Office of Pluralism and Leadership director Alysson Satterlund left the College on July 11, and assistant dean and advisor to black students T.M. Mosley also filed her resignation that day. No interim director of OPAL has been appointed yet, interim Dean of the College Inge-Lise Ameer said, adding that one may be appointed in the coming weeks.
Since July 5, The Dartmouth has sought comment from Satterlund regarding her departure, exchanging more than 15 emails with both her and OPAL administrative assistant Minnie Slater over the two-week period with the intent of scheduling an interview. Despite The Dartmouth allowing a one-week extension, Satterlund did not comment in person, by phone or by email by press time.
Slater noted in an email that Satterlund was traveling on July 16.
Mosley did not respond to two emails asking for comment on her departure from the College.
Assistant dean and advisor to Latino students Rodrigo Ramirez and assistant dean and advisor to first-generation students Karlos Santos-Coy did not return requests for comment.OPAL intern Amaris de la Rosa-Moreno ’16 declined to comment.
Satterlund left for an appointment in California, but neither Ameer nor OPAL international student programs director Steve Silver provided specific details. Mosley said she was leaving the College but did not provide further information, Ameer said.
Satterlund arrived at the College in 2012 from California State University at Sacramento. In the first few months of her tenure, OPAL saw significant turnover in its advisors: Mosley, Santos-Coy and former pan-Asian and Asian-American advisor Aerial Ashlee were all hired in 2012.
Since Satterlund came to Dartmouth, OPAL has responded to several high-profile incidents. After two bias incidents were filed in one week in January 2013, OPAL hosted a forum to address student concerns. OPAL also facilitated discussions after last year’s “Bloods and Crips” party hosted by Alpha Delta fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority sparked public outrage.
Kelsey Anspach ’15, last summer’s Tri-Delt president, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Mike Haughey ’15, last summer’s AD president, said OPAL led encouraging dialogue after the party. Haughey emphasized that OPAL encouraged “open and honest” conversation, which allowed students to voice opinions “without any judgment.”
Satterlund recommended that Phi Delta Alpha fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority cancel the “Phiesta” fundraiser in April.
In an email, Satterlund wrote, “They need to cancel it and send out the apology.” This email was then forwarded by Greek Letter Organizations and Societies president Wes Schaub to Phi Delt president Taylor Cathcart '15 and A Phi president Courtney Wong ’15.
“OPAL never made any attempt to contact Phi Delt either before or after setting forth that demand,” Cathcart wrote in an email.
Wong declined to comment, but she forwarded Satterlund and Shaub’s communication to The Dartmouth. Schaub did not respond to three requests for comment.
Women’s and gender studies professor Pati Hernandez credited Satterlund with securing funding for “Telling My Story on Campus,” a program Hernandez leadsthat brings together those from different areas of campus and results in a performance. She called Satterlund a diligent advocate for students, noting her constant presence in studentprogramming. She said Satterlund fostered community among OPAL staff.
Satterlund “stands for inclusiveness, diversity and equality,” serving as an example to students and staff, Hernandez said. Hernandez was the 2013-2014 faculty fellow in OPAL.
Hernandez said she sees the College as undergoing a transitional phase, and she said Satterlund created a space that can calm community members.
Inter-Community Council summer co-chair Chloe Jones ’16 also emphasized Satterlund’s constant presence at community meetings and programming. Although Jones was not involved in the “Freedom Budget” protests, she said Satterlund supported student activism, noting that OPAL held a gathering with food after the April sit-in.
OPAL socioeconomic class intern Hui Cheng ’16 credited Satterlund with mentoring her during Cheng’s work in producing an event titled “Hidden Costs of Dartmouth” that took place during Dimensions and a long-term project to compile financial resources into a guide.
Mosley’s departure is part of a trend of minority staff leaving the College, Dartmouth NAACP summer president Frank Cunningham ’16 said.
More than 80 percent of Dartmouth’s faculty is white, placing Dartmouth at the bottom of the Ivy League in faculty diversity.
As OPAL prepares to search for a new student director, community members reflected on OPAL’s role and opportunities in coming months.
Satterlund was central to the office, Jones said, and she is unsure of OPAL’s plans for the future.
With a new student director and a new College President, OPAL faces the challenge of providing institutional memory to support student efforts, Jones said.
OPAL should facilitate dialogue, rather than mandate certain definitions of racism or sexism, Liz Treacy ’15 said, who has participated in OPAL’s Diversity Peer Leadership Program and Inter-Group Dialogue. While she said she believes OPAL should offer suggestions to student groups, she said she would like to see increased transparency when doing so.
“If OPAL is giving some sort of mandate or trying to regulate some sort of activity, I would like to know what their reasoning is and where and how they’ve come to those conclusions, and with what voices they have been consulting,” she said.
OPAL should protect spaces from becoming exclusive, but it should incorporate dialogue from both sides, Treacy said, noting that she would like to see OPAL prioritize these conversations when selecting its next director.
When asked about “Phiesta,” Cheng said OPAL seeks to make events more inclusive, not cancel them, while Ameer said that OPAL’s role is to support students in issues they face and not to approve events.
“College faculty and administrators are first and foremost educators, and it is always better to see them working in partnership with students as opposed to coming to their own conclusions based on potentially inaccurate information,” Cathcart wrote in an email.
OPAL should advise students but also protect spaces from becoming exclusive, Cunningham said. As OPAL faces this transitional period, he would like for OPAL to become known outside of solely acting after high-profile issues, he said. He acknowledged, however, that OPAL sometimes has an obligation to intervene.
OPAL should focus on programming that increases student participation, Haughey said.
“Being able to get the largest percentage of the student population at any sort of planned event is imperative, because it’s just another opportunity for the campus to come together and to learn and to understand what we know and we don’t know,” he said, noting that OPAL has been successful in reaching out to a portion of the student body.
“I’d much rather see OPAL on a weekly basis, or possibly a monthly basis, putting on an event that maybe opens the eyes of students rather than simply appearing when there’s a major incident,” Cunningham said.
Hernandez said that as OPAL selects a new director, the Office should consider Satterlund’s tenure.
“I would like her legacy to continue,” Hernandez said.
Ameer said she would continue to prioritize a “more seamless” advising system that pairs work through the Deans Office with OPAL.
Jones said OPAL should act when people feel uncomfortable, arguing that attracting criticism should not deter OPAL. People will always find controversy when others question issues that make them feel “disrespected,” she said.
“Perhaps one of the most positive things that comes out of all this controversy that happens is sort of a disruption of that lukewarm middle,” she said.
Min Kyung Jeon contributed reporting.
The article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended (7/18/14):
The initial edition of this piece misspelled former OPAL director AlyssonSatterlund's last name in the story's headline and the spelling of the citySacramento.OPAL intern Amaris de la Rosa-Moreno ’16 declined to comment, while the initial version of the story indicated that she did not respond to interview requests.Due toconflicting information,the original version of this storymisidentifiedwomen's andgender studies professor Pati Hernandez'sprogramfor which Satterlund secured funding. It is "Telling My Story on Campus," not "Telling My Story." The errors have been corrected.
