History: Dean Cole-Newkirk at Oberlin College

The following is a compilation of decisions Cole-Newkirk made, as well as events in the offices that she oversees from her hiring to her resignation.

February 1995 - Cole-Newkirk OC'74 is hired, replacing former Dean of Student Life Patrick Penn. Cole-Newkirk had been the Associate Dean of Students at St. Mary's Honor's College previously.

July 1995 - Cole-Newkirk starts work as Dean of Student Life and Services

August 1995 - Cole-Newkirk hires Kenneth Holmes as Assistant to the Dean to help oversee searches and restructuring in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Holmes came from Lees College, where he had been a dean.

Sept. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk announces plans to start a review and revision of the College's Rules and Regulations. She says its length, inconsistency and inaccessibility are its primary problems.

Sept. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk disbands the Office of Multicultural affairs, two years after its creation and much criticism that the office lacked a clear purpose. In its place Cole-Newkirk creates the Multicultural Resources Center (MRC). Two new MRC interns are hired.

Sept. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk combines the Office of Residential Life and the Office of Residential Services, making Deb McNish, associate dean of Student Life, director of the Department. The two offices had been seperated five years earlier because of budget cuts.

Oct. 1995 - After a meeting where members of ABUSUA, the black student union, accused the Office of Security and the Oberlin Police Department of racism, Cole-Newkirk outlines a 12-point plan for restructuring the Office of Security. Included in the outline were plans to hold multicultural workshops for security officers, start bike patrols, improve lighting around campus and other initiatives.

Oct. 1995 - In an interview with the Review Cole-Newkirk pinpoints several of her goals: an overhaul of the Rules and Regulations, moving Athletics into Student Life and improving Wilder Hall as a student center. She also discusses the inadequacy of housing, and her hopes to offer students more options.

Nov. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk appoints Joe DiChristina, assistant dean of Residential Life, interim director of Security after former director Richard McDaniel resigned.

Nov. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk moves her office from Stevenson Hall to Wilder Hall, in order to be more centrally located. The newly formed MRC moves to the space in Stevenson Hall from its old office in Daub House.

Nov. 1995 - Cole-Newkirk moves Julia Nieves, who had been hired as a special advisor to the Latino community, to the position of director of the MRC. Nieves replaced Holmes, who had been overseeing the Office since August.

Nov. 1995 - Robin Russell and Diem Nguyen, former interns in the MRC, resign. The interns cited the need for fundamental change in the office that would take a long time as one factor in their decision.

Dec. 1995 - In response to offensive and sexist grafitti at Baldwin Co-op, and an inquiry from a student, Cole-Newkirk asks the Student Life Committee to make implementation of a hate crimes policy a priority. Ultimately, SLC decides not to implement a hate crimes policy.

Feb. 1996 - The Dean's Office brings two health consultants to campus to evaluate College health services. In the spring, Cole-Newkirk chairs the Health Plan Board, which explores the current structure of Student Health and looks into options for changes. According to a Student Senate survey conducted in 1996, many Oberlin students have been dissatisfied with College Physician Judith Appleton.

Feb. 1996 - President of the College Nancy Dye announces that the Division of Student Life and Services will have to cut $600,000, or 8 percent, of its budget for the next fiscal year. The cuts are part of College-wide budget cuts to eliminate the structural deficit. Cole-Newkirk announces the first of many administrative restructuring plans - the combination of Conference Services with Residential Life. The cuts to Student Life and Services are among the most substantial and concentrated compared to other College divisions.

Feb. 1996 - Residential Life and Services announces the elimination of half the Area Coordinators and Commons Coordinaors. The cuts would trim $300,000 - part of the necessary $600,000 - from the division's budget. Many Residential Coordinators (RC) fear departmental disorganization and that too many responsibilities will be placed upon them as a result.

March 1996 - In a letter, Cole-Newkirk evicts Matt Holford, then a junior, from his room in South Hall because of "at least three complaints ... about your unlawful possession and use of illicit drugs in your room." The eviction requires Holford to leave College housing and forbids him from living in College housing in the future.

