Joshua McIntosh – News

�ֲ��ý in the News: March 10, 2017

Jay Burns — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 17:51:46 +0000

�ֲ��ý Sustainability

The Canadian company that makes �ֲ��ý’ biofuel seeks more customers before it can build a Maine plant — Portland Press Herald

Portland Press Herald energy reporter Tux Turkel of why a company that makes heating oil from wood waste is considering expansion into Maine.

�ֲ��ý just started burning a proprietary biofuel, manufactured by Canada-based Ensyn Corp., in one of its three campus boilers, cutting college-wide carbon emissions by 83 percent.

Ensyn makes the fuel in Quebec but intends to build new plants, and Maine would be “an ideal place to locate a facility,” Lee Torrens, president of the subsidiary Ensyn Fuels Inc., told the Press Herald.

The newly installed Renewable Fuel Oil tank is shown on Jan. 19, 2017. Newly clad in siding to match the adjacent Cutten Maintenance Center, it’s surrounded by temporary scaffolding. (Doug Hubley/�ֲ��ý College)

Ensyn would expand only if it can lock in contracts with more Maine companies and institutions, according to the paper. Currently, �ֲ��ý is the only Maine business burning Ensyn’s Renewable Fuel Oil. In fact, �ֲ��ý is the only college in the country burning RFO.

At �ֲ��ý, using Ensyn’s Renewable Fuel Oil is a case of so far, so good, said energy manager John Rasmussen. “They’ve been burning this stuff for 25 years, so there shouldn’t be many surprises,” he told the paper.

Less U.S. spending on foreign aid isn’t good for U.S. defense — The Washington Post

Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Matt Auer’s argues that the Trump administration’s plan to cut foreign-aid spending “is actually less-than-ideal news for the Defense Department.”

Auer is a widely recognized international scholar and expert in environmental policy, energy policy, sustainable development, and foreign aid.

“Foreign aid is instrumental to national security. Spent wisely, it fosters economic opportunity and social stability,” Auer says.

‘I have never written anything from beginning to end’ — The Guardian

For the Guardian‘s Books section, novelist Elizabeth Strout about how she creates her Pulitzer Prize–winning fiction.

For one thing, she says, “I have never written anything from beginning to end…. I just collect different scenes, and the ones that aren’t any good to me get slipped onto the floor and eventually into the wastebasket. (There are many of those.)”

While personal, the essay has tips for writers; one is a variation on the rule of “writing what you know”: Write the feelings that you know, Strout says.

“I have learned over the years to take anything that is most pressing to me — it may be as mundane as a concern about upcoming dental work, or as serious as worrying about the safety of my child — and to transpose that emotion into a character. This will give the scene life, as opposed to having it wooden.”

Twins have identical impact on Bobcats — Lewiston Sun Journal

Marcus Delpeche ’17 tells Lewiston Sun Journal writer Randy Whitehouse that he laughed when his high school guidance counselor in Delaware suggested he look at a college in Maine.

He and his identical twin brother, Malcolm Delpeche ’17, are from Wilmington, and Malcolm agrees with his twin. “If someone ever told me I was going to be in Maine of all places, I would have told them, ‘You’re crazy.'”

Marcus Delpeche ’17 (left) and Malcolm Delpeche ’17, identical twin brothers from Wilmington, Del., pose during practice in Alumni Gym. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

That was then. As the Sun Journal feature story makes clear, the basketball-playing brothers and psychology majors consider �ֲ��ý to be a sane and savvy choice.

For evidence, they point to support from head coach Jon Furbush ’05, on and off the court, who “lets us know we’re not just here to play basketball. We’re here to establish a bond that’s going to go on beyond the season and beyond �ֲ��ý College,” said Malcolm.

The Bobcats went 15-10 this year, bowing out in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. Marcus was a 6-foot-7 forward; Malcolm, a 6-8 center. They were one-two in scoring, with 15.1 and 13.2 points per game respectively.

