Student Life reorganization to better serve students

Cynthia Cummings	Kathryn Goldman	Kathleen Kerr
Marilyn Prime	Chuck Shermeyer	Roland Smith

To better serve students, this spring UD's Division of Student Life is being restructured, including merging the functions of residence life and the Office of the Dean of Students, Vice President for Student Life Roland Smith has announced.

Functions currently shared by the Office of Residence Life and the Office of the Dean of Students will be the responsibility of a new department headed by Cynthia Cummings, currently director of residence life. She will become associate vice president of campus life.

Marilyn Prime, student centers director, will assume responsibility for Greek letter student organizations that are now accountable to the Office of the Dean of Students, while volunteer services will move to the Career Services Center, and the Student Problem-solving Action Network, or SPAN, will move to the Office of the Vice President for Student Life.

The reorganization will take effect after the retirement of Dean of Students Timothy F. Brooks on June 1.

"With the retirement of Tim Brooks, we took the opportunity to reassess what we were doing and concluded that we could better integrate the functions, including the judicial system, that are now scattered between different administrative units," Smith said. "With the merging of residence life and the Office of the Dean of Students, we should be able to obtain further efficiencies."

Smith said the services now provided by the personnel in the Office of the Dean of Students will continue under the restructured arrangement.

"It is important to reassure students and faculty that the functions of the dean of students office are not going away," Smith said. "While one title is being changed, the role is being preserved."

Traditionally, the dean of students office has handled student judicial matters concerning police, faculty and off-campus infractions, while residence life has been responsible for violations of University policy that occur in residence halls.

"Residence life has reported violations of the code of conduct to the dean of students office in carrying out this function within the judicial system," Smith said. "This new organizational structure will improve the process and enhance coordination and efficiency."

The judicial system will become a single entity under Kathryn Goldman, who will become director of judicial affairs and student support services.

These responsibilities, Smith noted, will include managing the day-to-day aspects of the Judicial Affairs Program, including the adjudication of some 2,000 cases annually involving individual and student organization violations of the University's Code of Conduct.

"Kathryn Goldman also will be responsible for working with students, faculty and parents to solve difficult issues," Smith said. "We want to maintain the role now carried out by the dean of students office as a place where problems can be solved."

While Goldman will direct the day-to-day operation of the Judicial Affairs Program, Cummings will be involved with long-term planning and the management of crisis situations ranging from mental and physical health issues to notifying parents of the serious injury or death of a student.

"Tim Brooks has been the person who deals with the parents and the families in these situations," Cummings said. "Tim has served as an excellent role model. I have a good idea of what to do and I'm prepared to take on this responsibility."

Kathleen Kerr, who will become director of residence life programs and student leadership, and Chuck Shermeyer, who will become director of residence life administration and technology, will share responsibilities for the management of the 60-plus residence hall unit, which includes nine major complexes and accommodates more than 7,200 students.

In addition, Kerr will oversee the development of educational and recreational programs, student leadership opportunities and the advisement of student groups, as well as the recruitment, selection and training of the department's 200 Resident Assistants.

Kerr will also be working with faculty members to develop living-learning programs such as LIFE (Learning Integrated Freshman Experience), within the residence halls.

Shermeyer will be responsible for graduate assistant selection and the training and the recruitment of professional and salaried staff. He also will work in conjunction with staff in Facilities Management to establish facilities policies and procedures in residence halls, including short- and long-range planning and the administration of policies that involve residence hall safety and security. He will also direct the leadership efforts of both residence life and judicial affairs.

Personnel in the Office of Residence Life and the Office of the Dean of Students have been working together to ensure a smooth transition.

"I think we will work together as a very effective management team," Cummings said. "We share the same goals and perspectives, and are working for the same outcomes."

According to Smith, the restructuring was designed to create an environment that promotes the achievement of 10 objectives, including:

• academic success;
  
  
• student leadership development;
  
  
• appreciation of diversity;
  
  
• achieving a just and civil community;
  
  
• academic, personal and professional integrity;
  
  
• physical, emotional and psychological wellness;
  
  
• independence and maturity;
  
  
• social and civic responsibility;
  
  
• school spirit; and
  
  
• career awareness and preparation.

"It is our expectation that our efforts will produce graduates who, in 10 or 15 years will become outstanding professionals in the fields they have chosen to pursue, as well as good, responsible citizens and innovative leaders at the local, state, national and perhaps international level," Smith said.

–Jerry Rhodes