College Provost Barry Scherr held an open meeting for students to discuss the search for replacements for Ozzie Harris and Tommy Lee Woon on Monday evening. Harris was the special assistant to the president for Institutional Diversity and Equity and director of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity and Woon, was the associate dean of Student Life for the Office of Pluralism and Leadership who resigned in March and August respectively.
Representatives at the meeting from the Committee of the Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity, which will conduct the search, were Michelle Meyers, interim director of the Committee of the Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity; Jeff James, the director of the Hopkins Center; Holly Sateia, dean of Student Life; and Stuart Lord, dean of the Tucker Foundation. Other members of the Committee are French and Italian department chairwoman Katharine Conley and Director of Financial Reporting Kerry Jones.
Scherr said the committee was organized to evaluate and review the responsibilities and agendas associated with each position and their part in the overall effort to promote diversity.
The Committee hopes to begin the search after the review is completed and would like to have replacement for Woon by Summer term.
Detailed descriptions of the positions were presented by the Committee to help students further understand the type of deliberation required for the Committee.
"Essentially the job of the committee is to listen to take in information and to make some recommendations. We hope to do that in the next week or two," Scherr said.
The Committee has held a number of open meetings for staff, but this is the first meeting open to students.
Over 50 students were present for the meeting, including approximately only three white males, including Student Assembly President Tim Andreadis '07, which sparked discussion.
"Privilege is invisible for those who enjoy it. Am I surprised that there are not more white men in this room? No, I am not," Sateia said.
Since Woon's departure, audience member Carlos Mejia '08 said, the various dialogues that OPAL hosts have not been as palatable and most would not have taken place without the Office's interception.
"I think it is important that these directors of these programs are made accessible and visible to students the same way first-year deans are," Dulce Schultz '09 said.
Many students expressed concerns regarding the search, including the frequent turnover of advisers. Sateia apologized for the lack of permanency in the position.
Raymond Rodriguez '09 said that the absences in the OPAL office alarmed him in regards to the office's permanency and would like a sign from the College that OPAL will be a permanent entity.
Alexandra Garrison '07 requested that the new administrators remain for a minimum of five years.
Meyers said that OPAL is important because it interacts with both minorities and whites, as it was part of Woon's job to find ways to get everyone involved in the conversation of diversity.
"We actually work with lots of white folks through training and educational programs," Meyers said. "I see both of these positions really working as its primary focus a question of inclusion."
