With Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marianne Calenda’s upcoming retirement, Elizabethtown College must find a replacement for the position. Thursday, Feb. 15, through a campuswide email, the members of the search committee for the position were announced.

Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development Dr. Kristi Kneas and Executive Director of Purposeful Life Work and Ethical Leadership Rev. Dr. Tracy Wenger Sadd are the co-chairs of the search committee, with other representatives of student life on campus serving on the committee as well.

“Our charge from the President is to cofacilitate a search process, which will include input from the entire campus community as the search committee makes final recommendations for the new [vice president for student life],” Sadd said regarding her and Kneas’s responsibilities as co-chairs.

Among the members are Equity and Title Ix Coordinator Dr. Armenta Hinton, Area Coordinator Cody Miller, Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Center for Student Success Stephanie Rankin, Director of Athletics Chris Morgan, assistant professor of education Dr. Peter Licona, Manager of Special Events and Summer Programs Joe Hudzick, associate professor of Japanese Dr. Mahua Bhattacharya and Assistant Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Athletic Recruitment Adam Moore. Student Senate currently has five students participating to provide a student’s perspective, but that number may decrease to two or three as to not overwhelm the candidates with too many interviewers.

The search committee will be looking for someone who can adequately perform the duties of a vice president for student life. By including committee members from different backgrounds, the search committee can inspect candidates for the position from a variety of different angles, all of which fall under the vice president for student life’s responsibilities.

“The vice president for student life oversees various departments within a division of student life,” Calenda said about the position. “I enjoy working with a very dedicated team.”

Specifically, the vice president oversees departments such as Residence Life, Campus Security, Religious Services, Called to Lead, Center for Student Success, Career Services, athletics and more. The vice president also serves on the President’s Senior Staff and acts as the liaison to the Board of Trustees for student life.

Calenda also put an emphasis on how the vice president provides students with mentors outside of faculty, and how the vice president manages other aspects of a student’s life outside of academics. These other aspects include soft skill development, civil rights, leadership development, post-college opportunities and cultivating positive experiences for students.

Additionally, aside from being able to perform the position’s duties well, students and staff shared what other traits they would like to see in the new vice president for student life.

“In regards to that, I would like someone who is a very strong candidate for the student body and student rights,” Student Senate President and senior Sean Fiedler said. “It’s hard to follow up on someone like [Calenda] when she’s been an incredible advocate.”

Calenda’s close collaboration with Student Senate has been praised before, especially from other senates in different colleges.

Fiedler also shared how he would like to have the next vice president continue with that level of collaboration if he or she sees that as a possibility.

“It would be important for the next vice president to have a passion for student learning and well-being,” Calenda said. She also mentioned an understanding of students and an advocacy for students as being important factors.

“[Etown is] very much about academic rigor, but frankly, that cannot happen if students are not treated well … They have to love students and bring energy and enthusiasm to understanding what it’s like for today’s students,” Calenda said.

According to the job description listed on the College’s website, Etown opened the application period Feb. 2.

Priority will be given to applicants who submitted materials by Mar. 5. So far, there has been a good number of applicants, but the committee hopes to see the pool grow in size and become more competitive as time goes on.

“The general plan is to have a two-step process, with the first step in March [with] Skype and Zoom interviews, and then perhaps three or so finalist candidates for on-campus interviews in April,” Sadd said.

Senior Staff, the Board of Trustees, faculty, students and members of student life will be participating in the interview process.

The search committee hopes to have the new vice president for student life start Jul. 1, 2018.