With Associate Professor of History and Director of the LGBTQ Center Jen Manion leaving for Amherst College in the fall, the search has commenced for a new Director of the Center. According to the website, the College hopes to hire “a creative and energetic administrator who seeks out opportunities for establishing rapport and collaboration with people in all aspects of the college and community.” The position will now be a full-time staff position, and the new Director will start on July 1 so as to create a smooth transition into next fall.
Interim Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion David Canton and Associate Dean B. Afeni McNeely Cobham both expressed excitement about the addition of a full-time staff position. Dean McNeely Cobham felt that the opportunity for the position to function in its full administrative capacity would be beneficial, and that the new director would be able to “enhance” the work already laid down by Professor Manion. She stressed the importance of intersectionality amongst the Centers (the Women’s Center, Unity House and the LGBTQ Center) on campus, saying that they “model the beauty of transferring information about our different experiences.” She expected to see more of the Centers working in partnership with one another in more nuanced ways.
Dean Canton also emphasized the expectation of group work and collaborative efforts to work toward equity on campus and beyond. He described the Centers as both intellectual and social spaces and spoke about the unique opportunities that arise in spaces such as the LGBTQ Center. “We need to be intentional,” he said, about our efforts to collaborate and work toward justice. He also highlighted the role of relationships and “organic opportunities that are not forced or fake” in fostering an environment in which people are more comfortable engaging with and learning from other identities.
Both Canton and McNeely Cobham emphasized the chances for input that students would have in the process. “Everyone who wants to meet with and hear from candidates will have that opportunity,” Dean McNeely Cobham noted. Dean Canton said, “We want to hit the ground running” in the fall. He expressed that the new Director and new Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion John McKnight Jr. would be able to combine their ideas and team vision with that of students and those involved at the LGBTQ Center to build on what has already been started. “We are confident about what’s going to happen,” he commented.
Professor Manion hoped that “the college community steps up and supports this person” in welcoming new ideas and building on work that still needs to be done. “Progress isn’t inevitable, and it’s not undoable,” they said, stressing the need to work toward goals intentionally and with administrative support. They encouraged students to work against apathy and the general consensus that “things are fine” in the LGBTQIA community. “I think it’ll be great having someone here full-time,” they said, since the position was not designed to be a faculty member.
LGBTQ Center coordinator Justin Mendillo ’18 said he felt that Professor Manion had done “an impressive job navigating both roles.” He recounted, “At first I wasn’t sure how the administration would respond [to Manion leaving], but they listened to the LGBTQ+ students and designated a full-time Director position to the Center.” He also felt that efforts surrounding the new position have been collaborative and was excited about the fall.
With a new Director of the Center and Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion starting in the fall, this could be a window of opportunity for the LGBTQ Center, and for all Centers on campus. With help from students, faculty and staff, programming can continue to be intersectional and exciting, fostering an environment with ample opportunities for learning and collaboration. •
