With a number of important projects facing the Division of Student Affairs in the near future, Vice President E. Royster Harper has appointed Susan Eklund as dean of students for a period of 18 months, pending approval by the Board of Regents. Eklund has been serving as interim dean since August.

“Sue has contributed considerable experience and seasoned perspective to our most important student affairs efforts,” Harper says. “Already we have benefited greatly from her experience, her wise counsel and, above all else, her devotion to students.”

Harper says the temporary appointment will allow the division to proceed with a number of critical projects, while allowing the search committee for a permanent dean to work at a more deliberate pace.

“With her leadership through June of 2006, we will be able to make progress on improvements to Trotter House, enhancement of multicultural programming, a review underway of International Center services for international scholars and researchers, the integration of student advisory committees into our decision-making processes, and better defining our relationship with student organizations through the Student Organization and Recognition Committee,” Harper says.

Membership on the Dean of Students Search Advisory Committee—chaired by Barbara A. MacAdam, head of reference at University Library—will be finalized in 2005. The committee will include undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff. Members will work with the executive search firm Baker-Parker Inc. of Atlanta, whose leaders say the extra time will allow the University to more effectively pursue a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates for the deanship.

Nominations for the position may be made to: Jerry H. Baker, Partner, Baker-Parker Inc., Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2440, Atlanta, GA 30328-6111, fax (770) 804-1917.

The search process will include public presentations and interviews with a small group of finalists, followed by the selection of the next dean in spring 2006. Updates on the progress of the search will be posted to http://www.umich.edu/~dofs/search. The search advisory committee can be contacted at Dean.of.Students.Search@umich.edu.