Betsy DeVos as education secretary is bad news for rural schools — Charlestown (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail

In a Feb. 5 op-in the Charlestown (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail, Assistant Professor of Education Mara Tieken as secretary of education.

Assistant Professor of Education Mara Tieken works with students in Muskie Archives. (Sarah Crosby/�ֲ��ý College)

Noting that DeVos is a “strong proponent of school choice” and of “expanding charter schools and reducing their oversight,” Tieken, who is an expert in rural education, argues that “choice only works when you have options, and many rural communities don’t.”

Most rural communities, “with their small populations and vast geographies…cannot sustain a variety of brick-and-mortar options, public or private.”

The U.S. Senate confirmed DeVos on Feb. 7.

Legal in Maine, pot is still illegal on Maine college campuses, including �ֲ��ý’ — Portland Press Herald

Maine voters decided in November to make marijuana use legal, but that doesn’t change the rules on college campuses, the Portland Press Herald reported, quoting Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Josh McIntosh.

“The federal law and the state law are in conflict with one another and our perspective is — like many of our fellow institutions of higher education — that we will continue to follow federal law,” McIntosh told the paper.

“Our approach to it and our policies toward it remain unchanged and will likely remain unchanged until that conflict between the state and federal governments gets worked out.”

Massachusetts clergyman elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina — The Boston Globe

Samuel Rodman, the newly elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, was for his “exceptional combination of gifts,” reported The Boston Globe.

The Rt. Rev. Alan Gates, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, said in a statement that Rodman, currently a special projects officer for the Diocese of Massachusetts, has a “creative imagination, engaging personal interaction, keen organizing skills and the heart of a pastor. He will be a strong and wise shepherd.”

Ordained in 1988, Rodman majored in English at �ֲ��ý and earned a master’s degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. He previously spent 16 years as the rector of St. Michael’s in Milton, Mass.

A longtime advocate for Lewiston-Auburn now heads its chamber of commerce — Portland Press Herald

Beckie Swanson Conrad ’82, currently vice president for institutional advancement at Maine College of Art in Portland, is the new president and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

Beckie Swanson Conrad ’82. (Mike Weymouth photograph)

“We were looking for specific attributes, and one of the biggest is someone who is a relationship builder and collaborator,” said Jen Hogan, president of Community Credit Union in Lewiston and the chair-elect of the board for the L-A chamber. “That’s who Beckie is — it’s her nature.”

Conrad worked at �ֲ��ý for 21 years, including from 1999 to 2003 as executive director of LA Excels, the college’s nonprofit community development partnership in Lewiston-Auburn.

�ֲ��ý announces $10 million gift from Elizabeth Kalperis Chu ’80 and Michael Chu ’80 to name new residence halls

�ֲ��ý News — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:01:10 +0000

Two new residence halls at �ֲ��ý College will be named for Elizabeth Kalperis Chu ’80 and J. Michael Chu ’80 in recognition of their $10 million commitment to the college, President Clayton Spencer announced today.

“I am deeply grateful to Elizabeth and Michael for their wonderfully generous gift,” said Spencer in her remarks at the dedication of Kalperis Hall and Chu Hall on Friday afternoon.

“Their gift underscores the power of the residential liberal arts model and our conviction that a �ֲ��ý education, specifically and especially, is rooted in place and in the diversity of human connection,” Spencer added.

“The willingness of the Chus to step forward upon the opening of these beautiful new structures and in advance of our upcoming fundraising campaign also signals to all who are watching that the �ֲ��ý community is prepared to support ambition and excellence.”

“�ֲ��ý gave both of us a remarkable education that provided the foundation for our lives and careers.”

The Chus, who met at �ֲ��ý, emphasized that their gift to the college is a “small way to acknowledge what �ֲ��ý has given to our family.” Their elder son, Christopher, is a 2012 graduate.

“�ֲ��ý gave both of us a remarkable education that provided the foundation for our lives and careers as well as lifelong friendships that nurture us in so many ways,” they added.

