Dean of Student Services Michael Whaley will serve as interim dean of the College (DOC) next year, President Doug Bennet announced Monday. Whaley has been dean of Student Services for almost 10 years, overseeing co-curricular programs and services on campus that range from the Office of Residential Life to the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism. He will succeed Dean Maria Cruz-Saco, who announced her resignation earlier this year.
Whaley will serve as dean of the College for one academic year, after which President-elect Michael Roth will conduct a search for the University’s next permanent dean.
In an all-campus e-mail, Bennet detailed how Whaley’s experience with Student Services will make his transition to the DOC Office smooth and productive. Whaley will apply his knowledge and skills to the DOC leadership group, whose members include Associate Dean of the College Louise Brown, Dean of Campus Programs Rick Culliton, and Dean for Diversity and Academic Advancement Daniel Teraguchi.
“His knowledge of student life issues, strong relationships with students and faculty, and broad institutional perspective will allow the Dean’s Office team to maintain momentum on key initiatives next year,” Bennet wrote.
Whaley and the DOC will be responsible for welcoming Roth as the 16th president of the University and to facilitate his transition into the administration.
“[Whaley’s] experience will enable him to provide valuable information and perspective to support the work of Wesleyan’s next president, Michael Roth,” Bennet said.
“President Roth certainly must know how amazing Wesleyan students are because he was one,” Whaley told the Argus. “It will be my job to help him connect with current students and to help brief him on current campus issues.”
Cruz-Saco highlighted Whaley’s work in diversity awareness and inclusion on campus as one of his greatest strengths and potential contributions to the DOC office. He chaired the search committee that selected Teraguchi as the University’s first dean for Diversity and Academic Advancement.
“Another challenge that we continue to face is that of making our Wesleyan community a truly inclusive and welcoming place for our diversity of backgrounds and identities, and for all of us to take responsibility in becoming what we aspire to be,” Cruz-Saco said. “I feel that the Dean’s Office has a critical leadership role to play in this critical area, one that will continue to demand the good work and commitment that we put to attain this fundamental goal. I believe that Dean Whaley will contribute immensely in directing these efforts as he has done in the past.”
Whaley said that his agenda includes continued development of the Office for Diversity and Academic Advancement, attention to campus climate issues, and analysis of the report from the Task Force on Religious and Spiritual Life. He will play a key role in overseeing the new Usdan University Center, scheduled to open this fall. Whaley will also continue to assess the challenges that budget cuts pose to student life.
“With respect to the reductions in the DOC area, we are working with the Student Life Committee to explore options, and that group will provide helpful advice as we face future cuts,” Whaley said. “Students need to continue to be involved in this decision-making.”
Whaley emphasized and encouraged students’ voices in administrative decisions.
“I do want to continue to find ways to solicit student feedback and involvement in some of these projects,” he said. “I also want to continue to strengthen communication with the WSA [Wesleyan Student Assembly] and other student groups.”
Plans to refill the position of dean of Student Services will begin this week.
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