In an email to students, faculty, and staff on Thursday, President Sian Leah Beilock reaffirmed “the central role community plays in our teaching and research mission” and announced a number of personnel and organizational changes aimed at cultivating the foundation of Dartmouth’s vibrant, healthy, and engaged academic community.
The first of these is the creation of an administrative area of pre-existing campus organizations dedicated to community building, led by a senior vice president for community and campus life. President Beilock announced the appointment of Jennifer Rosales—who most recently served in leadership positions at Barnard College—to this key role, beginning July 22.
As senior vice president, Rosales, whom Beilock called “a gifted community builder,” will bring together campus organizations that will build community across the institution—including the William Jewett Tucker Center, Outdoor Programs, and the Office of Community Life and Inclusivity—into a single administrative entity.
“Each of the departments in this new area was created to serve undergraduates and, over time, many have informally expanded to serve wider segments of our population,” Beilock said. “While undergraduates will continue to be a strong focus, we are confident that intentionally and thoughtfully expanding access to all students will benefit a growing number of our community members.”
Working with senior leadership and leaders in student affairs across the institution, Rosales will identify community building and campus life needs across the university, streamline support, and create initiatives, programs, and structures that enhance the student experience for Dartmouth’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. She will also oversee Community Relations.
“I share Dartmouth’s aim for cultivating a wonderfully supportive community, and I see my role as a catalyst—someone who can build on existing strengths of this tight-knit community to help people connect to each other across all kinds of differences,” Rosales says. “I know that President Beilock is committed to strengthening Dartmouth’s community, and I am thrilled to join her in this important endeavor.”
Rosales served as vice president for inclusion and engaged learning and chief diversity officer at Barnard, and before that as the inaugural director of the Center for Engaged Pedagogy and as an assistant professor of practice in education at Barnard. She was director of research and evaluation at the Center for Social Justice and an adjunct professor in the Program on Justice and Peace Studies at Georgetown University. She earned her PhD in the School of Cinematic Arts, Division of Critical Studies, at the University of Southern California, and before that a master’s and BA at USC as well. She is moving to Hanover with her two daughters, ages 10 and 5.
In addition to the Rosales appointment, Beilock announced a number of other key changes, effective Aug. 1:
- In a move to enhance how Dartmouth serves international students, Senior Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue is adding global inclusion to her portfolio, with the goal of improving support for all international students, including undergraduates and graduate and professional students. She will also be responsible for oversight of international risk management and mitigation policies for international travelers on Dartmouth-affiliated business, promoting the safety of all Dartmouth travelers who study and work abroad.
- After three years at Dartmouth, Dean of the College Scott Brown will be leaving Dartmouth at the end of July. Beilock praised Brown for “his tireless efforts on behalf of students, his empathetic leadership style, and his ubiquitous presence on campus.”
- As Brown steps down, Associate Dean of Student Support Services Anne Hudak and Associate Dean for Student Life Eric Ramsey have been jointly named interim deans of the College. Hudak and Ramsey are “dedicated and respected leaders with decades of experience helping Dartmouth undergraduates thrive,” Beilock said.
In her message, Beilock acknowledged that these announcements follow an academic year of global, national, and local challenges that have at times tested community bonds. Most recently, Dartmouth is mourning the loss of Won Jang ’26 and Steve Kahl ’91, a clinical professor of business administration at the Tuck School of Business. These events “remind us that we can never take this sense of community for granted,” Beilock said, and underscore the importance of cultivating community at the highest levels of the institution.
To solicit input on how Dartmouth can better build community, Beilock is hosting a series of lunches and walks with small groups of students throughout the summer. Students interested in joining these events can fill out a sign-up form to reserve a spot. In addition, Beilock and the senior leadership team plan to host a summer reception for all students on a date to be announced.
“We will be talking a great deal about community building over the rest of the summer and in the coming academic year. I have already heard some great ideas during my summer student lunches,” Beilock said.