“Our �ֲ��ý story is immeasurably enriched by the fact that our elder son, CJ, also had a wonderful experience here. Though our time at �ֲ��ý and our son’s time were separated by almost 30 years, the DNA and ethos of the college remain very much the same as when we were here.”

Elizabeth Kalperis Chu ’80 and Michael Chu ’80 pose in front of Kalperis Hall on Friday afternoon. Kalperis Hall and Chu Hall were named Friday in recognition of the Chus’ $10 million gift to �ֲ��ý. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

Michael Bonney ’80, chair of the �ֲ��ý Board of Trustees, said that one of the great rewards of his work on behalf of �ֲ��ý is the chance to celebrate “excellence of our culture and the tremendous generosity of our community. It’s even more special when the generosity is embodied by dear friends.”

He added, “As Michael and Elizabeth’s �ֲ��ý classmate and their friend, I feel profound personal appreciation for their gift. And from an institutional perspective, I see their gift as another tangible marker of how �ֲ��ý is establishing itself as a model for the 21st-century liberal arts college.”

Located on Campus Avenue across from historic Chase Hall and the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, Kalperis Hall and Chu Hall — at 65 and 55 Campus Ave., respectively — opened in August as campus housing for 243 students.

Each forming an L shape, the two halls face and complement each other across a new lawn. In addition, Kalperis Hall includes street-level space for the relocated and reimagined �ֲ��ý College Store and Post & Print office.

The project to build two residences, announced in December 2013, is part of an initiative to improve �ֲ��ý residential offerings on a broad scale while maintaining campus enrollment at approximately 1,750 students. By embodying the concept of “vertical housing” — the integration of residential life with programs like the College Store — the buildings also establish a new, dynamic area of college life and a more defined and welcoming gateway on the south side of campus.

“Kalperis Hall and Chu Hall have made real what was envisioned during the planning process: spaces that create community,” said Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Josh McIntosh.

“The living spaces offer our students an ‘at-home’ feeling, provide opportunities to live with friends, welcome lots of natural light, and bring together first-year students with upperclass mentors.”

The result is a stream of students coming and going through the area, “a hub of activity, student traffic, and life for the entire campus community,” said Philip Chen, project architect for Ann Beha Architects. “The area is embedded with the �ֲ��ý ethos of inclusivity, diversity, and community.”

Chu Hall, pictured here, and Kalperis Hall are strategic accomplishments to improve residential offerings on a broad scale while maintaining campus enrollment at approximately 1,750. (Doug Hubley/�ֲ��ý College)

The project’s architectural vision has been realized, said Elizabeth and Michael Chu.

“The interior design is wonderful because of its beautiful sightlines, including exterior views of the campus. The study and group spaces are so well-laid out, promoting and fostering a real sense of community — the root of everything �ֲ��ý.”

Overall, they said, the architecture “reflects the design aesthetics of the campus as a whole while clearly introducing the world of today into the buildings.”

The Chus said that the new buildings continue what they valued about residential life at the college and its diverse pantheon of buildings old and new, large and small.

Kalperis Hall, pictured here, embodies the concept of “vertical housing,” the integration of residential and other uses, such as the College Store and Post & Print, to create a hub of student and community activity. (Doug Hubley/�ֲ��ý College)

“Our own various �ֲ��ý residences were so different and distinctly memorable in their own right, yet they all shared a common feature. They allowed for great friendships to develop. Whether the spaces were large or small, they all contributed to a social life that is such an integral part of the �ֲ��ý experience.”

Today, Michael Chu is a �ֲ��ý trustee emeritus who is the global co-CEO and co-founder of the private equity firm L Catterton. Elizabeth Kalperis Chu, whose career was in the securities industry, serves on a number of community and nonprofit boards.

