The Forum (newspaper)
Sponsored by the Salvatori Center
CMC Dean of Students Jefferson Huang is apparently looking for other options. According the The Amherst Student, Amherst College is seeking a new Dean of Students since the current Dean is retiring after 25 years in that position, and, after soliciting applications and separating the chaff, our own Dean Huang is on their shortlist.
The Search Committee for the Dean of Students, which has solicited applications for the position since Lieber’s decision to step down, has narrowed the number of candidates to four. They include Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Bowdoin College Margaret Hazlett, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Claremont McKenna College Jefferson Huang, Senior Associate Dean of Students at Amherst Charri Boykin-East and, finally, Dean of Students at Georgetown University Law Center Mitchell Bailin.“The goal is to have someone as soon as we possibly can [to fill the position],” said Tekla Harms, Professor of Geology and chair of the Search Committee. “One of these four candidates is liable to become our Dean of Students.”Yesterday, the first of four candidates visited Amherst to meet with faculty, administrators and students. Over the next three weeks, the other three candidates will make similar appearances.
Lieber, Amherst's current Dean of Students, actually sought to step down last year but the college could not find a suitable replacement in time and he agreed to stay on until one could be found. Considering Lieber's rush to leave, we can only imagine that if Huang is chosen he will be expected to start very soon. According to the Student, Huang is planning to visit Amherst in the next few weeks. With tough competition from Georgetown, Amherst, and an internal applicant however, we may not be saying goodbye to Huang just yet, something he emphasized whenThe Forum reached him for comment,
I get calls like this fairly frequently; just yesterday, I was contacted by a headhunter for the Dean of Students position at Swarthmore College, who said I had been recommended by someone else for the position. I've been asked to apply for similar positions at Yale, Brown, Rice, and others. Each time, my answer has been, "No, thanks." I'm happy at CMC, and was not actively looking to make a move.I felt that Amherst's position was worth taking a look at for personal reasons. I have family in Massachusetts, and I spent several of my summers during college living on the campus of Amherst, working as a summer RA. So I decided to talk to them about the position.I wouldn't get too worried or excited (whichever it may be) about my potentially leaving CMC at this point.
No news right now as to what CMC's administration would do should we lose Dean Huang.