16 Comments
In its continued efforts to apologize for being white and western, Columbia has appointed another bureaucrat you’ll never actually meet: Dean Shollenberger just announced that Theresa Martinez will serve as the new Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs. Shollenberger explains that “students expressed a need for greater coordination of services that support co-curricular life and a desire to foster a greater sense of community” among the multicultural student body. They might have also considered adding Toni Morrison to the Lit Hum syllabus once and for all.
Martinez comes to us from Ithaca College, where she served as Director of the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs, or, as Shollenberger gracefully put it, she “managed a number of offices, including multicultural affairs, residential life, leadership development, community service and service learning.” She received her B.S from SUNY College, Buffalo and her M.A from NYU.
Full email after the jump.
September 29, 2009
Dear Students,
Over the last few years there have been ongoing conversations with students and staff about what it means to be a member of Columbia’s diverse, multifaceted community, distinctions we both celebrate and value. As part of these discussions, students expressed a need for greater coordination of services that support co-curricular life and a desire to foster a greater sense of community. To that end, a new senior level position was established within the Division of Student Affairs to provide direction and leadership for the offices most directly involved with Community Development: the Office of Student Development and Activities, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Student Group Advising, and the Office of Residential Programs. With the help of students and administrators across the University, we conducted a search to find the best qualified professional for this position. I am delighted to announce the appointment of Theresa M. Martinez as Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs.
Throughout her career in Student Affairs, most recently at Ithaca College, Dean Martinez has managed a number of offices, including multicultural affairs, residential life, leadership development, community service and service learning. Her experience in each of these areas provides a strong foundation from which to continue her work at Columbia. She will play a strategic role in helping to enhance and coordinate organizational advising, leadership development, advocacy, diversity education, civic engagement, and community programming.
Theresa Martinez has much to offer the Columbia community. The students and staff on the search committee were enthusiastic about her candidacy, and we are thrilled that she has accepted our offer. With an impressive record of leadership, commitment and involvement, Dean Martinez will support the Community Development and Multicultural Affairs team in continuing the excellent work that has already begun. We look forward to welcoming her to Columbia in early November.
Sincerely,
Kevin G. Shollenberger
Dean of Student Affairs
Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Student Life, Arts and Sciences
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16 Comments
@hungry I want dean of cookies. where is dean of cookies????
@Harmony Hunter wait yeah seriously i’ve been looking for it
@harmony hunter Her new office should be located in a place that reflects her mission here at Columbia.
We just have to find the perfect site. Anyone know a place where columbia can find some harmony?
@kinda... HOTTTTTTTT
@i want to thank bwog personally for highlighting the Opening Reception for Latino Heritage Month tonight on the same day when a Latina is named the first Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs. No need to apologize for being white and western there.
@kinda... but yeah BWOG you suck.
@OOHHHHHHH SNAP!
@yeah c’mon bwog, i love you guys, but you didn’t mention LHM Opening Ceremony at all.
@bwogsucks bwog don’t care about brown people!
@we all know bwog is for white people. half the brown people on this campus dont even know what this is.
@but what does she DO? “She will play a strategic role in helping to enhance and coordinate organizational advising, leadership development, advocacy, diversity education, civic engagement, and community programming. ”
Most of this seems pretty vague to me. She looks like a nice lady and I’m sure she’s well-qualified, but this sounds like a totally made-up position (probably because it is). When students say they want things like “greater coordination of services” and “a greater sense of community”, I highly doubt they are hoping for another dean to buffer the interaction between the students and the people who make the decisions that affect them.
@my take I’m not even sure that administrators can keep all the Columbia bullshit departments straight.
“I think the students want a more organized administration. Should we get rid of some departments? Maybe combine some?”
“Ugh, that will take forever! How many departments do we have anyway?”
“Who knows. Why don’t we just add another department to help coordinate the other departments that coordinate departments!”
“Will that actually help?”
“Eh, probably not. But maybe those darn kids will stop complaining.”
@everyone knows “multiculturalism” and “diversity” means non white. So get ready for a fresh round of white guilt, courtesy of Dean Martinez.
(and yes, I’m hispanic. that means I’m more entitled to speak on the matter, right?)
@444444444444444444 As a frequent bwog reader, I am extremely displeased with how this post begins:
“In its continued efforts to apologize for being white and western”
So sarcastic, so immature, so un-clever, so un-classy.
@to #2: agreed
@don't think that “students expressed a need for greater coordination of services that support co-curricular life and a desire to foster a greater sense of community” equals “multicultural affairs, residential life, leadership development, community service and service learning”
at least in human speak