What was your reaction to Conservatory Dean Karen Wolff's resignation?
Jim Altieri is a double-degree junior:
All I know is that she resigned under less than happy circumstances. I hate it, though, that we always surround this type of situation with speculation and rumors. The student/faculty grapevine here is intense. All we that starved for scandal? None for me, thanks.
Claire Chase is a Conservatory junior:
I think it's a shame. She was one of the most competent administrators I've ever met. She is the only administrator I know who made low-income students a priority.
Michael Preacely is a Conservatory junior:
I felt like the dean-student relationship wasn't great. I knew the dean of the college better than I did the dean of the Conservatory. I don't feel like the resignation of Dean Wolff was a loss to the Con. I felt like it was a step in a new direction. I feel that the new acting dean is a gain. He's willing to listen and take action on issues concerning the Conservatory and double-degree students.
Su-Jin Kwon is a double-degree sophomore:
Dean Wolff is probably one of the best administrators of a musical facility in this country. It's a shame she is leaving. The resignation of the head of the strings department is an example of the repercussions to be felt in the near future. He's just the first to go, and it shows what an impact it will have on the future of the school. For future information, Dye should learn how music facilities are run. The Con and college are separate institutions but depend on each other. The process of becoming a professional musician is unique for each individual and Dean Wolff was very respectful of that. Oberlin had the best of the best and we let it go.
Eric Lamb is a Conservatory junior:
I just think that it was a rather shocking blow to the Conservatory. It took everybody by surprise.
She did a lot of good things as far as financial aid, getting money for the Conservatory. She was instrumental in getting a lot of people here. She seemed to be working keenly for the Conservatory and students. I hope that her replacement does the same.
I thought she was rad. I though she was great. I thought she was warm. In the office there was always a sense of openness. She was a hell of a dean. She was a student's administrator. It sucks that she's gone. I don't know all the circumstances, but apparently a few faculty are following and that sucks, too.
Nick Masterson is a Conservatory sophomore:
We heard that there was this ongoing battle between her and Dye. No one really knows. It seems to be based on rumors by students.
Charlotte Whitman is a Conservatory sophomore:
It's kind of scary - a lot of faculty are really attached to her. It's a shame she resigned over conflicts between the Con and College.
Ben Fox is a double-degree sophomore:
It was really a disappointment when I heard that she was retiring. She did great things for the Conservatory in that, through scholarships and other financial aid, she brought the most capable students to Oberlin, regardless of their financial situation.
Yoonie Choi is a Conservatory sophomore:
I don't really mind. I'm happy about it. She never actually got to know anyone. As a Con student and a musician, I feel she should have made more of an effort to get to know students and go to concerts.
Susanne Hill is a College senior:
I've heard it's a good thing. I has an ex-boyfriend who graduated a few years ago who felt that she didn't do a good job.
