My first thought is that it's going to work," Mehwald said.

Dye tentatively predicted that a search process would begin by the end of the semester. She said the process will be modeled after the last Dean of Student Life and Services search. According to Dye, the committee that conducted the search that resulted in the hiring of Cole-Newkirk was both balanced and diverse.

"This gives the division a chance to take a deep collective breath and say 'Where do we go from here?," Dye said.

Reflections

According to Dye and associate deans, one of Cole-Newkirk's greatest legacies is the restructuring of the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC). The Office of Mulitcultural Affairs, the previous incarnation of the MRC, was broadly criticized as disorganized and inadaquate.

"She made many good contirbutions to student life at Oberlin, including putting the MRC on firm ground because it wasn't when she arrived," Dye said.

Mehwald said, "I think she is a very good woman. There were problematic and trouble areas that she was working on. I don't know if there's residue of something from before."

"The sad thing is she could have done a better job letting people know who she was," Holmes said. "She did good things for Oberlin people of color."

"I don't want a repeat of the Deb McNish scenario," Baymiller said. "It's not in the College's best interest making personnel decisions with us not knowing the true reasons. Whatever reason, I hope it comes out."