Dean Forman a unique character, devoted leader

By Staff Editorial     4/15/10 7:00pm

At the end of June, Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman will leave Rice to accept the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta (see story, page 1). This announcement, which was made at the beginning of the week, came as a shock to many of us. We'd assumed that Forman, who seems a veritable campus fixture, would be around for years to come, and though we're saddened to hear the news, we wish Forman the best in his future endeavors. We know Emory will gain a dedicated academic and leader with their pick.Forman has served at Rice for 23 years as both an educator and dean, and he leaves behind an extensive legacy. During his five-year tenure as Rice's first dean of undergraduates, he helped to establish the Center for Civic Engagement and interdisciplinary minors. In addition to his role as dean, Forman generally teaches a math class each semester, which offers him a multidimensional approach to the student experience: as an administrator, as an academic and as a mentor to students. His investment at Rice has extended far beyond the academic, however, and he has consistently made a point to reach out to students. He served as Jones College master from 2002-05, and despite taking on a heavier role in the administration in recent years, his dedication to students hasn't waned. Go to just about any home football game, and you'll see Forman hanging out in the bleachers. He regularly eats at serveries and may even know your name: In short, he's much more in touch with students than most other members of the administration.

At a time when students are becoming increasingly concerned about transparency in university affairs, Forman often attends Student Association meetings to address student concerns, sometimes subjecting himself to caustic and angry student questions - a crowd of dissatisfied students attended a fall 2008 SA meeting discussing BANNER club implementation, and Forman, along with Vice President for Finance Kathy Collins, helped assuage students' fears about the large-scale change. Forman has shown an incredibly approachable and warm personality, and students feel comfortable coming to him with a variety of issues or even for a casual chat. (It might be his refreshing sense of humor: Forman had a stand-up career for years, balancing comedy with academia.) His commitment to students was even demonstrated earlier this week with the announcement that he would be leaving at the end of the semester; after the initial e-mail from President David Leebron announcing his departure, Forman sent a separate e-mail to students expressing his sadness over leaving the Rice community. His decision to communicate directly with students rather than relying upon Leebron's message summarizes the kind of emphasis Forman places on open discourse with students, a comforting honesty that makes us think the disconnect between students and the administration may not be that large, after all. He has provided a sense of humor and fairness to academic matters, an ear for students and high campus visibility, and the university will have a difficult time filling his shoes.

Though we acknowledge that replacing someone as well-suited to the job as Forman is not going to be an easy task, we praise and support the criteria for the new dean that were proposed by Matt Taylor: someone not from outside Rice or even from the ranks of its administration, but a member of the Rice community who is familiar with the concerns of the student body and has previously demonstrated himself or herself to be a competent liaison between students and the administration. We would add to this list that the new dean of undergraduates should be a current faculty member, an excellent communicator, well-informed about current student issues and thick-skinned. The student body is not an easy group to manage, so our university representative must be particularly prepared through prior experiences to handle the demands and stresses of the position.

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We hope that the university will not be tempted to abandon its commitment to its morals in the pursuit of prestige by selecting a well-known outsider at the expense of local campus concerns. Bringing in someone who filled a similar role at a sister university - as Emory chose to do - risks staffing the role with someone who may be ill-suited for the Rice culture specifically. Furthermore, we encourage the search committee to consider the ranks of current and former masters when looking for a replacement, as these individuals interact with students, day in and day out. We need a candidate with knowledge of Rice's unique culture as well as its academic system. By looking to its own outstanding faculty members to fill this role, the university can ensure that this position remains a relevant and important resource for students and administrators alike.

The dean of undergraduates must be well connected to the student experience, and this starts with the selection process. The committee should keep students updated, in addition to its student position on the committee. Whoever follows Forman should live up to his legacy, and the entire student body should be the best gauge of that.

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