Almost a year after Sexual Abuse Awareness Program Coordinator Heather Earle left the College, Women's Resource Center Director Giavanna Munafo said the College will soon pick a new coordinator from a short list of four candidates.
The new coordinator, who Munafo said will probably be announced next week, will begin her job in mid-June. Earle, who became the coordinator in 1989, left the College last year to pursue a doctorate degree at the University of Wisconsin.
The Health Resources Department and the Women's Resource Center started a national search last year to find a replacement for Earle. Laurie Aaronson, Jacqueline Cobbina, Kelly Otte and Brenda Satrom were chosen from a field of 70 applicants to come to Dartmouth for an interview.
As part of the interview process, the four candidates are all making presentations to students on issues dealing with sexual abuse.
"With the presentations we're trying to figure out whether the candidate can effectively relate to the Dartmouth campus, and also she can decide whether she wants to be here," Munafo said.
According to Munafo, a nine-person committee will select the new coordinator. Two students serve on the committee.
Munafo said the committee is looking for someone who will be able to manage many different responsibilities including crisis counseling, developing programming and working within the administration.
"This person must be sensitive to racial, sexual and social issues and also be willing to get involved with the Dartmouth community," Munafo said.
Otte, the rape education coordinator at the University of North Florida, gave her presentation on Monday at Delta Gamma sorority. Aaronson, the residence hall director at the University of South Carolina spoke last night at Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority.
Satrom, the director of counseling and career development at the University of Maine will speak today in the East Wheelock Cluster and Cobbina, the assistant to the director of residential life at Central Connecticut State University will speak Thursday in the River Cluster.
Students who attend the presentations are asked to fill out evaluations about the candidate to offer feedback to the committee.
"The evaluations create a formal avenue for the students to give their input about the candidates," Assistant Coordinator of Sexual Awareness and Abuse Programs Liza Veto said. Veto has been acting as the coordinator while the committee is looking for a new coordinator.
The coordinator will be responsible for Sexual Abuse Awareness Programs and raising the campus's awareness of sexual assault, domestic violence and gender issues through educational programming.
She will work on the Committee of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment to review the College's policy on sexual abuse and will be involved in all reported incidents of sexual abuse and will provide counseling to students.
Veto said, "The committee has really deliberated over this. The students can be sure that we are not compromising anything in any of the four candidates."
Health Educator Gabrielle Lucke said, "We are looking for someone with a high energy level, someone who will be visible and active on campus and make a contribution to the Dartmouth community."
"The new coordinator will not focus on long term counseling, but will just be a resource and advocate for sexual awareness," Lucke said.
