Now that President Wright and the Board of Trustees have provided a guiding framework for the future of student social and residential life at Dartmouth, I am writing to share with you some of my initial thoughts on the exciting opportunities before us. I want you to know how much I appreciate the hard work and energy you have devoted to bringing the Dartmouth community to this important point in time. As we begin this next phase of the Student Life Initiative, I will continue to rely on your energetic participation and thoughtful ideas.
The Board has stated that the residential and social environment on campus should better complement and reinforce the academic experience. In particular, it has highlighted the importance of a sense of community and belonging, of celebrating the diversity of our unique personal backgrounds as well as those things that unite us, and of the centrality to the Dartmouth experience of such basic values as honesty, respect, responsibility, trust, and fairness. Based on these elements and supported by other portions of the Board statement, I am delighted to announce the following changes, effective July 1, 2000:
- The compensation for Undergraduate Advisors will be substantially increased, reflecting the growing importance of this position within the evolving residential system.
- The Office of Residential Life will hire additional professional staff who will serve as resources for students and work with students to provide enhanced programming.
- The advisory positions for African-American students, Latino/Hispanic students, Asian Pacific American students, and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered students will be expanded from half-time to full-time.
- The Orientation program for students, piloted in the fall of 1999 to provide incoming students with a positive introduction to the strengths and diversity of their peers, as well as the many social and recreational options on campus, will be expanded.
- The Office of Residential Life will contact leaders of CFS organizations, CFS advisors and House Corporation leaders to identify the support and resources needed to meet the expectations outlined in the Trustee statement and to assist these organizations in meeting the challenges now before them.
- CFS house residency will not be restricted to senior members and junior officers, and organization members will be eligible to apply for their house's undergraduate advisor position, though I have not yet decided when this new position will be created.
- The temporary position that was created in the Office of Student Life to work with students to provide "Bigger, Better, and Later" social programs will be made permanent, and additional funding will be allocated to support enhanced student programming and activities.
I share in the excitement of many members of our community that the Board has asked us to move forward with the world cultures initiative. I know from my conversations with students that many of you have creative and practical ideas for breathing life into issues of diversity and community on our campus. I look forward to working with the President and the Provost to determine how to proceed with this charge, and I know that our work will depend on significant student input. Along these same lines, I will also work with the Director of the Women's Resource Center to strengthen existing relationships within the institution, particularly within the Dean of the College area, to achieve our goal of affirming positive gender relations.
I have asked the Dean of Residential Life to take the lead on a number of important projects that will all include continued student involvement and input. The Office of Residential Life will: 1) guide the effort to design the newly approved residences that will allow us to meet many goals, including providing housing for all interested Dartmouth students; 2) consult with the First-Year Office about how best to approach the concept of First-Year housing, complete with the programming, upperclass student involvement, and staffing resources necessary to make this program a vital and dynamic addition to our campus; 3) play a key role in the review of Senior Societies, non-CFS selective organizations, and academic affinity programs in order to determine the role of such entities in our enhanced residential system; 4) review and possibly expand housing features such as "quiet" floors, single sex and coed floors, smoke-free environments, and substance-free residences.
The Office of Residential Life will use the principles outlined in the Board statement as a basis for working with a variety of constituencies to develop standards of excellence for Coed, Fraternity and Sorority organizations (CFS), and to implement other aspects of the Board statement. Their recommendations will then be presented for my consideration. I will be taking some additional time to consider other CFS related issues, including summer residency, and I look forward to working closely with those organizations that have a genuine interest in rising to the challenges presented by the Board.
Students have been enthusiastic about improvements to the campus dining, social and recreation spaces. I will work with the Office of Student Life, Dartmouth Dining Services and the Dartmouth College Athletic Department to establish a planning process for these efforts, relying in great part on the continued insight and experience of Dartmouth students.
The College Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs spent winter term considering ways to move ahead on alcohol education and policy issues. I will meet with the committee to discuss its recommendations and determine how to engage other members of the community in discussions about changes to our current policies and programs. I will also be consulting with my colleagues in the Dean of the College area, student leaders, and others about moving ahead on developing a single judicial system for all student organizations.
In the next few years, all members of our community will be asked to contribute resources of time, energy and wisdom to accomplish the goals set forth in the Trustee statement. There has rarely been such an important and exhilarating time at Dartmouth College in terms of what these improvements will mean for the lives of students. All of you have helped us arrive at this significant milestone and you should take pride in what you have accomplished. I will now ask you to join us as we move forward with the next phase of the Student Life Initiative.
