Crady met with various student groups, including Palaeopitus Senior Society and the captains of several varsity sports teams, along with administrators and his future staff in the dean of the College's office. He and his family also took a tour of campus with the Hill Winds Society.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Crady said that he has no specific policy plans for when he takes office. He did not want to comment on issues currently facing the campus, such as the College governance controversy, the Committee on Standards and Social Event Management Procedures reform.
"My main agenda when I come in is to learn extensively about the culture of students, faculty and staff," Crady said. "I think it's a mistake to come in with an agenda to change things when you don't really know anything about the place."
Crady did explain his plans to get to know the student body, including office hours in the Collis Center.
"My goal is to meet students in their own space," he said. "One of the reasons I got into this career was to interact with college students, and you can't do that from behind a computer screen."
During his visit, Crady also met with Student Assembly President Travis Green '08.
"We talked about how he wants to meet students when he gets here, and spend the first 6 months trying to figuring out things at Dartmouth," Green said of his meeting with the incoming dean.
Crady was troubled that expulsion and suspension are the themes students associate most with Parkhurst Hall. The incoming administrator said he would strive for transparency and accessibility in his work at Dartmouth.
"What you see with me is what you get," he said. "There's no hidden agenda here."
Crady has previously worked at Grinnell College, a school of 1,600 students located in Grinnell, Iowa, for the last 25 years. He currently serves as vice-president of student services, where he oversees academic advising, housing and residential life, and several other programs, according to Grinnell's website. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of several new residence halls and a $40 million dollar campus center similar to Collis.
Dartmouth's academics attracted Crady to the College.
"I wanted to work in a place that really emphasized strong academics," he said. "From what I've read, Dartmouth is strong in the liberal arts, but also works as a research institution."
Crady also cited Dartmouth's location and his family's love for the outdoors as motivating factors in his decision.
Dartmouth offered Crady the position in August after a year-long search for a replacement for former Dean of the College James Larimore. Nelson has served as acting dean of the College in the interim.
Crady holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication, a masters in guidance and counseling from Northern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University in education.
