Cahalane to Assume Role as Interim Dean of Residential Life Role Res

Health Instructor Carol Cahalane will be assuming the role of interim Dean of Residential Life for the 2018-19 academic year. She will replace current Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove after he concludes his seven-year tenure.

A committee chaired by Dean of Students Melissa Mischke spearheaded the interim dean selection process. The committee was composed of English Instructor Tyler Caldwell, Director of Human Resources Rachel Henry, Science Instructor Michelle Chapman and Religion Instructor Russell Weatherspoon.

Principal Lisa MacFarlane accepted the committee’s recommendation and finalized Cahalane’s appointment.

The four candidates considered were Science Instructor Jeffrey Ward, English Instructor Christina Breen, Religion Instructor Thomas Simpson and Cahalane.

Committee members were impressed by Cahalane’s history of service within the Academy. One thing that set Cahalane apart from the other three candidates was her previous position as the Associate Dean of Students, which later became the role of Dean of Student Health and Wellness, Gordon Coole’s current position. “She has experience, she knows what it’s like to be Dean on Duty [and] she understands how the office works and who does that, so there’s a whole bunch of things we don’t have to set up,” Mischke explained.

Mischke commended Cahalane’s responsibility. She said of a dean, “They really have to be someone who can be relied on in a pinch. We have some pretty complicated things that happen. We need members of the team that are able to kind of be there at a moment’s notice,” Mischke said.

According to Caldwell, the committee also looked positively on Cahalane’s involvement in the Youth Health and Risk Behavior Survey Task Force, her roles on campus as a Student Council adviser and dorm faculty in Bancroft Hall. “She knows the trends of the school. She’s been involved in so many areas of campus life, so she’s a natural fit, especially for an interim position,” Caldwell said.

Simpson commented on Cahalane’s position as a health instructor. “She brings a wealth of experience to the job as a health educator and will value the well-being of individual students and our community,” Simpson said. The Youth Health and Risk Behavior Survey Task Force is in the midst of efforts to facilitate discussions about mental-health, sleeping, drug use and bullying and hazing. “I think she’ll bring wonderful expertise in the areas of mental health and overall student wellbeing,” Simpson said.

Lower Lilly Pinciaro concurred that Cahalane’s expertise as a health teacher will be beneficial to her role as a dean. “From my experience with having her as a health teacher, I think she really understands the mental health issues and the needs of the mainstream student body,” Pinciaro said.

One distinction that sets Cahalane’s role apart is that instead of the normal five-year tenure for the Dean of Residential Life, Cahalane has been elected to serve for only the 2018–19 school year as an interim dean. According to MacFarlane, this is due to pending changes in the Dean of Students office.

“The Academy Life Task Force has put together a proposal for a change in the structure of the Dean of Students office. The faculty will vote on that proposal later this spring. If that happens, it would likely occur in [the 2019-20 year], and we would be looking at new position descriptions and a new organization. Pending that decision, it made sense to have an interim,” MacFarlane said.

With the Deans’ Office planning to undergo changes, Simpson looks forward to Cahalane’s role during the restructuring period. “I think this will be a really important time of transition. She’ll be a perfect person to take us through that,” Simpson said.

In the following year, Cahalane looks forward to improving upon the existing academy life program. “There is a lot of interesting work that we hope to do in the coming year including building upon the good work that is happening on campus around social emotional learning, equity and inclusion, student well-being and the inclusion of day students in our residential program,” Cahalane said.

Cahalane is unsure of whether she will remain in her position as a health instructor for the 2018-19 school year. “That will depend on a number of factors that I’m weighing. I value my teaching time and special connections with students, but I want to guard against taking on too much,” Cahalane said.

When asked what she will miss most about being a health instructor, Cahalane said, “My conversations with my prep and new lower classes throughout the year and those with the seniors in the spring.” Regardless, she is excited to have the chance to work with students in a different way.

Cosgrove will miss the “unending opportunities to help students in a variety of ways” and “the challenges, problem solving and relationships with colleagues and students that I’ve made during the last seven years,” he said.

Cosgrove will also be resigning from his position as chair of the Academy Life Task Force and the Discipline Review Committee. “It would have been exciting to continue working on some of the proposals that come out of the two committees, but I also recognize that I leave these committees in excellent hands and that the work will continue,” he said.

Cosgrove plans to stay actively involved in academy life until the end of his tenure. While the Deans’ Office faces an over-enrollment challenge for next year, Cosgrove will be contributing to the process of alleviating this issue.

“I’m still nervous about all the work that we have to do; we have to house all these extra students. We have a pretty big project this summer. But Dean Cosgrove, thank you to him, is continuing to work on and try to problem solve it, so it will actually not be too complicated,” Mischke said.

Senior Ivy Tran, Cahalane’s advisee, expressed appreciation for Cahalane’s care and compassion for her students. “Ms. Cahalane is a really patient and genuinely caring advisor. She always has time to talk and wants to know what is happening in her advisees’ lives,” Tran said.

While Cahalane mentioned that she is excited and nervous about starting her new work, Cosgrove expressed his faith in her. “Ms. Cahalane is a pro, so I have nothing but confidence in her ability to do a great job. My only advice is to make yourself and someone else laugh every day, maintain optimism and do whatever it takes to stay even tempered,” Cosgrove said.

MacFarlane said, “We always look for people with great judgment, rapport with students, parents and colleagues, experience with running dorms or administrative work—and a sense of humor helps! We had wonderful candidates, and I know everyone is excited to work with Ms. Cahalane.”