The August departure of Associate Dean Tommy Lee Woon, who headed the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, has left Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia to oversee the office in addition to fulfilling her duties as a dean. This has increased the workload of OPAL's remaining staff members, she said.
Sateia, who also heads the search committee to fill the vacancy left by Woon's departure, said that she hopes to hire a replacement by the end of Winter term.
"I want to bring the very best person here, and I am going to do that as expeditiously as possible," she said.
Sateia said the vacancy has placed a strain on the various advisers in OPAL's offices.
"Certainly we miss the staff that left the College. Even though you do have staff members that will step up to the plate, you are still not able to handle things as smoothly as you'd like," Sateia said.
OPAL says its mission is to make Dartmouth more accepting of historically under-represented groups to improve the college experiences of all students.
Asian student adviser Nora Yasumura said that, in light of the vacancy, OPAL has tried to reassure students that its accomplishments were generated by the work of many people, not just one individual. Still, OPAL finds it difficult to meet students' needs with a smaller staff, she said.
"All of the OPAL's staff are feeling very stretched. It's not sustainable that anyone should have to do so much," she said.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender student adviser Pamela Misener expressed similar sentiments.
"The reality of vacant positions, for me that literally means fewer hands to do the work," she said. "What I feel in this moment is that I am treading water. What I'd rather be doing is swimming towards the next destination."
Misener said that when the community is in a vulnerable state as it is now that Woon's position is vacant, the effects of students' culturally insensitive actions are felt more heavily in the community.
"I thought we could hold ourselves to higher standards than we have this fall," Sateia said in reference to a series of issues, including an interruption at the Columbus Day drum circle by two intoxicated students, that affected Native American students this term. "We have had some situations occur that have negatively impacted members of our community, and that is unacceptable."
Situations like these were not dealt with as effectively as they were in the past because of the vacant position at OPAL, staff members said.
"I think, for people who experience Dartmouth as a potentially unwelcoming or a hostile environment, the resources are not as available," Misener said.
She said that although minority students have generally been more affected by Woon's departure, most students who identify themselves with the majority community have not seemed to notice the vacancy. This is because "that's how racism works," Misener said.
"They don't experience it in the same way because they don't feel vulnerable," Misener said.
Soralee Ayvar '07, who interned for Woon, said that students view OPAL differently now because it no longer has a true head.
"I think, for the lack of a better word, the at-large community could always go to Tommy Woon ... because he [was] the general figurehead. But I think there is a lot of mixed communication about where these people can go now," she said.
Yasumura said that OPAL was in the infancy stage of engaging the broader campus and that students should become more involved with the office, even with the office's current vacancy.
"I sort of feel like you would have to be literally on another planet to not know who OPAL is. It takes personal initiative of very few offices expected," Yasumura said.
Despite the setbacks caused by the vacancy at OPAL, Sateia said she remained hopeful.
"We are trying as hard as we can," Sateia said. "I'm confident that we can get back on track."