Cooke’s Exit Spurs Concern

In the wake of the departure of the College’s coordinator of student activities, the Black Students Association (BSA) are asking student groups to join them in calling on the administration to give student groups a greater voice in the “future of extracurricular activities at Harvard.”

The BSA’s board solicited other student organizations yesterday to sign a closed letter to Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 asking for a meeting to discuss the displacement of former Coordinator of Student Activities Susan T. Cooke.

The College announced in July that Cooke’s post would be eliminated, and that the responsibilities of her office would be assumed by a new assistant dean.

The move was part of the larger restructuring of the College that has occurred since the ouster of former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 last spring.

Cooke was one of four finalists considered for the new position, but last Tuesday the College appointed Paul J. McLoughlin, a counselor at the Office of Career Services, to the post.

In the e-mail—sent to an undisclosed number of student groups—the BSA board said the proposed letter to Gross “will stress the need for the administration to make such decisions that directly affect our lives more controlled by us,” and indicated that they felt excluded in the College’s decision to dismiss Cooke.

The BSA board also asked the groups to support a “Town Hall Meeting” with Gross and for contributions to run an advertisement in The Crimson publicizing the event.

BSA President Olamipe I. Okunseinde ’04 said yesterday that her organization had no comment.

But in an interview last week, Okunseinde said Cooke would be missed by the BSA.

“Our organization will sorely miss her. She cares so much about the students. You really feel valued by the University,” said Okunseinde, who is also a Crimson editor.

Acting Associate Dean for Student Affairs Judith H. Kidd—the administrator to whom McLoughlin will report—said she and Gross will meet with BSA leaders, and added that she is open to talking with other student groups as well.

“We are happy to do that, to discuss any questions they have about the process of selecting the new dean,” said Kidd, who said she had not seen the e-mail sent by the BSA.

Gross, who also said that he is willing to meet with student groups, said that the new assistant deanship was created to ease Kidd’s responsibilities—which also include her former job, overseeing the Phillips Brooks House.

“Dean Kidd has more managerial tasks than [Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth ’71] covered, and I felt she needed more help with day to day student affairs,” Gross wrote in an e-mail.

Gross also noted that two students served on the search committee that ultimately selected McLoughlin.

Preliminary reaction to the BSA e-mail among student group leaders was mixed.

Ethan L. Gray ’05, president of Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, said he was also worried about the changes going on in University Hall.

“My issue is less with Susan Cooke personally than with how the administration has gone about replacing her,” said Gray, who said he supports the BSA initiative, but will read a draft of the proposed letter before signing.

“There is less acceptance of what extracurriculars add to Harvard life at the College in general,” he said. “I’m afraid by de-emphasizing the role extracurriculars play, we risk losing an important avenue of self expression and self growth.”

International Relations Council President David K. Kessler ’04, said he was not sure if he supported the BSA’s initiative.

Kessler said he thought it was very unlikely that College would reverse its decision regarding Cooke, and said that instead student groups should focus o the larger issue of the future of extracurricular activities.

“I think that the idea of sitting down and talking with the administration about the future of activities is a good idea, but I don’t know if this letter is a good idea,” he said.

Kessler said he had not expected to be consulted about the new appointment, although he was surprised when Cooke was not appointed to the new position.

He said that Kidd and the administration have been very supportive thus far, but that the restructuring that followed Lewis’ forced exit has left student groups uncertain of their place in the College.

As Cooke departs, she joins a growing number of University Hall veterans who have left in the past year, including Lewis, Illingworth and former Assistant Dean of the College Karen E. Avery ’87. Registrar of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Arlene Becella, a close colleague of Lewis, also left at the end of last year.

Kidd said that student concerns about the future of the extracurricular scene are unfounded.

“I don’t know why they are concerned,” Kidd said. “We feel confident that there will be no harm to student activities and that everybody will be well supported. That is why we reinvented the entire position: to provide a better level of support.”

—Staff writer David B. Rochelson contributed to the reporting of this article.

—Staff writer Nalina Sombuntham can be reached at sombunth@fas.harvard.edu.