Nominations sought for West Campus house deans

President David Skorton and Provost Kent Fuchs issued a call for nominations in late September for house deans and professors at two West Campus houses for terms beginning in July 2016. Laura Brown, senior vice provost for undergraduate education, is overseeing a search this semester for successors to Scott MacDonald and André Dhondt, the current house deans and professors at Hans Bethe House and Alice Cook House, respectively.

House deans and professors are tenured faculty members who reside in the house and are appointed one year in advance of their term so they can work with house leaders. The house professor/dean appointment is for an initial three-year term, renewable up to three additional years.

“It’s been fantastic in many ways, and one of the things I have enjoyed the very most in my time as a Cornell faculty member,” said Edward Baptist, house dean and professor at Carl Becker House since 2011 and co-chair of the West Campus Council.

Faculty leadership is central to the West Campus House System’s mission to create an environment linking the residential life of students to the academic mission of the university. Each of the five West Campus houses brings approximately 350 upper-level students together with faculty, with distinguished visitors who participate in house programming, and with graduate and professional students in residence. An assistant house dean and some 30 house fellows (faculty, senior administrators and community leaders) also play active roles at each house.

These unique living-learning environments offer students informal interactions with faculty members; intellectual, cultural and social opportunities; and self-governance and independence, in a spirit of intellectual inquiry and active citizenship.

Baptist, an associate professor of history, said his role at Becker House gives him the opportunity to interact with students in settings more informal than a classroom – including house dinners and programs, everyday interactions and regular events held in the house dean’s apartment.

“You get to know them, and they get to know you in a different way – they see you as a mentor who can support them in their different challenges, challenges we all face as you go from 18 to 22,” he said. “I felt very useful in that way and felt very much a part of the community.”

Faculty members are encouraged to nominate themselves or colleagues; self-nominations should include a brief statement describing their interest in the position. Send nominations to Michael Busch at mpb3@cornell.edu; the search committee will begin reviewing nominations Oct. 31.

Brown recently encouraged interested faculty members to visit and meet with MacDonald and/or Dhondt, students, faculty and current house fellows in the Hans Bethe and Cook house communities. Receptions followed by house dinners will be held Oct. 8 and Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. at Hans Bethe House (RSVP to macdonald@cornell.edu) and Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. at Alice Cook House (RSVP to aad4@cornell.edu). 

Media Contact

John Carberry