In "Mind The Gaps" (July 16), the Summer Editorial Board expressed concern over the College's failure to fill several job vacancies on campus, including the Director of Greek Letter Organizations. How do you think this specific vacancy affects the student body, particularly in its relationship with the administration, if at all?
The administration's failure to fill vacancies across campus will most likely have the effect of discouraging confidence in the College in the minds of the students. One should not forget, however, that taking time to fill important positions is not necessarily a bad thing; finding the best candidates takes time.
Jacob Batchelor '12
It appears that positions that are vital to the functioning of the College, such as the Dean of Faculty, are being filled expeditiously. In an ideal world, all positions would be filled with speed and transparency, but at a time when resources are limited, it is reasonable for the administration to focus on the most important positions first. It does not appear that vacancies in lesser positions, such as the Director of Greek Letter Organizations, are having a major impact on student life, and as long as that continues to be the case, I support the administration's apparent choice to prioritize upper-level vacancies first.
Emily Johnson '12
While it would certainly be more beneficial to have this position filled by now, I personally don't see any significant ways in which this vacancy has caused inconvenience for the student body. That said, if a problem did happen to arise, I feel confident that the administration would provide some kind of resource or go-to person in a transition time such as this.
Natalie Colaneri '12
The time it has taken for search committees to fill important chairs and director positions or not is indicative of the tone College President Jim Yong Kim has set for his administration. With such a hands-off approach to College issues and the problems directly affecting students here in Hanover, the administration has become lazy with the job it is responsible for: administrating College affairs. The administration's handling of the river-dock situation is further evidence of this very point.
Jasper Hicks '12
Honestly, I don't think it matters all that much. I have not noticed any difference in my day-to-day Dartmouth experience because of it. The various shufflings and reshufflings of the College bureaucracy are, I think, of very little importance to our lives as Dartmouth students, especially during sophomore Summer. We'll keep doing what we're doing no matter how long the College takes to fill certain positions.
Peter Blair '12
The lack of a Director of Greek Letter Organizations is very troubling given the events in the recent past involving fraternities and sororities on campus. With the release of SPARHC's findings, ever-changing Hanover Police policies and charges against the Tabard coed fraternity, Greek organizations are in need of guidance more than ever. The College should thus act quickly to fill this vacancy.
Andrew Clay '12
I do not believe that the vacancies are particularly relevant during the Summer term when three quarters of the student body isn't even here, and the campus moves at such a snail's pace. It's more important that these positions be filled by people who are good fits for the College in the long term. We have plenty of time.
Raza Rasheed '12
With the Tabard's recent legal problems and Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone's brazen new policies still fresh in our memory, having a clear advisor with whom we can communicate and trust is vital. Clearly the College can still function, but if another problem arises, we'll need someone to turn to.
Spenser Mestel '11
