Lost in Transition

With a number of administrative resignations in the last year, the University has many desks to fill. The ensuing shake-up will give new administrators a chance to pick up where their predecessors left off and improve upon their faults. Still, in the quest for the best replacements, the University should ensure that an already lengthy transition period does not further burden students.

No undergraduate school’s administration has been static in the last few months. Chris Colombo, former dean of Student Affairs for Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, has left after nearly a decade overseeing the department. Austin Quigley, dean of Columbia College, announced he would step down after this academic year, staying on as a member of the faculty. On July 1, Debora Spar moved into her office as president of Barnard College, taking over the role Judith Shapiro held for 14 years. But the departure of School of General Studies Dean of Students Mary McGee has not been permanently addressed. Similarly, engineering students grumble that they have been left out of the loop since popular former Dean Zvi Galil’s departure early last academic year. Although the University seemed close to announcing Galil’s successor in the spring, officials are now restarting their search for a new SEAS dean, which will leave many students wondering what is next for SEAS.

These changes offer an opportunity to change divisions that have, in the past, often been slow to respond to student demands. A new dean of Student Affairs for CC and SEAS should sort out the department’s bureaucratic red tape that can make navigating the large division a nightmare. At GS, the dean of students’ departure could facilitate a unification of the GS and CC/SEAS Student Affairs divisions. While the University has not definitively said such a move is in the works, such integration could make campus life more accessible for GS students. Finally, though Quigley was often praised for his success in alumni relations, he has also been criticized for his aloofness. The University should seek candidates who can garner donations while also establishing stronger bonds with students.

Such candidates may be difficult to find, and the appointment of new leaders takes time. Yet despite the long nature of search processes, someone needs to pick up the slack. The lack of permanent leaders should not cause students to suffer in the short run. The understaffed GS advising office should expand its hours temporarily to accommodate more students, and current SEAS administrators should communicate more frequently with engineers.

With vacancies in the four schools’ administrations comes the chance to mend their flaws, but if other officials don’t step in to care for students in the interim, the University risks tearing new holes in the fabric of its colleges. The University should be able to strike a compromise, retaining its patience in deliberation while providing adequate support for its students.