The eviction results in student support for Holford. Holford goes before Student Senate, where the body passes two proposals. One proposal gives its support to Holford and asks Cole-Newkirk to meet with them. A second proposal asks for a meeting with Dye and Cole-Newkirk to discuss the drug and alcohol policy.

Holford supporters hold a speak-out where students call the eviction authoritarian and paternalistic. Among other things, students yelled, "Fuck you Res Life."

April 1996 - After the Housing and Dining Committee passes a proposal allowing roommates of opposite gender to live together, Cole-Newkirk and Dye attend the SLC meeting at which the proposal is being discussed. Both Dye and Cole-Newkirk feel the issue of co-ed housing needs to be discussed more. Cole-Newkirk agrees to draft a co-ed housing proposal that could possibly be implemented without approval from the General Faculty and bring it back to the SLC. Cole-Newkirk's proposal suggests reconfiguring Noah or South Hall into a collection of 6, 7, 9, 11 and 13-person suites. Student senators feel that this is not the proposal they want, and organize a speak-out to protest.

May 1996 - Keith James is hired as Director of Safety and Security. James came from the College of Wooster.

May 1996 - Dye rescinds Cole-Newkirk's decision to suspend then-junior Josh Robinson after he and then-junior Matt Holford are accused of public drunkeness and disturbing the peace.

May 1996- Unexpected cuts in the Student Union and Office of Residential Life and Services lead to confusion amongst staff about the offices in the future. The Student Union loses three positions - an administrative assistant, the information desk operator and director of Student Union Operations. Residential Life loses two administrative assistants.

Student employees of the Union, upset by the changes, meet with Cole-Newkirk about their concerns. Many at the meeting feel that Cole-Newkirk is vague in her answers and does not have a plan for the operation of the Union. 'Charlene doesn't have a plan yet to compensate for the loss of their jobs. She should have thought of that before, before she got rid of these people," one student says.

Sept. 1996 - The MRC moves once again, this time to Wilder. Four new interns are hired. Assistant Dean of Student Life and Service Shilpa Dave is hired to oversee the Center. The Center is also given a larger operating budget.

Sept. 1996 - Cole-Newkirk eliminates cover charge at the 'Sco.

Sept. 1996 - Cole-Newkirk restructures the associate dean structure, creating a new position - associate dean of Student Life and Services. Joe DiChristina is placed in that position while a search is run for a permanent replacement.

Cole-Newkirk also creates an Associate Dean of Multiculturalism position, which is filled by Ken Homes.

Other changes include moving the associate dean of Academic Services to the oversight of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of Career Services to the oversight of the Center for Service and Learning.

Sept. 1996 - Students receive new Student Handbooks which include information about the governance of the College and resources available to students. The Handbooks also include daily planners. Cole-Newkirk was instrumental in the creation of the handbooks.

Sept. 1996 - Three final candidates for the new associate dean of Student Life and Services visit campus.

Oct. 1996 - The campus sees 14 new blue lights and emergency telelphones. The installation of the lights occur a year after Cole-Newkirk first makes it a priority for the Office of Security.

Oct. 1996 - The Security Advisory Committee reforms to provide support and feedback to the Office of Security.

Oct. 1996 - After a search committee for the new associate dean of Student Life position recommends Bill Stackman as their first choice of three candidates, Cole-Newkirk offers the position to a different finalist - Mark Constantine.

After the search committee voices frustrations, Cole-Newkirk meets with concerned students. At the meeting Cole-Newkirk says the committee had not informed her that it has such a strong preference. Committee members say they feel their input has not been considered. Constantine and Cole-Newkirk cannot agree on a contract and Stackman is ultimately hired.

Nov. 1996 - The Office of Student Life and Services lends its support to efforts to bring the AIDS Quilt to Oberlin. A part of the quilt comes in December to the Heisman Field House.

Nov. 1996 - During the search for a new assistant director of Residential Life - a position created as part of the restructuring in Residential Life and Services - the job description changes. The new job description emphasizes facilities management rather than personnel work. The position is not filled until May of 1997, seven months after it was begun. Dennis Rupert, from Bowling Green University, is hired.

