By Niraj Chokshi
News Editor


The short Feb. 9 email announcement of Dean Branham’s resignation left many students and faculty curious to know more. But, amid the curiosity, one pressing question emerged: if Branham is resigning on July 1, what will happen to her position?

Having asked the same question herself, President Hansen formed an ad-hoc committee to lead the search. The committee, chaired by Dean Wylie L. Mitchell (Dean of Admissions), has sent an announcement for the new job to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Career Network and has also asked faculty members to spread the word.

That search committee – the Dean of Students Search Committee (DSSC) – met, for the first time, on Friday, Feb. 13. The committee reconvened for its third meeting on Friday, Feb. 27, with two additional student members from the BCSG: Vaibhav Bajpai (’07) and John Butos (’04). The committee’s faculty members include: Wylie L. Mitchell (Dean of Admissions), Suzanne Coffey (Associate Professor of Physical Education/Athletics), Rebecca Herzig (Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies), Charles Nero (Associate Professor of Rhetoric), Christine Schwartz (Director of Dining Services), Thomas Tracy (Professor of Religion) and Karen Harris (trustee). As with every campus committee, President Hansen is an ex-officio member.

President Hansen explained that Dean Mitchell has put together a time table in which “ideally… I can put an offer out at the beginning of short term.” The limited timetable has been a cause for concern among some BCSG members who feel that it may stifle student involvement. Dean Mitchell explained that, in a similar time period, he also goes through nearly 4,200 applications.

Concerns of student involvement have also been raised over the fact that only two of the members of the DSSC are students. President Hansen defended the decision, saying, “two is kind of the standard number.” She feels that faculty presence is very important considering “they’re the group that outlasts the students.” She also expressed her hope that “many [students] should be meeting the candidates.” Mitchell explained that candidates’ names will not be released until they choose to come to campus because the “candidates certainly desire and deserve confidentiality” until their decisions are more firmly grounded.

Though Hansen believes the addition of a few more students would do little to improve the quality of student representation on the committee, she has expressed willingness to add one more to the committee. She explained that Mitchell “is open to adding a third student – so am I.” Vaibhav Bajpai, one of the two student members on the DSSC, explained that he and John Butos (the other student member) “cannot articulate every consensus in the community.” Butos added, “it’s so hard for Vaibhav and I to represent the students... that’s not the issue right now.”

Some BCSG members were also concerned that the short timeframe would limit student involvement outside of the committee. Hansen explained that the committee would be in charge of the candidate’s campus visits but she hoped that “candidate[s] will have presentations. … The process needs to be very egalitarian and open.”

A forum for students will be held on Wednesday at 7:00 in Chase Lounge. Another forum will be held on Thursday at 4:15 for students as well as faculty and staff in Chase Lounge. Bajpai, who could not “overemphasize the importance of the forums,” explained, “we want to hear what people have to say about what their idea of the dean of students is.” Butos also said, for those unable to attend either forum, “[he] and Vaibhav will be available.”

The DSSC is hoping to use these forums to formulate a better description of what they will be looking for in candidates. Butos explained that the DSSC “just doesn’t know yet” what it is looking for. Bajpai added, “We don’t really want to talk about that right now. … We don’t want to put words into people’s mouths.”

Hansen added that “on the professional end of the spectrum, we want someone who really has a commitment to the value of residential life.” Though Branham was a “really devoted employee,” Hansen explained the need for “someone who comes in wanting to take all the great ingredients Bates has to offer and work with them.” Most importantly, she explained, is a dean who’s a “good fit with our values, and believes in social justice,” and fits in with Bates’ “egalitarian culture.”

Mitchell explained the goal of the committee is also to “support the candidate in their transition to the college.” They are also looking for a candidate that is “very articulate… very interested and really committed to doing a first-rate job.”

Mitchell and Hansen seemed optimistic about the search. Hansen explained that, though on a tight timeframe, the DSSC “seems to be committed to rolling up their sleeves.”






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