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Search for new dean underaway
BY CORY CLAESON
Contributions by Sara Jochems
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
iISSUE: 78/28
The search for a new dean of students is in full swing as the search is down to two candidates: Dr. Kimberly R. Allen and Dr. Matthew Aschenbrener. On Monday, April 21, Student Association (SA) members met one of the candidates Dr. Allen. According to SA members, the position has been open for some time. The university employment Web site, shows that the dean of students position has been open since Jan. 16 of this year.
Currently, Allen is working as the special assistant to the dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She answered questions from SA members about her life, career and why she feels she is qualified to be UMD’s new dean of students. At the meeting, Allen said her educational background consisted of attending Truman State University in Iowa, Ball State University in Indiana and NYU. According to the College of Nursing Web site for the University of Missouri, Allen obtained a Bachelor of Science in Child Development
and Child Life, a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and Higher Education.
At the meeting, Allen also talked about why being involved with students was important to her. “I’m here for you, the students, to help make the university better for everyone,” Allen said. “My whole life, I have liked the college process.” Part of Allen’s speech on Monday, included her preferences in working on a college campus and being associated with student organizations. She finished by talking about her beliefs in student advocacy and civic engagement. “We need students to become more involved in campus activities,” Allen said. “I would want to be involved with student organizations and help promote campus activities.”
SA president Thomas DeMinico asked what Allen’s opinion was about UMD being labeled as a party school. “I support UMD being a social school, but at the same time, I am not going to promote alcohol,” Allen said. “The university should be unified as one big social network.” Qualifications of the dean of students is extensive, according to UMD employment Web site: a master’s degree and 10 years of full-time professional experience in post-secondary education in positions of increasing administrative responsibility.
The site includes preferred qualifications the university would like to see, including an earned doctorate
in higher education administration or a related field and evidence of successful experience working with student judicial and leadership programs. According to the site, there are extensive responsibilities the dean of students must adhere to.
Some of the qualifications include providing leadership for the office of student and community standards. This means student conduct, academic dishonesty, classroom disruption and off-campus student behavior. Also, the dean of students must adhere to the Disability Resource Center, the Kirby Student Center, the Cultural Diversity Center and a proposed center for academic success.
On Monday, May 5, Aschenbrener will visit UMD campus from South Dakota State University, where he is currently the assistant vice president for Student Services. When contacted over the phone, Ashenbrener’s secretary said that he was out for the day.