Nov. 1996 - The SLC elects Professor of Politics Chris Howell and senator junior Chapin Benninghoff as interim co-chairs. The election makes Benninghoff the first student to co-chair a faculty committee.

Dec. 1996 - A new student escort service is started after the idea was first proposed in the Spring of 1996 by members of the Feminist Majority.

Dec. 1996 - Cole-Newkirk tells the SLC it lacks a clear focus. She says the committee needs to think about its mission and decide on the best structure to accomplish the mission.

Feb. 1997 - Some students notice that the 1996-97 Handbook of Rules and Regulations no longer contains clause i, which prohibits evidence from being used in judicial proceedings if it is discovered during improper room searches, and respond angrily to the clause's removal. Cole-Newkirk writes, in a letter to the Oberlin community and an essay in the Review, that she deleted the clauses because they were dean-made, explaining that when Penn instituted the rules he did not receive authorization from a faculty committee.

At an SLC meeting, Cole-Newkirk announces her intention to reinstate the clauses into the Handbook of Rules and Regulations despite her earlier intentions.

April 1997 - Cole-Newkirk is intrumental in organizing a reunion for black alumni. At least 100 attend. Students and alumni call the reunion a success.

April 1997 - Residential Life distributes surveys to gather student opinion on dining. This is the beginning of a move to revamp campus dining that is still ongoing.

March 1997 - Cole-Newkirk initiates renovations of Wilder. The interior is painted, some bathrooms renovated and new furniture purchased throughout spring and summer in an effort to make the Student Union more inviting to students.

June 1997 - McNish is fired, an event administrative sources say she did not anticipate. Assistant Dean Barb Mehwald serves as acting director of Residential Life until a permanent replacement can be found. McNish's firing draws protest from a number of students and faculty. A week after the firing, McNish meets with Dye and agrees to take a one-year sabbatical. Assistant Dean of Student Life Yeworkwha Belachew takes a leave of absence. RC Carolina Penalava-Arana, a senior, says, "Deb was awesome. Charlene Cole is not approachable. McNish was always there if you had a problem. It's not fair to take away the two women who care."

Summer 1997 - Former Director of Career Services Lanna Hagge resigns after 22 years, a move that, according to administrative sources, is spurred by personal conflicts with Cole-Newkirk. Cole-Newkirk says she does not believe personal dynamics influenced Hagge's decision to leave. "It is my understanding Lanna left because she wanted to be closer to her son," Cole-Newkirk said.

Sept. 1997 - Students return to campus and learn that their validines are a thing of the past. A new, upgraded system will replace the old. The new one-cards are distributed in October.

Oct. 1, 1997 - College physician Judith Appleton retires, saying, "I think change is in the future and I thought it would be easier if they didn't have to work around me." The process of developing a new student health plan continues.

Oct. 3, 1997 - A forum with Cole-Newkirk addressing issues relating to the department of Student Life and Services fills King 106. Concerned students organize the forum, and students account for the majority of the standing room only crowd. Dye also attends and sits in the back. Though originally invited to participate, Dye declines, citing a previous engagement. The forum opens with questions about the firing of McNish, but quickly moves on to broader issues of diversity and community. Cole-Newkirk cannot answer questions about McNish because she is unable to speak about personnel issues for legal reasons.

Abusua members arrive at the forum holding signs describing Cole-Newkirk's accomplishments at Oberlin. At one point Cole-Newkirk says, "If I create a climate of fear, we can't effectively do our job. I think my reputation has been solving problems and dealing with people with great humanity."

Senior Blair Heiserman says, "You've taken many actions that seem to overlook student interests and concerns."

Senior Kiese Laymon says, "Quit looking at this woman right here. She makes mistakes no doubt, but it doesn't take an activist to shoot bullets at an administrator. This all started when Dean Cole didn't want a bunch of white boys smoking dope in their room."

-compiled by Sara Foss and Susanna Henighan