‘Community and connection’ are what’s in store for the arriving Class of 2019 on Aug. 31

Kent Fischer — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 15:38:40 +0000

When the 518 students in the Class of 2019 arrive en masse on Monday, Aug. 31, for move-in day, they’ll have a few hours to unpack, get photo IDs and keys, meet their roommates, and hit the bookstore.

A campus barbecue for new students and their families will be a midday treat on Opening Day, Monday, Aug. 31. This was the scene in 2014. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Soon after Opening Day, though, the journey to becoming a bona fide �ֲ��ý College student begins with Orientation, a heady, weeklong mix of conversations, activities, and academic programming, and concludes with Convocation on Sept. 8 and the start of classes the next day.

In addition to introducing new students to the people, places, and programs at �ֲ��ý, Orientation also aims to arm first-years with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful and safe transition from high school grad to fully independent college student.

An inclusive start, right from the start

“Our focus is on creating a sense of community and connection among the first-year students,” said Josh McIntosh, the college’s vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “We’re creating opportunities to interact and talk with them about topics that are relevant to succeeding as a �ֲ��ý College student.”

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Josh McIntosh (left) talks with parent John Goldberg during last year’s Orientation. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

For longtime observers of Opening Day at �ֲ��ý, this year’s version has a few enhancements designed to support that mission-driven idea of community and connection.

This year, all new students and families will arrive on a single day, rather than the past years’ format that saw three arrivals, of students going on multi-day, outdoor AESOP trips; students playing varsity sports; and then the balance of the class.

The class will spend time together on campus before embarking on their student-led trips in Maine, known as AESOP.

“This is a much more inclusive schedule,” McIntosh says.

“And instead of the weekend arrivals of the past, having the arrival day on a Monday, when the campus is really lit up with faculty and staff and student Orientation leaders, will be a great experience for us all.”

Class of 2019 by the numbers

The Class of 2019 was selected from a record-setting pool: 5,636 applicants, a 12 percent increase over the previous year.

�ֲ��ý accepted just 22 percent of those who applied — the strongest rate of selectivity yet. Forty-one percent of accepted students chose to enroll, among the strongest “yield” rates as well, according to Johanna Seltzer ’03, interim director of admission.

Some numbers:

The new students come from 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
They are citizens of 43 other countries.
12 percent are the first in their families to go to college.
22 percent are U.S. students of color.
19 percent of the class comes from burgeoning regions in the U.S., the Southeast, West, and Southwest. In fact, California was the college’s third-largest producer of applicants for this class.

Behind the numbers, of course, are real people — young adults with a variety of aspirations, skills, and talents.

The Class of 2019 includes New England’s third-ranked fiddler, a 2014 Olympic qualifier in alpine skiing, and a patent holder for a running shoe. A member of Pakistan’s under-19 national cricket team and the top-ranked biology student in Rwanda are also among this year’s first-years, as is a nationally recognized ceramicist.

Orientation and the Common Reading

The work of helping this diverse group of students blend into a cohesive class has already begun with this year’s Common Reading, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality, by Danielle Allen.

Both book and author have a central role in Orientation: the book as the Common Reading and the author as the featured speaker at Convocation, where she will address the academic community on the topic of creating a community with shared values and expectations.

A close, philosophical reading of the Declaration of Independence, Allen’s book reveals how the concept of equality is the underpinning of that foundational document, and how the Declaration serves, in effect, as a blueprint for building a democratic society based on its shared principles and values.

During Orientation, the work of joining and creating community begins right off the bat. Junior Advisors — upperclass students trained as a resident peer advisers to groups of up to 20 first-years in their residences — are a constant presence in the lives of the new �ֲ��ý students. Backing them up and supporting all students is McIntosh’s staff in Student Affairs.

Junior Advisors, upperclass students who serve as trained resident peers to support groups of up to 20 first-years in their residences, are a constant presence for new students. In this photo from 2014, Robert Ibarra ’17, a Junior Advisor from Los Angeles, speaks with his first-year students in a lounge in their residence, Parker Hall. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“The Junior Advisors are the ones taking their first-year students to educational events and programs,” explains McIntosh, “And, in many cases, they are leading these conversations, too, and bringing various topics and issues back to their residential communities.”

