The search for a new dean is gradually coming to an end, and Barnard administrators hope to announce their selection in November.
There are now three finalists for the position, according to Gregory Brown, chief operating officer of Barnard and chair of a steering committee dedicated to the selection of a new dean.
The committee last month interviewed eight semi-finalists, and the three finalists are all alumnae of women’s colleges.
“It was an incredibly strong pool. We were just delighted with the quality of people,” Barnard President Debora Spar told reporters in a recent meeting, adding that the search included candidates from all over the country. “It’s really been a wonderful process so far.”
The search comes after Spar announced over the summer that current Barnard Dean Dorothy Denburg would assume the position of vice president of college relations and step down as dean once the college finds a replacement.
Denburg primarily served as dean under former Barnard President Judith Shapiro, and she is also a Barnard alumna. In her new position, she will oversee the offices of Alumnae Affairs and Career Development, as well as the school’s global initiatives. She will also work with pre-college programs and teach a first-year seminar.
Denburg said that the announcement of her new position has already sparked interest among alumnae.
But as Barnard pushes forward with its search for a replacement, Denburg has found herself juggling two jobs. At the Barnard Student Government Association meeting this week, Denburg said that things were “fragmented” because she is not doing her new job full-time yet.
“I’ve been very busy,” she said. “We’ve begun conversations between Alumnae Affairs and Career Development about how they might work together better. We’re in the process of refining and launching an expanded mentoring program.”
She also said that she hopes to launch at least one short course with three sessions for alums that would be led by three senior faculty members.
Denburg said that the position will give her a chance to do something new at the college.
“I think we have the opportunity to do something interesting and special,” she said.
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