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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Students create petition to nominate professor Jennifer Sargent as dean

More than 300 students signed a petition nominating professor Jennifer Sargent as the next Dean of the College.
More than 300 students signed a petition nominating professor Jennifer Sargent as the next Dean of the College.

Over the weekend, a group of students circulated a petition to nominate writing professor Jennifer Sargent for the soon-to-be-vacant Dean of the College position, as the nomination process for potential applicants closed yesterday.

The petition, which Mene Ukueberuwa ’14 and Eli Derrow ’15 drafted, has gained approximately 300 signatures since it was first opened, Ukueberuwa said.The petition will remain open in order to further represent student support for Sargent, hesaid.

Under the stated criteria for the Dean of the College position on the Office of the Provost's website, the new Dean must be a tenured faculty member.Sargent is nota tenured faculty member.

Ukueberuwa said that Derrow, who took “The Written Judicial Opinion” with Sargent last spring, spearheaded the campaign.

Ukueberuwa added that Derrow, who is not currently enrolled in class this term, had kept in touch with Sargent and had a lot of time “to pour himself into the initiative.”

Ukueberuwa, who is currently taking Sargent’s “The Written Judicial Opinion” class, said he first approached Sargent to propose the idea, then he and Derrow drafted the petition together.

Ukueberuwa said there was no fixed procedure for the nomination process and that he believed that administrators were expecting a more casual nomination system in which students would email the vice provost with potential candidates, adding that he believed putting together a formal petition would make a bolder statement for the selected nominee.

“We had the time on our hands, we had the passion, we both really respect professor Sargent and know other students on campus definitely feel the same, and so we decided that a petition would be a great way of concretely showing how connected she is to the campus,” Ukueberuwa said.

Sargent’s ability to bridge the gap between students and administrators is a particularly compelling reason to consider her for the position, Ukueberuwa said, adding that he feels this gap has widened over recent years.

“Sometimes there’s a lack of accessibility from administrators,” Ukueberuwa said. “They’re not necessarily so open to hearing students concerns and really taking them to heart.”

Ukueberuwa said that he believed Sargent’s experience in the legal profession would make her especially skilled at balancing the interests of multiple parties and taking into account the rights, interests and concerns of all when making decisions.

Sargent’s experience as a public defender, judge and educator of state judges gives her strengths and experiences that few academics possess, Ukueberuwa said.

He added that Sargent also has strong practical managerial experience.

“She’s super invested in making our time at school more meaningful than just teaching us facts,” Ukueberuwa said.

Ben Vihstadt ’16, another former student of Sargent’s, said that Sargent is not just a excellent professor but an advocate for students and a mentor whose generosity included providing her cell phone number on her syllabi and bringing chicken soup to a sick student.

“She may be intimidating to some because of her high expectations, but once you meet those expectations she’s just the nicest and most accommodating teacher,” Vihstadt said.

Vihstadt said that when he found out about the petition, he immediately was in favor and signed in support.

“There’s no doubt in my mind if any issue came up, she would be there for the students,” Vihstadt said. “She’s not afraid to stand up for students.”

Ukueberuwa cited Sargent’s experience with students as a factor for her qualifications for the role of Dean of the College, but also highlighted Sargent’s experience outside of the university system.

“You want not just a professor who has been in universities their whole career, but someone who has the experience of managing things and working with different parties,” Ukueberuwa said.

In an emailed statement, Sargent wrote that she was honored by the nomination, though it was unexpected.

She further noted that she believes her students have come to know her as a fair, thoughtful and open-minded person, as well a good listener, though she also often challenges their perspectives and shares her experiences with them to help them see different sides of any given issue.

“I see their support as a sign of their thankfulness that they have professionals and mentors on campus who will support them as young intellectuals and be honest about how they can be true to themselves while becoming integral parts of larger communities,” Sargent wrote. “The fact that students see my contributions in and out of the classroom as communicating qualities they would like to see in a Dartmouth administrator is humbling.”

Sargent wrote that the student-run component of the nomination process was an opportunity for students to communicate about the type of dean they feel comfortable supporting.

“In the larger picture, the nomination is such a wise and productive way for students to use their voices,” Sargent wrote.

Addendum (May 5, 2015):

Under the stated criteria for the Dean of the College position on the Office of the Provost's website, the new Dean must be a tenured faculty member.Sargent is nota tenured faculty member.