After originally saying she would finish the semester in her current position, UW-Madison Dean of Students Alicia Chavez will step down Monday to be replaced by an interim dean, university officials announced Thursday.
Following a suggestion from UW-Madison Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Paul Barrows, Chavez will begin a post-doctoral fellowship and Roger Howard, a former UW-Madison associate dean of students, will serve as interim dean.
Chavez announced her resignation earlier this month, citing a dislike of the public persona her job entailed along with a desire to return to teaching and research. Starting in fall 2002, she will assume the position of an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration, an option Chavez negotiated in her contract upon taking the dean of students position.
Barrows, who said he had originally recruited her from Miami University of Ohio, said he had first thought Chavez would leave her position as dean this June but then, \I said, 'No, let's do it right. Let's put you on a post-doc and get you released so you can get working on this stuff.'""
According to Chavez, Barrows had initially decided to announce Chavez's resignation shortly after he was made aware of it so he could start the search for a new dean quickly and avoid having an interim dean.
Howard, who retired in June 2001, served as the university's associate dean of students for 28 years and as interim associate vice chancellor for student affairs for two years. In 1968, he came to UW-Madison as a graduate student.
""There's no better person for the job,"" Barrows said. ""He could have had that job a long time ago if he'd wanted it.""
Howard said the Dean of Students position was ""very exciting and not easy.""
""It takes someone who can operate effectively and preserve their own sense of mental health,"" he said.""I think it takes someone who really likes students, whose rea;;y excited about students.""
Howard added he thought it was also important to try and recruit ""exciting minority and women candidates.""
A search committee for a new dean of students is currently being formed, Barrows said. Associated Students of Madison Chair Jessica Miller said she and other ASM representatives are currently looking for students to fill positions on the committee. She worked with Howard for a few months before his retirement.
""Roger has, in the past, proven to be a very strong ally to students and we work very well with him,"" Miller said.
Chavez also expressed positive sentiments.
""[He is] probably one of the wisest, most compassionate people I've ever worked with,"" she said. ""He's just really great with students.""
The dean of students oversees a wide variety of issues concerning student life, ranging from managing crisis situations to administering the academic and non-academic code of conduct.
