Spring Break
Letter to the Editor: Dean of Students will be missed at UConn
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Commentary
In response to the Feb. 24 editorial ("Cutting Dean of Students is win-win for budget, students") we argue that Lee Williams' work at UConn has not been acknowledged in a way that celebrates her time here, nor does the article take a stronger look at the tremendous effects our economy is having on our university. Our collective hope is that this letter can highlight her efforts and give her a proper "goodbye" from the student body, which she so strongly supported.
Since beginning her position at UConn, her drive to make the Dean of Student's Office more visible and accessible on campus was evident. She established a multitude of resources and new offices to assist students at the university, such as the Office for Off-Campus Student Services, which assists commuter students. She assisted in the creation of the "Helping Students in Distress Guide," a publication to assist university faculty and staff in how to care for students in distress and how to refer them to further support. She made students her number one concern, which was apparent when eating lunches and dinners with students around campus, answering direct questions in the monthly "Dean's Almanac" and acting as the liaison to the students and families of the UConn community in the event of a tragedy. She represented the students' voice and interests as she served on a multitude of administrative committees. She was also present at a host of activities and events such as Orientation, Husky WOW, Homecoming and others which supported students.
Instead of focusing on criticism, we should celebrate Williams' work for UConn. The position of dean of students should not be undervalued as a helpful support system for students simply due to a lack of financial resources. Our economy is affecting all aspects of our lives, and now not having a dean of students will affect our university as a whole. We cannot have a person that has worked so hard for all of us leave on a note left by the Feb. 24 editorial. Normally on college campuses, the dean of students is not as visible or out on campus with students as much as she was, yet at UConn she was visible.
With deep appreciation, thank you Lee Williams.
-Jeffrey Ticehurst, 8th-semester accounting major
-Justine Dickson, 8th-semester pharmacy major
-Lorena Martinez, 8th-semester human development and family studies major
-Steven Bourque, 8th-semester music education major
Since beginning her position at UConn, her drive to make the Dean of Student's Office more visible and accessible on campus was evident. She established a multitude of resources and new offices to assist students at the university, such as the Office for Off-Campus Student Services, which assists commuter students. She assisted in the creation of the "Helping Students in Distress Guide," a publication to assist university faculty and staff in how to care for students in distress and how to refer them to further support. She made students her number one concern, which was apparent when eating lunches and dinners with students around campus, answering direct questions in the monthly "Dean's Almanac" and acting as the liaison to the students and families of the UConn community in the event of a tragedy. She represented the students' voice and interests as she served on a multitude of administrative committees. She was also present at a host of activities and events such as Orientation, Husky WOW, Homecoming and others which supported students.
Instead of focusing on criticism, we should celebrate Williams' work for UConn. The position of dean of students should not be undervalued as a helpful support system for students simply due to a lack of financial resources. Our economy is affecting all aspects of our lives, and now not having a dean of students will affect our university as a whole. We cannot have a person that has worked so hard for all of us leave on a note left by the Feb. 24 editorial. Normally on college campuses, the dean of students is not as visible or out on campus with students as much as she was, yet at UConn she was visible.
With deep appreciation, thank you Lee Williams.
-Jeffrey Ticehurst, 8th-semester accounting major
-Justine Dickson, 8th-semester pharmacy major
-Lorena Martinez, 8th-semester human development and family studies major
-Steven Bourque, 8th-semester music education major
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