Michael Wadsworth has been named interim Dean of Students for Oakland University. This comes following Nancy Marshall’s retirement from the position.

Promoted on Oct. 1, Wadsworth has a history in dealing with students. He holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Kent State University, was the director of Residential Life at Albion College and has been with OU since 2014.

“Michael has more than 20 years of higher education experience in roles that directly interface with students,” said Glenn McIntosh, vice president for Student Affairs and chief diversity officer. “These roles have allowed him to interact with students, parents, faculty and staff on a number of issues, projects and services. At Oakland, serving in the assistant dean of students position, he has firsthand experience in the functions of the office.”

Wadsworth is not only appreciated by campus administration, but by student leadership as well. As Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC) President Ryan Fox put it, “I like Mike.”

“I’ve never had a negative experience with the guy,” Fox said. “I think he’s very good at his job and I think he’s going to do a decent job in the interim position. He has the experience and the know-how to do it.”  

With Marshall’s retirement, McIntosh will be starting a national search for a new Dean of Students in the coming weeks. While still in the planning stages, OUSC and administration have spoken about what they want in a new Dean of Students and who should be in a search committee.

McIntosh-as the hiring supervisor-said that he is looking for someone with a “proven leadership track record of building an engaged and vibrant campus life experience for students.”

This candidate will need to be someone who has experience “applying student development theory in the development of a diverse, inclusive and safe living and learning campus environment,” able to hold up a university conduct process and needs to have the “interpersonal skills that allows them to work well with students, faculty, staff and administrators.”

Fox’s opinions on what the next Dean of Students should be like is one that is more friendly with the student body.

“[I would like] somebody who prioritizes student opinions and goes out of their way to make sure students are involved in not just disciplinary issues, but really gets [students] involved in policy changes – especially student leaders,” he said.

Fox wants to see a “rebranding” of the Dean of Students office’s image from a punishing “boogeyman” to the student-advocating office that he sees it as.

Wadsworth has also expressed his thoughts on what he wants to see in the next dean of students. While he will not be involved in selecting a candidate (he is one of the candidates), Wadsworth would like for the next dean of students to be an advocate for students.

“We are often the people trying to make sure the students’ voices are heard,” Wadsworth said. He would also like someone who can handle a problem with a calm manner and “someone that can establish strong connections across campus.”