Several College administrators met with Dartmouth Outing Club leaders Tuesday night. The meeting was held to discuss a letter written by the students requesting that the administration respond publicly to their vision statement describing a student-run DOC. Members of the DOC will continue to meet with administrators until the two groups come to a consensus on a revised vision statement.
"The meeting was just to start a series of dialogues trying to hammer out what that vision is so that we're all on the same page," DOC president Andrew Palmer '10 said.
The DOC crafted the statement following the mid-July departure of Andy Harvard, former director of the Outdoor Programs Office. Many members of the DOC said they believe the College likely asked Harvard to leave and were upset by the sudden nature of the announcement that he had stepped down. Harvard's leaving was not discussed at the meeting.
Students and administrators generally agreed about the principles expressed by the vision statement, including the emphasis on student leadership, according to many present at the meeting. Acting Dean of Student Life Joe Cassidy, who attended the meeting, said some of the statement's language did not clearly articulate the students' views, however.
"I think we've got common agreement on the role that the DOC has played in its long history at the College and will continue to play," he said. "[I] look forward to coming to an agreement on a document that reflects that."
Some administrators took issue with the DOC's descript ion of the club as "independent," Palmer said, because they felt the word implied that the club operated separately from the College. The statement's drafters had meant to indicate that the club was mainly student-driven, Palmer explained.
Attendees at the meeting also discussed the relationship between OPO and the DOC, with students emphasizing that the DOC works cooperatively with OPO but is not run by it.
"I really liked the fact that the programs are developed by students, and they're managed by students," Dean of the College Tom Crady, who was also present at the meeting, said. "The office of outdoor programs provides a good support role in that process."
The DOC's final vision statement should help those in charge of finding the next director assess whether a candidate would be suitable for the job, according to Cassidy. The statement should also help members of the search committee articulate to potential candidates how Dartmouth's outdoor program differs from that of many other peer institutions, in which students have less responsibility, Cassidy said. This will help the candidates to determine if Dartmouth would be a good match.
Palmer and Ledyard Canoe Club Treasurer Parker Reed '09 expressed hope that being able to give potential candidates and the search committee a written statement would facilitate the selection of a director who would remain at the College for a long period of time. OPO has had three directors in the past eight years.
The role of students in the search process for the next OPO director was also discussed, with Cassidy assuring DOC members that the search committee will include at least one student. Many students will also be given the opportunity to interview candidates.
Reed said he believed the meeting to be an important first step in reaching an agreement about OPO's relationship with the DOC, but that much work remained to be done.
"The DOC is such a student-driven club and student-run club that it's a huge part of campus," Reed said. "Basically, we're craving for some sort of assurance from the administration that they aren't going to change things."
DOC members hope to meet with the administrators regularly until a final statement has been agreed upon, Palmer and Reed said. Crady and Cassidy agreed that the meetings should continue.
"I think we're talking about a regular dialogue here," Crady said. "From my point of view, I don't see it as one meeting or two meetings."
Acting OPO director Earl Jette could not be reached for comment.
