Peter Goldsmith, a Princeton University anthropology professor and administrator who has dealt extensively with issues of multiculturalism, will take charge of the Dean of Freshmen Office, succeeding Diana Beaudoin who resigned after five years to pursue other professional opportunities.
Goldsmith is presently Director of Studies at Mathey College, one of five residential houses for freshmen and sophomores at Princeton. He plans on starting his Dartmouth position September 13.
As Director of Studies, Goldsmith is responsible for the academic advising of 450 freshmen and sophomores and for coordinating faculty advisers. He also acts as a residential director for those students. He deals with minor disciplinary infractions and residential adviser selection, training and supervision.
His seven years at Princeton include vast experience in educating the broad community on racial, ethnic and religious diversification. Goldsmith supervises Mathey's Minority Affairs Advisers who are responsible for facilitating the adjustment of minority students.
Dean of Students Lee Pelton, who announced Goldsmith's selection, said the new freshmen dean will be responsible for developing a first-year program that will place more emphasis on harmonizing students' academic and social lives.
"Beginning this year, Dartmouth will begin a process of re-examining the first-year experience of its students -- within the context of their residential, social and academic lives. It is important that these various aspects of students' lives complement each other in a way that will ensure that their total educational experience at Dartmouth is successful," Pelton said.
"Dean Goldsmith will assume a leadership role in the re-evaluation of the experience of our first-year students. Orientation, academic advising and the curricular choices that students make will be carefully reviewed," Pelton said.
Goldsmith said it is difficult to predict how that particular charge will translate into definite goals and agendas right now.
"I don't believe everything that goes on freshman year has to be intellectual and stultifying ... but I think blurring the lines of what happens in the classroom and outside of the classroom has to have some importance," Goldsmith said.
"Residential colleges have special kinds of possibilities ... If students were only connecting with faculty in the classroom, it might as well be a community college," Goldsmith added.
A strong program in the first year is of particular importance to Goldsmith, who considers that year a critical time in the student's development.
"It's primarily in the freshman year that one establishes habits ... and begins to think most self-consciously about who you are and what you want to become," Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith comes to Dartmouth with strong recommendations from his peers and supervisors at Princeton.
"He's very effective and regarded highly by students. We're really excited for him and he'll do a great job," Nancy Kanach, assistant dean of the college, said.
Goldsmith is also described as very thoughtful and caring by his Princeton colleagues.
"He's an approachable, low-key, level-headed person with a good sense of humor. I think people would like him enormously," said Nancy Malkiel, dean of the college.
Besides overseeing about 1,080 students, Goldsmith will be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of all policies, programs and activities related to freshman year.
Dartmouth students who met with Goldsmith during the search process all praise his experience.
"I think I liked him the best of all the candidates I saw. He stressed direct interaction with students , such as eating with students in dining halls, and being visible on campus," Jenny Fung '95 said. Fung and four other students met with Goldsmith while he was on campus for his interview.
Rukmini Sichitiu '95, a member of the freshman dean search committee, said "I was really impressed. He has a tremendous amount of academic advising and a lot of experiences and skills guiding freshmen through his role as director of studies."
But Sichitiu said she was worried about Goldsmith's ability "to relate to students on more than an academic level."
"He seems very reserved and quiet compared to the other candidates who are very lively," she said.
Goldsmith said he looks forward to the excitement and challenges of his new job.
"It's always very exciting to come to a new institution ... I want to run my office in such a way that there will be lots of conversation."
Goldsmith majored in English at Boston College and received his Master's degree in sociology there. He received his Ph.D in anthropology at the University of Chicago.
At Princeton, Goldsmith has taught about one course a year in anthropology or African-American studies. He is currently working on a biography of Moe Asch, a pioneer in the recording of world ethnic music, for Smithsonian Press.
