This fall, there will be some changes in both the Administrative and Information Technology Services (ITS) Offices.
Beginning Nov. 1, Diane Philipp, the director of special projects in Admissions, will temporarily take over as the acting dean of women. Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Women CarolAnn Barker will be leaving to have heart surgery and expects to return to her full responsibilities at the start of the second semester.
Philipp is a 1982 alumna and has worked at Hillsdale College for 20 years. She coached the women's track and cross country teams for several years and began working in Admissions in 2000.
"I have known Dean Barker for over 30 years and have closely worked with her for over 20 of those years-first as the women's track and cross-country coach and, in the past months, learning more about her responsibilities," Philipp said.
Her close work with Barker was intended to prepare her to meet with students, represent the Office of Student Affairs as needed and take care of any business in the dean's office in the upcoming months.
"I am looking forward to meeting and working with the students," Philipp said.
Philipp will only be handling a few projects for Admissions in order to focus primarily on Barker's responsibilities. She will have some assistance from Director of Career Planning Joanna Wiseley, who will act as Panhellenic Council Advisor and share many responsibilities, including sorority recruitment this winter.
"I am pleased to be able to assist the Greek system while Dean Barker is gone," Wiseley said. "I pray for her speedy recovery."
"I ask that our thoughts and prayers are with Dean Barker during her leave of absence," Philipp said. "I look forward to her healthy return."
ITS Manager of User Services Sundown Kelley recently left her position at Hillsdale College to pursue other goals.
Recently married, Kelley plans to use this time to plot her new course. She is currently taking some graduate courses at Eastern Michigan University and plans to be either formally enrolled in graduate school or starting a new career by January.
"I really enjoy small business startup, which is sort of what I did with the ITS department," said Kelley, who is currently leaning toward a career in business.
A 1997 Hillsdale graduate, Kelley has worked at the college for five and a half years and, in that time, formally established a faculty and staff training program and enhanced student lab assistant training. She was responsible for the overall direction and development of institutional training, curricular support and special project initiatives. She also oversaw the routine operation and upgrade of the student computer labs and the ITS offices.
"My job was more or less to get things up and running," Kelley said. "Now that everything is running smoothly, it seems that it's my natural time to leave."
Because Kelley's job involved getting new programs and procedures started, there likely will not be an official replacement for her position. However, Training and Student Services Specialist Jeff Yost may take over some of her responsibilities.
"[Sundown's] work will continue to benefit the college as we continue on," ITS Executive Director David Zenz wrote in a press release.