Sarah E. Lazare began work Monday as the University’s new Associate Dean for Student Academic Resources.
“Wesleyan has an excellent reputation for academics, community service, social justice issues, and activism too, so that fits with the environment I like to be in,” Lazare said. “It seems like a perfect fit with what I’ve done in the past. When I was offered the position, I couldn’t think of anything to say but yes.”
Lazare will assume the duties of her predecessor, Shelley Stephenson, which have been shared by Dean for Diversity and Academic Advancement Daniel Teraguchi and Assistant Dean of Student Academic Resources Alice Hadler since Stephenson’s departure early this year.
Lazare graduated from Smith College in 1991, received a Master’s degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst nine years later, and acquired a Juris Doctor from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in 2003. Her resume includes many years of experience in academia.
“I’ve done a lot of work in academic support service, and I continued to do that in law school,” Lazare said.
While working at Smith College as coordinator of tutorial services and interim coordinator of disability services, Lazare instituted several tutoring and mentoring programs, helped to plan student orientations, and worked on issues of diversity.
Lazare was also the coordinator of student activities and events at CUNY School of Law.
“One of her strengths is her background,” Teraguchi said. “She understands student abilities and students with disabilities, [and] she’ll be overseeing SARN [Student Academic Resources Network] and peer advising.”
Lazare will report directly to Teraguchi, who was directly involved in hiring her and was impressed by her strong resume, which also includes volunteer work as an attorney representing low-income clients.
“There’s just a range of things that she brings [to Wesleyan],” Teraguchi said.
According to the job description for the Associate Dean of Student Academic resources provided by Teraguchi, Lazare will have a hand in many campus programs and services. Part of the job description entails planning new student orientation and other first year programs, supporting the development of SARN, and providing services for students with learning disabilities or physical disabilities.
The job description also states that Lazare will “provide academic support services; train and supervise student peer advisors; and perform other duties within the Office of the Dean for Diversity and Academic Advancement.”
“The school has a lot of services, but being able to oversee all of them to see where they’re strong and where they’re lacking will be a lot of fun actually, and I think only good can come out of it,” Lazare said. “My attention is on developing study and academic skills and making sure people have access to improve their skills. Regardless of where you come from, there’s something that can be improved.”
Lazare added that these skills include reading, writing, time management, networking, organizing, taking notes, preparing for exams, and taking exams.
“[Students] should have started preparing for exams the first day of classes,” she said. “A student will be a better student if that student is cognizant of how learning happens for that student and then takes steps to improve it.”
Lazare is particularly enthusiastic about the people with whom she will be working.
“People here are very accepting of different types of personalities,” she said. “I want to be in a place where I can speak freely and have good discussions about difficult issues.”
Lazare is also pleased that, in her first week on the job, several students have already written to her, called her, or met with her.
“I want to emphasize to students in general, and particularly in this pre-exam-period, that they need to start preparing for exams this weekend,” she said. “I strongly recommend doing it by consolidating and organizing information. Any [students] with questions should talk to me, someone from SARN, or a professor.”