Dean of Students Burnett steps down
After seven years of service, Sarah Burnett will be resigning her position as dean of students on July 1, the end of the academic year.
"The time is right to return to the faculty," she said. After taking one or two semesters off for a sabbatical, she plans to return to teaching in the Psychology Department.
She said she had originally planned to hold the position for five years and only stayed two additional years to help the administration deal with the transition from President George Rupp to President Malcolm Gillis.
Burnett has worked at the university since 1972 when she became one of the first female psychology professors. She was hired as the dean of students in 1989 when the position was first created. The post was designed to expand the job of disciplinarian to include positive student interaction. Burnett is responsible for managing judicial affairs and overseeing other student services like the Counseling Center, which she helped establish, and Health Services. She has also worked to improve student life by starting various programs and services.
"Overall, I'm extremely pleased with what all of us have been able to accomplish over these past seven years," she said.
One of her goals has been to attract more students to the Student Center for social activities through the addition of such luxuries as the CoffeeHouse and a big screen television. Two projects she is especially proud of are the Counseling Center and the campus-wide increase in the awareness of women's issues.
She said that the Counseling Center "continues to make new contributions year after year" through such programs such as College Assistance Peer Program, AIDS Awareness Week and Alcohol Awareness Week. "In addition to dealing with students who have problems, they continue to be a wonderful resource for the community," she said.
She has dealt with women's issues by instituting various programs on campus. In order to create a support system for the victims of sexual assault and harassment, she helped organize the Students Organized Against Rape program, and she worked with the Student Association to post information about sexual assault in all the women's bathrooms.
She also encouraged Health Education Director Cynthia Lanier to create Scruples, the sexual assault prevention play enacted during Orientation Week.
Lanier said, "I'm very regretful that she's resigning because she's been a wonderful mentor and supervisor and she's been very supportive of my office."
As a judicial affairs officer, Burnett has had to deal with many difficult situations.
"The president has the hardest job in the university," Burnett said. "Mine is difficult part of the time, but when it is difficult, it is very difficult."
She said the honor system is "one of the best things about this university" and hopes that it will be even better in the future.
Zenaido Camacho, the vice president for student affairs, said he is very grateful to Burnett for helping him adjust to Rice when he first arrived and feels "a sense of loss" at her leaving. Over the next month he will be working on plans to restructure the department and delegate Burnett's responsibilities to different people on the staff.
He has decided so far to give Patricia Bass chief authority over judicial affairs. Bass has worked for Burnett for the past three years as a judicial affairs officer.
"I will miss very much working with Dean Burnett. It has been a very good experience for me." Bass said she is "excited and scared" about taking the new job. Like Burnett, she aims "to have positive interactions with students not just disciplinary [ones]."
The dean of students is responsible for managing judicial affairs and overseeing students.
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