As students discuss Allen’s book in their First-Year Centers, they will talk about how they want to live and how they want to live together in the �ֲ��ý community, says Erin Foster Zsiga, the college’s associate dean of students for residence life and health education.

“How do they choose to do that?” Foster Zsiga said. “How are these values manifested in their centers and their residential community?”

This year, every First-Year Center will create its own declaration, she says.

A range of �ֲ��ý people have joined the conversation about the Class of 2019’s Common Reading, Our Declaration. President Spencer responds to Allen’s idea that the Declaration is about the “co-creation of a shared world.”

Answering those sorts of questions involves introspection, accommodating the points of view of others, and training sessions, many of which will occur during Orientation, as well as throughout the first semester.

For example, all first-year students will receive training in the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program, which teaches students how to intervene in high-risk situations. The teachings are applicable to everything from physical or sexual violence, to inappropriate language, to dorm damage and more.

Orientation week also has several panel and group

After check-in on Opening Day begins the journey of becoming a bona fide �ֲ��ý student. In this image from 2014, Joakim Cohen ’18 of San Francisco arrives on campus with his mom and dad, Herve Cohen and Guetty Felin. (Sarah Crosby/�ֲ��ý College)

discussions to help students plan their academic experience, explore Lewiston and Auburn, and learn more about diversity and inclusion and student life at �ֲ��ý.

For the first time, every student (except varsity athletes, who begin practices during the week) will partake in an AESOP trip.

This year, more than 50 AESOP trips offer a widened variety of adventures, voyages, and excursions throughout New England, such as a Habitat for Humanity project, community service opportunities in Lewiston-Auburn, and an art experience on Monhegan Island.

Upperclassmen arrive on Sept. 6, and the academic year will officially kick off on Sept. 8 with Convocation.

President and Dean of Students meet with students about changes in student life

�ֲ��ý News — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:24:06 +0000

Patrick Tolosky ’15 opens the Oct. 21 forum on student life by reading a set of recommendations put together by student leaders. The hour-long question and answer session drew hundreds of students (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

�ֲ��ý President Clayton Spencer and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Joshua McIntosh met in an open forum with students in Memorial Commons of Chase Hall on Tuesday night to discuss student life and campus culture.

Facilitated by Alyssa Morgosh ’15, �ֲ��ý Student Government president, the hour-long question and answer session drew hundreds of students.

The meeting focused largely on the cancellation of “Trick or Drink,” an event hosted annually by off-campus student houses.

Historically, the parties have drawn hundreds of students into nearby residential neighborhoods, causing disruption and property damage. The cancellation of this event was said by many to be without student consultation, a source of frustration for many students.

Students react during the open forum on student life held in Memorial Commons on Oct. 21. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

At the forum, McIntosh said that when he first learned about “Trick or Drink,” he discussed the ramifications of the event with members of the Dean of Students staff.

Ultimately, he said, the college “could not in good faith facilitate an event that we know causes harm and serious disruption to our neighbors.”

Patrick Tolosky ’15 opened the forum by reading a set of recommendations put together by a number of student leaders. The group agreed that “�ֲ��ý College drinking culture needs to change,” Tolosky said, but asked that transparency and student participation be central to any changes going forward.

Alexandra Hakusui ’15 talks with Josh McIntosh, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, at the open forum. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Spencer agreed emphatically with that recommendation, saying students must be part of the solution to a “hard problem” that is confronting “colleges and universities everywhere.”

As Spencer announced at an all-student meeting on this issue last spring, the college is forming a working group of students, faculty and staff to review �ֲ��ý student life and recommend strategies and policies to reduce high-risk drinking and other substance abuse.

The group will also recommend programming that will include increasing the number and variety of social options available to all students.

