New Dean of Students candidacy narrowed down to three

Since former Dean of Students Vandy Kemp announced her retirement during the fall semester of 2016, Maryville College officials have been on the hunt for new candidates to fill the position. Now, after filing through many applicants, the candidacy has been narrowed down to three top contenders.

Dr. Byron McCrae, Dr. Danny Glassman and Dr. Melanie Tucker are the top three candidates for the position. Each candidate has a long list of experience in both higher education and student life.

McCrae currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students at Hampshire College. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and Dean of Student Life at Washington & Jefferson College.

Glassman currently works at the University of Tennessee as the Associate Dean of Students and is the former Assistant Dean of Students at Oglethorpe University.

Tucker is the current Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Dickinson State University, and is the former Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Northern Illinois University.

McRae was the first candidate to host an open forum to allow students and faculty to meet him, as well as answer any questions they may have. McRae noted the importance of diversity to him.

“I am a strong advocate for diversity, and I would want to be accessible and there for the student because I would be, ultimately, the Dean of Students,” said McRae.

In his forum, he also discussed some possibilities for change on campus, maybe even going smoke-free, which is something that he helped pilot at Hampshire College. He ensured, however, that he would take into consideration the opinions of the Maryville College community first and stick to the books on how college policies are implemented.

Glassman was the second candidate to host an open forum. The candidate discussed his role at the University of Tennessee and how he would transfer that to the liberal arts atmosphere at Maryville College. According to Glassman, his goal is “connecting students and engaging them in campus life.”

An interesting topic that Dr. Glassman briefly touched on in his forum was his thoughts on Greek Life. He said that he saw the importance of Greek Life and its role in a campus community, but he left it open at that.

Tucker came to campus on Monday, Jan. 23 to host her forum. According to her Linked-In profile, Tucker is a “student-centered advocate and ally, committed to access and inclusion, with a focus on creating spaces where differences are valued within post-secondary educational environments. Relationship builder, big picture thinker, unique problem solver, and a team player.”

As student, faculty and administration alike are considering these candidates, MC awaits a new Dean of Students and Vice President.

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