Spring Break
ResLife director leaves
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 8/26/08
Posted online at 2:17 AM EST on 8/26/08
Former Director of Residence Life Richard DeCapua left his position at Brandeis last summer, and Associate Director of ResLife Dean Gendron and Associate Director for Operations and Assignments Jeremy Leiferman will serve as interim co-directors of ResLife, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said.
DeCapua came to Brandeis in summer 2006 and has left to become associate dean of students at Suffolk University in Boston. "I left because this was a tremendous opportunity that doesn't come around a whole lot," he said.
Sawyer said he hopes to have a new director in place by spring semester. "We're happy for him," Sawyer said. "It's not great opening without him but we have every belief that we will be able to replace him adequately."
He said that when the semester begins, the Office of Student Life will create a search committee and put out an updated job description in order to hire a new director.
The search committee will consist of staff members from the Department of Student Life, faculty members and a representative of the Student Life field from off-campus, Sawyer said. He added that he would seek student input from community advisors and through Student Union President Jason Gray '10 and provide opportunities for students and candidates to interact during campus visits.
Sawyer said the new director should have experience at a campus similar to Brandeis, as well as with renovations and construction.
He explained that finding a new director in the fall might not be easy because the hiring season is in the spring. "If the pool was not very good, we would consider stopping and restarting at the start of the second semester," he said.
Sawyer said departures such as DeCapua's could be anticipated "when you have a fairly young, career-focused staff" like that at Brandeis. "We like to promote when we can," he said. [DeCapua] had an opportunity that we certainly don't begrudge him to have taken advantage of."
DeCapua came to Brandeis in summer 2006 and has left to become associate dean of students at Suffolk University in Boston. "I left because this was a tremendous opportunity that doesn't come around a whole lot," he said.
Sawyer said he hopes to have a new director in place by spring semester. "We're happy for him," Sawyer said. "It's not great opening without him but we have every belief that we will be able to replace him adequately."
He said that when the semester begins, the Office of Student Life will create a search committee and put out an updated job description in order to hire a new director.
The search committee will consist of staff members from the Department of Student Life, faculty members and a representative of the Student Life field from off-campus, Sawyer said. He added that he would seek student input from community advisors and through Student Union President Jason Gray '10 and provide opportunities for students and candidates to interact during campus visits.
Sawyer said the new director should have experience at a campus similar to Brandeis, as well as with renovations and construction.
He explained that finding a new director in the fall might not be easy because the hiring season is in the spring. "If the pool was not very good, we would consider stopping and restarting at the start of the second semester," he said.
Sawyer said departures such as DeCapua's could be anticipated "when you have a fairly young, career-focused staff" like that at Brandeis. "We like to promote when we can," he said. [DeCapua] had an opportunity that we certainly don't begrudge him to have taken advantage of."
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