Dean of the College candidate Billy Weitzer met with about 60 students in Shanklin 107 Wednesday for an informal question and answer session. This meeting, in addition to others with the WSA and faculty, is just one step in the six-month selection process.

Weitzer is currently Senior Associate Provost and Dean of Continuing Studies at the University.

The selection process for Dean of the College will be completed in early April, according to Interim Dean of the College Peter Patton, following further interviews and discussion.

Questions at Wednesday’s session varied from Weitzer’s background in budgetary work, to chalking, to the flow of information and communication between various sectors of campus life.

Outside Shanklin 107, several students set up a mock voting table to raise awareness of the fact that ultimately, the selection of the new Dean will be up to President Bennet, according to Ana Weibgen ’05. Wiebgen asserted that although Bennet has encouraged students to send feedback on both finalists, the process is still undemocratic.

“We really have bent over backwards to get student input,” Bennet said. “It’s unusual to open searches to the whole campus.”

In his earlier meeting with members of the WSA, Weitzer mostly responded to questions of communication, according to WSA President Emily Polak ’05.

“We were quite interested in his feelings regarding broad issues of administrative transparency, accountability, and more specific issues such as gender neutral housing, a Dean of Multicultural Affairs, and how he might be able to learn from his predecessors’ mistakes,” Polak said.

Several times during Wednesday’s meeting, students asked Weitzer if he would ever confront Bennet if he strongly disagreed with Bennet on a specific decision.

“If I did, I’d point out that it’s my job to be the leader to students on campus, and I’d point out that he’s undermining my authority,” Weitzer said. “Still, it is up to me to persuade him and ultimately it is his call.”

The issue of communication came up repeatedly in the discussion. A student asked Weitzer if he would support more student voting power in administrative decisions.

“Voting on individual issues is not the answer,” Weitzer said. “We have to find other ways.”

At one point Michael Andolina ’05 asked Weitzer to define a safe space.

“[A safe space is] a place where people can feel very comfortable, where they don’t feel threatened and can be with people either who share their identity or are extremely sensitive to their identity,” Weitzer replied.

Another student asked Weitzer about solutions for gender-neutral housing. The student said that, although many students have been involved with a task force in drafting a proposal on gender-neutral housing, those students feel that the resulting draft is a compromise.

“I’m happy to hear it was a compromise, because that’s how we should be resolving conflict at the University,” Weitzer said.

About 40 students had gathered Tues. at 4:30 for a “Mass Activist Meeting,” to discuss tactics for generating student interest and awareness of the lack of student voting on the final decision. At this meeting several students raised the possibility of having a campus-wide vote, possibly through the WSA website, to determine a definite students’ choice for the position.

Some students were concerned with the idea of a vote. One potential problem is Bennet’s going against the election results, leaving the new dean starting the job in an awkward position.

No administrators would agree to comment on their perceptions of Weitzer’s strengths or weaknesses, since the decision-making process is currently in such critical and sensitive stages.

According to Natalia Ortiz ’05, a student member of the Search Committee, from the beginning Weitzer and Cruz-Saco stuck out as candidates who could handle the intense workload of the Dean of the College.

“My initial concern with Billy is that I’d never met him even though he’s been here so long,” Ortiz said. “But when I did, he seemed approachable.”

After Monday’s meetings with finalist Maria A. Cruz-Saco, Interim Dean of Connecticut College, Bennet will meet with the Search Committee on Wed. and then gather feedback and do additional referencing on the likely final candidate, according to Patton. Bennet must also agree with the Appeals and Advisory Board of the faculty on his final decision, but does not need specific approval of his decision from the Board of Trustees, according to Patton.

“It’s a little more complicated than just voting for your favorite,” Patton said.