Wabash has resumed another year of education, and many new faces have come into play. Many familiar faces have also returned, some with new roles. Former Associate Dean of Students Mike Raters ‘85 has been promoted to Dean, following the reassignment of Thomas Bambrey ’68 as Athletic Director, and Professor of History Rick Warner has assumed the role of Associate Dean. In the midst of such chaos, the Dean of Students Office is doing quite splendidly.
Warner accepted his new role, despite being on sabbatical, because the Dean of Students Office could not find a candidate to fill the vacant Associate Dean position.
“Some candidates were good, and some were not so good,” Raters said. “Some were simply not Wabash material, and the few we liked were not able to accept a job here, for one reason or another.”
As the month of July came and the beginning of the school year loomed in the near future, Raters knew that something had to be done.
“Between me and Jamie Ross, we were doing the work of three people, so we needed someone soon. The idea of asking a professor who was coming back from sabbatical was becoming popular, but Dean of the College Gary Phillips said it would be much simpler to ask a professor leaving on sabbatical. At that moment, alarm bells went off, and the choice was obvious.”
Thus, the College chose Warner as the Acting Associate Dean of Students for the 2008-2009 school year.
“It was a complicated decision,” Warner said. “I had to restructure my sabbatical, but it was very logical to me to take the job. It helped the needs of the college and also my interest in Wabash culture. It was a bit of a risk, but it’s worked out.”
Warner, who says he is honored to have been asked for the role, was going to use his sabbatical to research the teaching of history in American high schools and eventually write a book. Now, he balances his research with his duties as Associate Dean, which are mostly housing issues. His sabbatical has been extended to compensate him.
Raters strongly endorsed the decision.
“I could not be more pleased with the selection of Dean Warner,” Raters said. “He gets it, his work has relieved a burden in our office, and he learns quickly. He also loves the role.”
The admiration is mutual.
“Raters and I have been friends for years,” Warner said. “We see eye-to-eye on the Gentleman’s Rule, and he is a good team player. It’s like two coaches that get along coaching the same sports team.”
According to Raters, who says there are no compatibility issues between him and Warner, calls the duo a “two-headed monster.”
This two-headed monster has not been stealing princesses of pillaging villages, but it has effectively executed its duties this fall.
“Preparation is a huge responsibility,” Raters said, “especially for orientation. Of course, that was coordinated by Betsy Knott, to whom I give full credit.”
Raters also said no special problems have presented themselves this fall, mostly due to the amount of preparation done by Knott, Jamie Ross, and Dean Warner.
“Actually, things are calmer now that school is in session,” he said.
“Our focus right now is security and fraternity life,” Dean Warner said. “We are having talks with student leaders about this and are trying to get students to lock their doors for their protection. Also, we are working on housing issues for de-pledges.”
Warner also wants to focus on plagiarism, opening up discourse on the topic so that it can be universally understood.
“Only faculty members get to decide when plagiarism has been committed, so we want everyone to know what it is, since we live in a world where those lines are blurred.”
President of the College Patrick White is very pleased with the Dean of Students Office.
“I’m impressed with both of them,” White said. “Raters had worked with [former] Dean Bambrey for four years and he is committed to the students, especially with his focus on the Gentleman’s Rule.”
White is also appreciative that Warner accepted the Associate Dean role.
“It helped a lot,” he said. “[Raters and Warner] make a good team. They were both social studies teachers, so Raters has a sense of student interaction, and since Warner came to the profession late, he brings a lot of real world experience. And Warner didn’t just accept his role as a duty; he embraced it with enthusiasm.”
Raters also stressed that the future of the Gentleman’s Rule, Wabash’s lone code of conduct, rests in the hands of students.
“I hope it stays intact,” Raters said, “but that’s up to the students. It is always being analyzed.”
However, the Dean of Students does not seem worried about anything happening to the Rule, as students consistently vote it the most important issue when recruiting new students.
“Nothing is more powerful to me as Dean and as an alum than the students putting so much stock in the
rule,” he said. “They held that forum last year and discussed the meaning of the Gentleman’s Rule. I was very impressed.”
Both deans will be giving chapel talks these next few weeks, to clarify the Gentleman’s Rule and also to state the mission of their office. They invite all students to hear them out.
“We’re looking forward to a good year,” Warner said.