When students asked how the membership of this group would be decided, Spencer said the Office of the Dean of Students would be working with Student Government leaders to create a process for the election and appointment of student members to the working group in order to achieve broad representation.

With Convocation in view, a new Age of Discovery is about to begin at �ֲ��ý

Doug Hubley — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:25:04 +0000

For Matt Auer, there’s a clear connection between a student’s journey while at �ֲ��ý and the Age of Discovery that opened the globe to seafaring European explorers centuries ago.

Auer, the college’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, will explicate that connection for the Class of 2018 in his Convocation address on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

“If discovery gets you excited, then it’s a great time to be at �ֲ��ý, or as we say, it’s a great day to be a Bobcat,” Auer tells the incoming students in a preliminary draft of his speech, titled Hoisting the Mainsail at �ֲ��ý. “Because your own Age of Discovery is likely to be more consequential and fulfilling than the typical collegiate experience of just a few decades ago.”

A few days before Convocation, Kwamae Delva ’18 of Conley, Ga., begins his ascent of a rock wall in Rumney, N.H., as student leader Sean Enos ’15 of Lynnfield, Mass., provides belay. The trip was one of many enjoyed by groups of first-years as part of AESOP, the Annual Entering Student Outdoor Program. (Sarah Crosby/�ֲ��ý College)

What’s changed between then and now? Today, Auer says, “you are entering an age of guided discovery rather than ready-made, received wisdom. … Why not just tell you what’s important? Precisely because it wouldn’t be as important to you as the liberating experience of finding your way into big questions, harvesting some answers and locating the next set of big questions.”

Formally opening the 2014-15 academic year, Convocation starts at 11 a.m. on Tuesday on the Historic Quad and livestreamed at bates.edu/live.

Also speaking are college President Clayton Spencer; student government President Alyssa Morgosh, a �ֲ��ý senior from Oceanside, Calif.; and Acting Multifaith Chaplain Emily Wright-Magoon.

In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved into Alumni Gymnasium.

“Touchstones for moving through this new world that you have chosen.”

In her convocation remarks, President Spencer will offer some thoughts on the concept of community as practiced at �ֲ��ý.

“If you put love and respect together as your touchstones for moving through this new world that you have chosen, I can assure you that we will have a stronger and more welcoming community,” she writes.

“And if you do this consistently you will find that you have the solidarity and support of community not only in the good times, but also in times of worry and anxiety, regret or longing.”

Joshua McIntosh joins �ֲ��ý as the college’s vice president of student affairs and dean of students. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Convocation 2014 is the first for Joshua McIntosh, who joined the college community as vice president of student affairs and dean of students on Aug. 1. McIntosh came to �ֲ��ý from The Johns Hopkins University, where he served as dean of academic services, and previously worked in campus life and other fields at Harvard and Syracuse universities.

Not surprisingly, job No. 1 for McIntosh is getting to know the student and faculty cultures at �ֲ��ý, and getting a handle on co-curricular life at the college. When it comes to interactions with students, he prefers to keep it informal — including showing up for late-night events.

“This approach has allowed me to cultivate meaningful and trusting relationships with students,” he says. “These interactions will allow me to learn more about the current co-curricular landscape at �ֲ��ý, which will certainly inform how I plan for strengthening student life at �ֲ��ý” — a focus for the college going forward.

(Read more about these plans in President Spencer’s fall Community Letter letter.)

A morning Convocation is also new at �ֲ��ý, which previously held the ceremony in the late afternoon. The change makes it easier for all members of the �ֲ��ý community, especially those with children in day care, to attend the ceremony and the campus-wide celebration afterward.

�ֲ��ý’ Convocation follows a week of orientation activities for first-year students, including the Annual Entering Student Outdoor Program.

Led by upperclass students, AESOP comprises outdoor experiences, including community service projects and wilderness adventures, that help introduce the new students to their classmates and to �ֲ��ý values and traditions. With destinations ranging from Acadia National Park to Casco Bay to the White Mountains, AESOP treks departed Aug. 25 and will return to campus Friday, Aug. 29.

