Wolfe named dean after four months in interim position
Syracuse University named Thomas Wolfe senior vice president and dean of student affairs, the university announced Monday.Chancellor Nancy Cantor appointed Wolfe as interim dean June 3. He replaced Barry Wells, who stepped down that same day and now serves as a university consultant.
Since then, Wolfe, former dean of Hendricks Chapel, has overseen a restructuring of the Division of Student Affairs, which came after SU fired three of the division’s top employees this summer.
He learned of the removal of his interim status Friday, he said.
‘It feels good,’ Wolfe said. ‘It feels like the right time, and I’m delighted that they approved it.’
The announcement came after the university received approval from its board of trustees’ executive committee, which meets monthly and acts on behalf of the board’s 75 members, said Kevin Quinn, SU vice president of public affairs.
‘He’s done a tremendous job,’ Quinn said of Wolfe. ‘This is based on the work he’s done since June, combined with the great respect people have for him on campus.’
Wolfe admits the start to his year has brought challenges. Two SU students, freshman Jordan Schaffer and junior Matt Wanetik, have died within the last five weeks.
‘I’ve been at the university going on 19 years, and it’s heart-wrenching every single time,’ Wolfe said. ‘We work very hard to be there for students and make sure their concerns are dealt with. Just being present with the students in grief and in pain, and responding to the needs of the families. It is very challenging.’
Wolfe said serving as dean of Hendricks Chapel for almost a decade helped prepare him to deal with this year’s tragedies.
‘Part of the training for that work is to deal with the human dimension of tragic loss,’ he said. ‘Also, when you’ve been a longtime member of the community … there’s already that deep level of trust. You don’t have to introduce yourself to people for the first time when you’re going through something like this.’
Looking forward, Wolfe said he hopes to help the university transition into a newly realigned Student Affairs. The division now houses three branches: Community and Citizenship, Health and Wellness, and Student Learning and Inclusion.
‘I think people can comprehend student affairs, and what we care about, better,’ he said. ‘And how we see the learning process as a seamless one. It allows us to engage students in the most meaningful ways.’
The feedback he has gotten about the realignment has mostly been positive, Wolfe said. He said many student leaders said they enjoy watching the new structure unfold.
‘This helps us to begin to really articulate the values of the university,’ Wolfe said. ‘To engage in programming around those values, but more than anything else, to bring new possibilities to collaboration. I’m a firm believer that the most creative people succeed when they’re brought together.’
Published on October 14, 2008 at 12:00 pm
