On Wed., Oct. 15, President Douglas Bennet announced the resignation of Freddye Hill as dean of the college. Members of the Wesleyan community learned of her resignation from an e-mail sent by the president.
According to Bennet, Hill will be on sabbatical for the rest of the year, although she officially left her campus office and ended her role as dean on Wed., Oct. 22. Vice President Peter Patton will assume the role of an interim dean of the college until a replacement is found.
“As with most transitions, there is some sadness and uncertainty about her departure. There is also some opportunity to confront issues and seek solutions in new ways,” said Dean of Student Services Mike Whaley.
According to Whaley, Hill announced her resignation to some members of the administration the morning of Oct. 15.
“When she announced her plans to leave, she encouraged all of us to continue working to improve the campus life experience for students,” he said.
Hill has worked at the University for five and a half years. She declined to comment to the Argus on her decision to leave until further notice. Bennet’s letter has been the only public announcement of her resignation, with no comment from Hill to the community.
Since the announcement, a number of her colleagues have commented on her work as a Dean and her recent departure.
“Dean Hill’s resignation has been difficult for me. I respect and admire her. I feel blessed to have been able to work so closely with her and have learned a lot from her,” Whaley said.
The trustees also expressed gratitude toward Hill, commenting on her contributions to the school.
“For more than five years, Freddye Hill has done remarkable work in one of the most demanding jobs at any college or university. She has helped us achieve a number of our most important objectives in strengthening Wesleyan as a learning community and improving students’ experiences of campus life. We will miss her, and we will remain deeply grateful to her,” said Chair of the Trustees Alan Dachs.
Justin Harmon, Director of University Communications, said that the next steps are for the University to assess the position of Dean of the College.
“When we have an opening in a position of strategic importance, we like to review the office to make sure it has the right functionality to address current needs and priorities,” Harmon said.
After the assessment is completed, which Harmon hopes will be by the end of the semester, the University will write up a new job description and begin a national search for a replacement.
According to Whaley, the responsibilities of Dean of the College include both “day-to-day” work and developing strategic incentives for the University in the long term.
“Wesleyan is already an incredible place. Dean Hill believed that it could be even better, and so do I,” Whaley said.