Correction appended
The College expects to begin reviewing applicants to fill the position of director of undergraduate judicial affairs on Feb. 15 and hopes to secure a candidate by July 1, said Kate Burke, assistant Dean of the College for campus life and chair of the search committee. The newly elected director will replace current director of undergraduate judicial affairs Nathan Miller, who has held the role for the past five years. The job was posted Jan. 21 on the College's employment opportunities site. Positions in higher education are often filled in the winter and spring, whereas the position changeover itself occurs during the summer between academic years, Burke said. Burke is also chair of the Committee on Standards, some members of which will be involved in the search.
Miller informed Burke that he and his wife plan to leave the College at the end of the academic year, she said.
The director of undergraduate judicial affairs is responsible for responding to allegations and overseeing disciplinary action for students and organizations in accordance with the process outlined in the College's Student Handbook.
"We are looking for someone who has current knowledge in the development and trends of the process of judicial affairs so that we can continue to improve our system," Burke said.
The job listing states that the College seeks a candidate with a "record of highly successful undergraduate judicial affairs experience and department management, superior ability to exercise sound judgment and demonstrated cultural competence," among other qualities.
The search committee hopes to hire a director who is prepared to interact with students and answer questions posed by the student body and students' family members, Burke said, and she expects the new director will work to raise awareness of the College's judicial processes across campus. The undergraduate judicial affairs department does not anticipate any major reforms in the judicial process to accompany the transition.
The new director will continue to fulfill Miller's responsibilities, including responding to reports of community standard violations and helping to educate the community about existing procedures.
Once the finalists are chosen, they will be invited to interview on campus, Burke said. Some COS members as well as College representatives will be present during the interviews, and candidates will be have a chance to meet students, faculty and staff.
The COS is composed of 12 faculty members, 12 students six elected by the student body and six selected by the Dean of the College and eight members selected by the President, according to the Student Handbook.
"My experience has been that all members of the committee take their responsibilities extremely seriously, and all participate as peers in the hearing process in determining whether a student or organization is responsible for an alleged violation and in determining the appropriate sanction if a violation is found," Burke said in an email.
Serious misconduct cases are heard by COS hearing panels of two faculty members, two students, an administrative member and the non-voting chair. A similar seven member Organizational Adjudication Committee panel hears cases of alleged organizational violations. The new director will work closely with both groups, Burke said.
Burke said that the process of selecting a new director is still in its early stages.
"I think there is a fair amount of interest," she said. "But we haven't started reviewing the applications, so it's too early to say what the pool of applicants will look like."
Mediation at Dartmouth president Kaila Pedersen '14 said she is excited about the director and what he or she could bring to the College. She said she hopes that the new director will seek to interact with student groups and pursue community-building.
Miller could not be reached for comment by press time.
