The Office of the Dean for Student Development - the office Boston College students rely on for services ranging from the organization of student government to programs educating students on the abuse of drugs and alcohol - has recently undergone an array of changes.
Most prominent among these changes have been two new appointments in the department: the selection of Judy Robinson as interim assistant dean of student development and of Brent Ericson, who will replace Michael Ryan as associate dean of community standards.
Many vied to fill the shoes of Ryan, who left BC for retirement after 31 years of dedicated service. Over 80 applicants were limited down to three finalists by a search committee made up of staff and students. Ericson, the former assistant director of residential life, was one of only three internal candidates. Ericson, however, was chosen not for his previous position at BC or because he has "inside knowledge," but because he has "the education, training, and vision necessary to do the job," said Interim Dean for the Office for Student Development Paul Chebator.
Since 2003, Ericson has worked in student affairs at the University. He also holds a master's degree and is a doctoral student working to obtain a degree in higher education.
"I've been at Boston College for four years now, dealing with student conduct and behavior issues in ResLife. This new post is a promotion. The community standards position is both professionally and intellectually challenging," said Ericson.
Ericson's new position entails taking on more responsibility. Duties include overseeing the conduct process, overseeing policies and procedures as they relate to behavior, working with the JudicialBoard, informing students on how the judicial process works, and gathering input from the BC community on appropriate standards of behavior.
Ericson plans to initiate change in community standards as soon as his previous post is filled and he can better acquaint himself with his new position.
Ericson hopes to make the community standards department more proactive in determining "what needs to change, what the values of the Boston College community are, what the standards of the student community are and should be, and what is missing from the BC community."
Second, he intends to lessen the visible gap between college students' actions and the values of service, respect, and justice that they claim to hold as students of the University.
"There is a disconnect between what we espouse as a Jesuit university and student behavior. How does student behavior reflect on us as an institution? Students who live off campus live in two different worlds, two different communities. They need to understand how to be good members of both," Ericson said.
Ericson says he also plans to look at trends in the field of higher education at other universities outside of BC to find solutions "by thinking globally and applying new trends and ideas to the BC campus."
Judy Robinson, filling the one- year position of interim assistant dean for student development held by Chebator last year, has similarly large responsibilities to take on.
Her new position demands that she deal with off-campus issues, work in community affairs, assist with judicial work, and assist with community service and conservation projects.
Though she will only hold the interim position through the 2007-08 school year, Robinson has no intentions of being stagnant in her work.
"I want to create a healthy campus environment, as well as work with off-campus students, so that they still feel a connection to BC," Robinson said. "I want to share information about resources for off-campus students through e-mails and an off-campus newsletter, so that these kids still feel like they're part of the Boston College Community."
Robinson also hopes to assist students in adjusting to their new communities.
"We need to find a way to make student lifestyles and the lifestyles of others coexist peacefully … we just want the students to be safe and learn to be good neighbors," Robinson said.
Robinson, who was the first to hold the position of assistant dean of alcohol and drug at BC in 1990, served as a teaching fellow in the Lynch School of Education. He also worked as an adjunct professor in the same school for two years and is ready to reenter the field of student affairs.
In addition to her experiences working at BC, Robinson has taught fifth and sixth grade, worked in residential life at both Bentley College and Worcester Polytech Institute, and worked for the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, schooling universities in alcohol and drug education.
She has worked for the past six years as the health coordinator for the Groton Dunstable Regional School District and finds herself ready to return to student affairs.
"At this age, students are transitioning into young adulthood and into more independence. I like the whole process. Student affairs complements the experience of educating the whole student. Academics, student affairs, et cetera, have to be connected.
"I love working in public schools, however, what's challenging for public schools is that they visualize educating the whole child.
"However, due to budget constraints, it is extremely difficult to educate the whole child. In between adhering to government requirements and making sure kids can pass the MCATs, we end up educating only pieces of the child," Robinson said.
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