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Jan. 18, 2007 • Volume 15 Number 9

Dean for Student Development Robert Sherwood will join the Alumni Association administration this week. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Sherwood Leaving ODSD for Post in Alumni Affairs

By Jack Dunn
Director of Public Affairs

After 20 years as dean for student development, Robert Sherwood, a popular, hands-on administrator and student advocate who built the Office of the Dean of Student Development (ODSD) into an integral component of student life at Boston College, has announced his decision to accept a new role in Alumni Affairs, effective this week.

Citing stress-related health issues that caused him to miss several weeks of work this fall, and a desire to seek a "change and a new challenge," Sherwood said he decided this past semester to explore "other areas within Boston College where I might be able to contribute."

With Executive Director of Alumni Affairs John Feudo looking to expand his office's outreach to young alumni, Sherwood - given his connections to and popularity with students and recent graduates - was seen as an ideal candidate to lead this new initiative.

"Given all of the students I have come to know over the past two decades, it made sense that I reconnect with young alumni in an effort to maximize the programs and services provided by the Alumni Association and to help improve our recent graduates' sense of community with Boston College," said Sherwood. "I am very pleased that I have been offered a new position as special advisor to the Boston College Alumni Association."

Associate Dean of Student Development Paul Chebator has agreed to serve as acting dean. A search for a new dean of student development will be announced shortly.

Sherwood began his career as a university dean 36 years ago at Salem State College before accepting a position as dean of residence programs and campus activities and associate dean for student affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978.

He arrived at Boston College in August of 1986, the University's first lay dean, and has served as dean for student development ever since, overseeing an office of 25 professional staff members that advises the Undergraduate Government of Boston College and 230 diverse student organizations, and adjudicates disciplinary issues for BC's 14,500 students.

During his tenure, students and colleagues say, he developed a reputation as a trusted, fair-minded dean who encouraged responsible self-governance with accountability, and who sought to arbitrate student issues with both firmness and compassion.

"Bob Sherwood has dedicated his career to students by providing the resources and support needed to increase their learning as individuals and in their community development opportunities," said Vice President for Student Affairs Cheryl Presley.

"He has been an integral part of the university's mission to facilitate leadership opportunities in which students actualize their beliefs in justice and equality. I have valued his leadership and we are fortunate that the Boston College community will continue to benefit greatly from his experience and expertise in the Alumni Association."

It is a sentiment shared by ODSD colleague Katherine O'Dair. "Bob possesses such a unique combination of compassion, humor, perspective, and a sense of reality that have made him a role model and mentor for me, my colleagues, and most importantly, the students here at Boston College," says O'Dair, associate dean for graduate student life.

"Rarely have I seen a dean of students so committed to doing what is right by the students, to making sure that their voices are heard and that they in turn understand the whole picture. Bob is someone that will find a way to go the extra mile for a student who has found no other avenue of support. He understands that not everyone is going to be happy with every decision he makes, but he stands by those decisions - at times under great duress. I think the best quality about Bob is that he is just so likeable - his ability to find humor in every day situations and to make others feel connected is a wonderful trait."

Adds Thomas McGuinness, director of University Counseling Services, "It has been a privilege to have Bob as a colleague for 18 years. He is dedicated and committed to students and he approaches his work with extraordinary integrity. He has dealt with the most difficult of situations involving students. We could always count on Bob to struggle through those difficult issues with a sense of balance, fairness and honesty."

Looking back on his 20 years as dean, Sherwood cites the Emerging Leaders and Global Proficiency programs and the establishment of the Student Judicial Board, Sexual Assault Network and Senior Week programming as among his office's proudest accomplishments. He also found satisfaction in his day-to-day interactions with UGBC, student organization leaders and faculty, despite the long hours and sometimes heated deliberations.

"With each passing year, BC students become more and more interested in retreats and volunteer activities, and passionate about their commitment to social justice issues," said Sherwood. "I have always tried to empower them to develop their leadership skills and to pursue organizational change within an atmosphere of mutual respect for themselves, their fellow students, faculty and administrators."

Said former UGBC President Grace Simmons '06, "Dean Sherwood will be remembered as an exceptional advocate for students. He came to know us through collaboration and outreach, not from any vantage point. Dean Sherwood taught me the values of patience and understanding. He was our steady leader and, for that reason, I always looked to him for advice. I know he will continue to do great things for BC in his new role in Alumni Affairs. As a young alumna, I look forward to working with him."

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a master's degree from the State University of New York at Albany, Sherwood and his wife Marsha are the parents of Gretchen, a 1997 BC graduate, and Brad, who graduated from Loyola University in Chicago in 2001.

Sherwood has been a recipient of the Mary K. Waldron Award from UGBC for demonstrated commitment to Boston College, the Rev. John Trzaska SJ, Award by the BC Jesuit Community for support and guidance of BC students and the "Person of the Year Award" from The Heights. He also participated in several spring break volunteer service trips with BC students to Jamaica, Antigua and Cape Verde and traveled to Rome and the Vatican with the University Chorale. He was also a frequent participant in 48 Hour and Halftime student retreats.

"I am honored to have served the past 20 years as Dean for Student Development at Boston College," said Sherwood. "Our students are exceptional young adults, and it is very gratifying to watch the personal growth they experience during their tenure here at BC. I am also extremely fortunate to have worked with outstanding colleagues at ODSD, Student Affairs, the faculty, and with others across the University. It has been a privilege to be part of this great University, and I look forward to my next venture with much enthusiasm and commitment." •