Harvard University announced yesterday that Career Services Director William Wright-Swadel will be Harvard's next director of its Faculty of Arts and Sciences' Office of Career Services.
Wright-Swadel, who has been at the College since 1992, will remain at Dartmouth until early August. "We're managing the transition with as much sensitivity as we can," he said.
Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said the College has not yet decided who will be Career Services' interim director. He said a search for a new permanent director should begin soon.
"We'll probably start a search and advertise over the summer," he said. Nelson said he hopes a new director would be named during the 1995-1996 academic year.
Wright-Swadel said he is happy with his new position, but admitted leaving Dartmouth "is a double-edged sword."
"I think the opportunity at Dartmouth is one I have valued," Wright-Swadel said.
Swadel was singled out from a field of 70 candidates who applied for the position, Harvard Assistant Dean Jeffrey Wolcowitz said.
Wright-Swadel said he decided to seek the job because "of personal issues for my family and an opportunity for me to be involved with ... Harvard."
Wolcowitz, who chaired Harvard's search committee, said Harvard chose Wright-Swadel because of his reputation of working well with faculty, students and staff and his experience with a student body similar to Harvard.
Wolcowitz also cited Wright-Swadel's use of information technology to make information about career services more available to students.
All applications for the position were submitted by the end of January and the interview process took place during March, Wolcowitz said.
Harvard's Dean of the College Fred Jewett made an offer to Wright-Swadel in early April, Wolcowitz said.
Wright-Swadel said he expects many of the challenges he will face at Harvard will be similar to those he has encountered at the College.
But he said he will have to adapt to Harvard's larger size and different housing system.
Nelson said he has mixed emotions about Wright-Swadel's departure.
"For the College it is a significant loss because he has been absolutely outstanding," he said. But he said the position "is a wonderful opportunity for" Wright-Swadel.
Both Nelson and Wolcowitz said Wright-Swadel has been very dedicated to the College, both in and out of Career Services.
Wright-Swadel will be replacing Martha Leape, the director of Harvard's Office of Career Services for the past 14 years.
Before coming to Dartmouth, Wright-Swadel was director of career services at the University of Rhode Island, according to a Harvard press release.
He previously worked at the University of Maine at Orono and the State University College at New Paltz, N.Y.
In 1992 he received the Administrative Excellence Award at the University of Rhode Island, the release stated.
