Teamwork and diversity experience are necessary for the position of vice president of student affairs, said position candidate Kent J. Smith at a forum yesterday.
I have no value for student affairs to be a second-class citizen on campus
said Smith, the dean of students at Auburn University.
Smith, who has worked in student affairs at Auburn, Case Western, Colorado State and Southern universities, showed a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation introducing himself and fielded questions from the about 45 faculty, staff and administrators at the forum.
The Ohio University position calls for experience in diversity, Smith said. He works as a diversity consultant and trains students at Cleveland State University to be diversity educators.
It's a value to me not just from a student perspective but it's a value to me in training staff he said, emphasizing the need for cultural competency. Smith said he would not allow OU to see diversity as solely ethnicity or race.
Kelley Ray, administrative coordinator of the office of student affairs, asked Smith what his vision for student affairs would be, if hired.
Smith said he wants to get the lay of the land before developing a comprehensive plan.
It has to be our plan
as opposed to my plan
he said.
Assessing programs, cooperating with the community, utilizing student research and increasing partnerships between departments are components Smith discussed at the forum.
He also focused on the issue of drinking on campus, and how cultural change needs to occur in addition to policy change.
I haven't seen that war has been declared on alcohol
he said, noting that he spoke to groups of students since his arrival here. We need to tell students what is expected of an OU student.
OU and Auburn have similar college-town atmospheres that makes it a comfortable fit for him, Smith said.
I'm working in my passion area every day
he said.
The vice president of student affairs is a very critical position to the university
said Tom Davis, chair of the search committee. Richard Carpinelli has served in an interim capacity since Michael Sostarich retired in December 2005. Sostarich, after 31 years of serving in various positions at OU, was paid $150,100, according to OU's 2005 salary listings.
The dates for the four remaining candidates' forums have yet to be set. The committee expects to make a decision by mid-May, Davis said.
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