Thomas Crady, former vice president of student services at Grinnell College, began his tenure as dean of the College today.
Crady said he plans to spend his first ten weeks on campus familiarizing himself with the College rather than attempting to institute immediate changes.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Crady said he and Senior Associate Dean Dan Nelson, former acting dean of the College, met to discuss ongoing issues at Dartmouth, such as the current review of the Committee on Standards. Crady said he will probably not make any major decisions on these issues until he better understands Dartmouth culture, and that it was too early for him to identify specific long-term goals.
"I need to understand why programs are in place, what the history is, how people feel about them," Crady said. "Having said that, I know that there are student concerns about things. I know that there are student concerns with the Committee on Standards, but I want to be thoughtful about that."
Crady said that while he would always be involved with any important initiatives, such as Social Event Management Procedures and COS reform, he does not believe it is the dean of the College's role to "micromanage."
"If a set of recommendations is going to come to me, I would hope that I would have a chance to talk to the group about my general opinions," Crady said. "Have the best people you can possibly find and then let them do their job ... On major issues where there are aspects of a culture that I don't understand, it would be really inappropriate of me to try to jump ahead."
As dean of the College, Crady said he would strive to have an active presence and have significant contact with students. He said he intends to have lunch with student leaders, eat in the dining halls, be present in Collis Center and attend sporting and other cultural events.
"I want to talk to all types of student groups -- members of fraternities, members of sororities. I want to talk to athletes and just a wide range of students."
Crady, who arrived in Hanover Dec. 29, said he has a lot of free time to meet with students, as his family plans to remain in Iowa until early June.
Crady said he intends to implement the "open-door" policy he practiced at Grinnell College, allowing any student to meet with him. He said he hopes this policy, in addition to his visibility on campus, will encourage students to overcome any reluctance they may have about speaking with administrators.
"I'm really here to listen to students and be an advocate for students," Crady said. "It's important to see how students feel about things. It doesn't mean we're always going to agree on issues."
Ensuring that the needs of underrepresented students are met is an additional priority of his, Crady said. The first member of his immediate family to go to college, Crady said one of his goals is to allow all students equal access to College resources and opportunities.
Regarding the fall 2006 racial controversy, Crady said that Sylvia Spears, associate dean of pluralism and leadership, and Holly Sateia, special assistant to the president for institutional diversity and equity, are currently working on a protocol to handle such events.
"It's important for me to make sure that, if there are issues like what occurred last fall, that people respond quickly, thoughtfully and in a way that consults with me," Crady said. "It's also important, I think, to be as proactive as possible, to try to do education and to really focus on areas where we know we can improve things."
Crady declined comment on the current trustee controversy.
