The presentations were designed to give those interested a chance to meet the candidates and hear about their qualifications for the position. OPAL is looking for a new advisor who will bring an understanding of LGBT student issues to Dartmouth and will be able to work with other minority communities on campus, Satterlund said.
"We think the queer community has a lot of diversity, and we want a candidate who can reflect on that," Satterlund, who is the head of the search committee for the new LGBT advisor, said.
The Dartmouth is not printing the names of the four applicants because their current positions at other universities could be jeopardized should their active job search be publicized. One of the candidates is a currently a psychology professor at a medium-sized public university in Pennsylvania, another works as an administrator serving LGBT students at a medium-sized private liberal arts college in rural upstate New York, the third works with LGBT students at a large private university in Chicago and the final candidate works with LGBT students at a large public university in Southern California.
After current LGBT Advisor Pam Misener announced in June that she would be leaving the College in January 2013, OPAL assembled a search committee of nine members to find her replacement. Satterlund is heading the committee.
Misener is not a member of the search committee, but she has been gathering input from students about what they are looking for in the new advisor, Satterlund said. Misener has worked at OPAL since 1999.
Satterlund said that the committee is looking for a candidate who embraces the notion of intersecting identities, has experience in social justice and has strong presentation and public speaking skills. The committee also hopes to find someone who will bring a clear focus on programming.
The presentations in Collis will help the committee to evaluate the candidates' presentation and communication skills, she said.
"What happens in presentation and public speaking is a big part of the work," Satterlund said. "In student services and support, the ability to teach and engage others is very important."
The search committee will also use the presentations to evaluate the candidates' relatability, their experience and their perspective on gender, race, class and sexual orientation, Satterlund said.
Bringing candidates to campus to make open presentations to the community as a part of the hiring process is "a very standard process in higher education," Satterlund said.
Search committee member and Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services Larissa Hopkins said that she is looking for a candidate who has a strong social justice perspective, background in student development and understanding of the multiplicity of identities. Hopkins will work closely with the new dean in aiding students with disabilities.
"I want to see someone who isn't going to take over the leadership of the program," Hopkins said. "The new dean should be someone who supports the student leadership."
Hopkins said she also hopes that the new director will bring creative programs to campus.
"The students here are so brilliant," she said. "I hope the new person will have invigorating programs for the students,"
Donna Hay, manager of career services and professional development at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, attended the open presentations, although she is not a member of the search committee. Hay would like to see a new director with a student advising background and willingness to hold personal meetings with students to address their concerns, she said.
She also said she hopes that the new candidate has a theoretical understanding of student development research, she said.
"A lot of people don't understand that higher education is a field of study," Hay said. "There is actually research out there that informs this field of work."
Hay has been pleased with all of the candidates so far, she said.
"I think we were very fortunate," she said. "These candidates really showed the depth of their knowledge."
The four candidates that spoke in the open presentations underwent an extensive vetting process of recruiting and phone interviews, Satterlund said. The final four contenders were asked to give presentations on why they would be a good addition to the Dartmouth community, she said.
Many students involved in LGBT activities on campus said they did not attend the presentations.
