With Dean of the College Adam Weinberg stepping down at the end of the fall semester, the search is under way for a new Dean of the College.

A search committee, chaired by University President Rebecca Chopp and Associate Dean of Faculty Jill Tiefenthaler, convened to undertake the task. The committee consists of Senior Philanthropic Adviser Bob Tyburski, Director of Counseling Services Mark Thompson and Director of Office of Undergraduate Studies Jamie Nolan; faculty members Associate Professor of English Hank Lewis, Associate Professor of Psychology Rebecca Shiner and Assistant Professor of Geography Peter Klepeis and sophomore Will Redmund and senior Amy Dudley.

The purpose of the committee is to identify qualities that the Colgate community seeks in Weinberg’s replacement.

The committee met with various student and faculty groups on campus to gather their input on selecting the next Dean of the College.

Once that step is complete, the committee will discuss the information they gathered and use it to compile a list of desirable qualities. This list will be presented to a Virginia-based consultant who will assemble a pool of suitable candidates based on Colgate’s recommendations.

Dudley elaborated on the kinds of traits the committee is looking for.

Once the list is formed, it will be submitted to the committee for review.

“What the community has told us is that we want someone who understands the values of learning outside the classroom,” she said. “It’s also important that he or she be on the students’ level. The way students connect and interact with the other entities on campus is his or her main area of concern.”

Dudley also mentioned that there are other “behind the scenes” characteristics that the committee would love to see continued from Weinberg’s time here.

“He did a wonderful job organizationally and management-wise, and we’d love to see that continued,” she said.

As one of the students on the committee, Dudley will participate in the “airport interviews” that are the second stage in the selection process. Candidates will fly into the Syracuse airport, where the committee will meet and interview them before they fly out again.

At the end of the process, the pool will be whittled down to the candidate the committee thinks best fits the idea of what the Colgate community is seeking in its next Dean of the College.

Dudley shared her reaction to her role as one of the two students on the committee.

“This is a really exciting opportunity for me to feel I can make an impact,” she said. “My role is to reach out to the whole community. This is a good opportunity for everyone to feel they have a say in an important decision.”

Dudley has created a portal group at cu.colgate.edu, designed to give students a forum in which to express their hopes for the next Dean of the College.

“Your impact on the process is huge,” Dudley stressed. “We are adamant about getting student input.”

Dudley also pointed out that this is an opportunity, not just for the Colgate community but for potential candidates as well.

“This is an incredible opportunity for whoever we get – it’s going to be a really appealing [position] and make the search process easier,” she said.

This was a sentiment that University President Rebecca Chopp echoed in her statement regarding the committee.

“I am very optimistic that we will attract excellent candidates to become our next Dean of the College,” she said. “We are looking for a dean who will connect with students and faculty members and who understands Colgate’s culture and aspirations. I am excited by the possibilities, and proud of our ability to attract outstanding leaders.”