Last week, the College appointed Associate Professor of Psychology Allen Hart '82, to the position of dean of new students for a term beginning on July 1 of this year. Hart will replace current Dean of New Students and Professor of Mathematics Gregory Call, who will become the new dean of the faculty.

"The dean of new students is always a tenured faculty member," said Dean of Students Ben Lieber. "[The dean] continues teaching one class, chairs the orientation committee and runs all of orientation," he added.

Lieber approached Hart a few years ago to see if he had any interest in the position and he responded positively. "When Dean Call got the new appointment, it seemed logical to go back to [Hart]," said Lieber. "President [Tom] Gerety and Dean [of the Faculty Lisa] Raskin agreed that he'd be a good choice and we were able to make the appointment," he said.

"I think Professor Hart is a wonderful choice to be the new dean of new students," said Dean Call. "I believe he has the caring nature to understand the concerns that first-year students often face, and the judgement to offer them honest and meaningful advice. I'm looking forward to working with him."

Hart, who has accepted the position for a three-year term, believes that his new responsibilities are especially valuable because he is a graduate of the College.

"Keeping to what the dean of new students does, [the position] seems like a natural progression from the kind of mentoring I got here as a student to what I will give to the new students," he said.

The position brings many additional responsibilities, particularly during the summer. "The new student orientation is a big piece of the job," Hart said.

Hart, who has spoken about diversity at orientation for the past few years, is now responsible for planning all of the first-year orientation activities. Additionally, he will spend much of June assigning new students to their faculty advisors. Although a difficult task, Hart said that he is interested in this portion of the job since so many faculty members often wonder how they get assigned to their first-year advisees.

During the academic year, Hart will have to balance his administrative responsibilities with his teaching.

"As best I understand it, the hours are unpredictable, regardless of when my office hours will be in Converse," Hart said.

The extra time necessary does not make the position any less appealing. "It is unique to be a faculty member and an administrator," Hart said. "I am looking forward to maintaining teaching while working on the faculty."