Where's Quigley?

Few would deny that Dean Austin Quigley is a charming person, excellent fundraiser, and captivating public speaker. But the sad fact is that many Columbia College students’ interactions with the Dean are limited to move-in day, class day, and the annual chance to grab a piece of candy from him when Halloween rolls around. Many college students (not a few of them on this board) have never met Dean Quigley face-to-face, let alone had a conversation with him. At a school that claims to be a close-knit college in the middle of a large University, this lack of intimacy is troubling. Especially in the aftermath of such a divisive semester, Columbia College needs a leader who engenders unity and pride.

A dean who interacts regularly with students is uniquely able to inspire them and give them a meaningful voice in the way their school is run. Realizing this ideal would require a significant change in philosophy for Columbia. Dean Quigley should incorporate into his schedule regular meetings and visits with his students, as well as host dinners and Town Halls several times a semester. Such measures have proven moderately successful for University President Lee Bollinger, who is in many regards more connected to Columbia College students than their own dean. More importantly, as Dean Quigley sets his goals each semester for the college, he should seek input from students, whether by holding office hours, attending college-sponsored social functions, or other means.

Zvi Galil, former dean of the School for Engineering and Applied Science, is an excellent model for this. He sent SEAS students regular e-mails and organized a week-long celebration for the school that brought students out to crown a King and Queen of SEAS, play Assassins, and attend other programs. Dean Quigley should take a page from his book. Columbia College students don’t need a father figure in a dean, but they deserve a leader who will engage with them while they’re here, if for no other reason than that it will encourage them donate after they leave. The College needs more than a figurehead who speaks at Commencement and Convocation. Intellectual gravitas and a strong connection to alumni are certainly no vices, but involvement with the student body is equally—if not more—important in a dean.