On-campus orientation activities for first-year students take place over the weekend. Classes at �ֲ��ý start Sept. 3.

There are 498 students in the �ֲ��ý class of 2018. U.S. students of color constitute 21 percent of the class, international students nearly 8 percent and 10 percent of the students represent their families’ first generation to attend college.

The first-years hail from 40 states and 24 non-U.S. countries, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Vietnam. Nearly 46 percent of the students are New England residents, and about 22 percent come from the Middle Atlantic states, 12 percent from the Southwest and West, 7 percent from the Southeast and 8 percent from other countries.

Joshua McIntosh named �ֲ��ý vice president of student affairs and dean of students

�ֲ��ý News — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 12:00:45 +0000

Joshua McIntosh becomes vice president of student affairs and dean of students at �ֲ��ý on Aug. 1. (Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University)

�ֲ��ý College President A. Clayton Spencer announced today that Joshua McIntosh, dean of academic services at Johns Hopkins University, will become vice president of student affairs and dean of students at �ֲ��ý effective Aug. 1, 2014.

“I am so pleased that Josh will be taking on this crucially important role at �ֲ��ý,” Spencer said. “He is an exceptional organizational leader whose creativity and commitment to students have made him enormously effective and highly regarded everywhere he has served. Josh’s energetic and collaborative style will be invaluable as we work to bring greater strength and cohesion to the overall student experience at �ֲ��ý.”

“I am thrilled to be coming to �ֲ��ý at this very exciting time,” McIntosh said. “I enjoyed meeting with students during my recent visit, and I am eager to work with them and with colleagues across campus on the broad range of issues and opportunities of a residential liberal arts college. The �ֲ��ý culture — built on a history of inclusivity and diversity — offers powerful opportunities in student life. For me personally, Maine is also a strong draw as I have longstanding family ties to the state.”

In his new position, McIntosh will play a leading role in shaping the student experience and campus culture. He will be a member of the president’s senior staff, and an important priority will be working with faculty to knit together more closely academics and life outside the classroom.

McIntosh is currently the dean of academic services at Johns Hopkins, where he oversees seven departments, including the registrar, student disability services and multicultural affairs. He has previously held management and leadership positions at Harvard and Syracuse universities.

“The �ֲ��ý culture — built on a history of inclusivity and diversity — offers powerful opportunities in student life,” McIntosh said.

McIntosh will lead a staff of approximately 45 in the Dean of Students Office – a team that oversees, among other things, student life, the residential program, off-campus study and campus security. The office also plays a vital role in helping students strike a balance between the intellectual rigor of the classroom and their co-curricular pursuits.

At Johns Hopkins, McIntosh led investment in programs designed to better support first-generation students and low-income students. He and his team also used information technology to facilitate data-driven decision making; he led the development of a plan to deepen and broaden student engagement with public service; and McIntosh helped lead an initiative to generate new support for social entrepreneurship and innovation. Prior to Johns Hopkins, he served at Harvard and Syracuse in the areas of residential life, housing, assessment, fraternity and sorority affairs, student activities, policy, finance and human resources.

McIntosh’s appointment as vice president for student affairs and dean of students follows a national search conducted by a committee composed of faculty, students and staff and chaired by Associate Professor of Medieval Studies Margaret Imber. The search included broad outreach to the campus community as well as visits and open forums by three finalists.

McIntosh was born in Lexington, Ky., and received his undergraduate degree from Elon University in North Carolina. He has a master’s of arts in college student development from Appalachian State University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Syracuse University. McIntosh will be joined in Maine by his partner, William Lumpkin, an associate professor of music and artistic director of the Boston University Opera Institute.

McIntosh succeeds Tedd Goundie, who stepped down on May 31 after 10 years as dean of students. Stephen W. Sawyer, associate dean and director of the off-campus study program, is serving as acting dean of students until Aug 1.