Michelle Garfield, the current Associate Dean of the University of Georgia's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, visited Dartmouth last week to interview as one of four finalists for the Dean of the College position vacated by James Larimore last May.
Garfield is currently in charge of academic affairs and oversees areas such as the Offices of Academic Advising and the Graduation Certificate Office at Franklin.
Before becoming associate dean, Garfield worked for three years as the Residential Dean of the Franklin Residential College. Like the East Wheelock Cluster at Dartmouth, the FRC, which began in 2001, is an application-based housing program in which students and faculty members live together and integrate academic and residential life.
Garfield, who also helped design the program, served as advisor-in-residence, living in a dormitory and facilitating the programs initiated by students and faculty.
"She certainly bears a lot of credit for getting that college going," Franklin Senior Associate Dean Hugh Ruppersburg said.
She also works with Franklin's Faculty Senate Committee -- a body that brings together faculty members and senators from the school's student government -- and is involved with the Student Advisory Board, a group that meets once a month to facilitate dialogue between students and staff members.
Franklin students commended Garfield for her commitment to students and overall accessibility.
Benjamin Zang, a junior who met with Garfield through his work as a student government senator, called Garfield's availability as an administrator "refreshing."
"She's very approachable. Some college administrators sort of just sit in their high chairs, perched above everybody else, but she's someone you can really call up and get an appointment with," Zang said. "That's the type of persona that Dean Garfield has."
Students also pointed to Garfield's ability to resolve conflicts as one of her greatest strengths.
Brandon Hall, a junior who formerly served as president of Franklin's Black Affairs Council and also worked with Garfield through student government, said Garfield was instrumental in helping him resolve a conflict with a professor.
"Her ability to bring everybody to the table together is her greatest accomplishment as an administrator here," Hall said.
Garfield also currently teaches in the history and African American studies departments at Franklin. Her research specialty is U.S. women's history during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Ruppersburg praised the quality of Garfield's leadership and her ability to work with students.
"I can't think of anyone who is better at her job than she is," Ruppersburg said. "She is an extremely effective administrator -- in the best and most positive sense of that word."
Garfield previously served as Franklin's Director of Advising while working to complete her Ph.D., and was then elevated from that position, Ruppersburg said.
"I think of her in terms of her effective rapport with students, her highly successful means of communication with students about their concerns, her understanding of the advising process and her desire to have an advising process and a way of interacting with students that serves the best interest of the students while at the same time serving the academic interests of the institution," Ruppersburg said.
Hawley Morrison, a Franklin senior, said Garfield has experience in handling issues of diversity.
Morrison contacted Garfield during her efforts to bring the National Coalition Building Institute, an anti-racism training group, to Franklin's campus, and discovered that Garfield had previously taken part in an NCBI training program.
"She has expressed sincere desire to support an environment of diversity," Morrison said. "She's had training literally in creating not just a safe environment, but an environment that deals with issues."
Garfield declined comment when contacted by The Dartmouth. In her e-mail, Garfield also wrote, "There seems to be some campus controversy on this issue," and included a link to the Feb. 26 letter to The Dartmouth written by Carlos Mejia '08. In his letter, Mejia criticized The Dartmouth's decision to print the names of the known dean candidates.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Garfield received her undergraduate degree from Yale University, and earned her Ph.D. from Duke University.
The Dean of the College search committee, which is chaired by College Provost Barry Scherr, began its efforts last July. The committee aims to appoint a new dean by Summer term.
