After an extensive search for a new Dean of the College, Maria Cruz-Saco, Interim Dean of College and Professor of Economics at Connecticut College, has been hired for the position.
“Wesleyan is a vibrant community with such an extraordinary campus,” Cruz-Saco said. “It pulls and attracts students who are extremely smart and very engaged, and the faculty is very devoted. I feel fortunate to come to this position because I am an educator and I believe in education, and I believe in the work and energy students bring. There are so many ways to learn in and out of the classroom, and just to be part of that enterprise and project is fulfilling to me.”
Cruz-Saco will begin in her new position on Jul. 18. As Dean of the College, she will be responsible for programs and offices that support student learning and development, including Office of Residential Life, Student and Behavioral Health Services, Office of Student Activities, Office of Community Service, the class deans, the chaplains, and the upcoming Usdan University Center.
“I am looking forward to learning about the climate and culture at Wesleyan and to understand [the University’s] most important issues,” Cruz-Saco said. “I would like to see more dialogue. I’d like to see that there are venues of communication between students and my Dean of the College office. My first priority will be listening, understanding, and then communicating and working together to address some of the concerns that have been on the table this year.”
Cruz-Saco received her B.A. at the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru in 1979 and her Ph.D. in economics at the University of Pittsburgh in 1983. She is a scholar on economic development, particularly in Latin American countries. She has published three books and has worked at Connecticut College since 1990.
According to Justin Harmon, Director of University Communications, Cruz-Saco’s professional experience qualifies her for the position of Dean of the College.
“She has done a lot of work at Connecticut College with the organization of their deans’ office and services,” Harmon said. “She has looked at the question of what it means to be an inclusive learning community.”
Cruz-Saco said she is keeping an open mind regarding the needs and wants of the student population. She expressed interest in the debate over the creation of a Dean of Multicultural Affairs.
“I believe that it’s an important position,” she said. “I would like to see [a multicultural dean] support academics and represent the under-represented students. This person should support cultural events and bring them into academic affairs. We all know this is not the work of one individual in one office, but the work of a team. There are institutions that have multicultural committees that support the work of specific offices and give advice. I am interested in learning about recommendations from the University and student committee,” she said.
Cruz-Saco encourages students to participate in student advisory groups and committees that will work closely with specific academic and extracurricular departments. She says that she is interested in learning where students feel a communication gap exists between the Administration and the student body,
“I am a strong supporter of student input in decisions,” Cruz-Saco said.
The search committee for Dean of the College consisted of faculty, students, staff and an outside consulting group. Initially, a number of candidates were brought to campus and interviewed, from which Cruz-Saco and Senior Associate Provost and Dean of Continuing Studies Billy Weitzer were selected as finalists. The two candidates both participated in a second, more extensive interview and student forum earlier this semester.
“The President read all communications and had conversations with the search committee and other individuals involved in process, and he made the decision about how to proceed,” Harmon said.
Weitzer will continue to act as the Interim Dean of Student Academic Services, a position he has held since October of 2003, until the end of the calendar year, working alongside Interim Dean Peter Patton in developing a student academic resources network and supervising the class deans.
“I think that now more than ever, the Dean of the College is a critical position at Wesleyan,” Weitzer said. “Clearly I would have enjoyed taking on challenges and opportunities of the Dean of College, but I have plenty that will keep me involved with my current position. I am glad that I am in a position to assist the new dean during her first six months in the job.”
Cruz-Saco said she is excited to assume her new role and to make communication issues between students and the Administration a priority.
“I know that I found in conversations with students at Wesleyan that there is maybe some disconnect and frustration,” she said. “Some of that is just natural, and some may have been based on the perception that the University has lagged or not understood. I think that’s where we have to work together to get a good understanding of what precisely are the concerns and how we can best address them and work together.”