A search committee has narrowed down to five finalists the pool of applicants to replace UO Cultural Forum Program Coordinator Linda Dievendorf.
EMU Director of Student Activities Gregg Lobisser said interviews will be held in May for the following applicants: Leslie Scott on May 15, Richard Kershaw on May 10, Donald Voss on May 7, Katherine Bryant on May 9 and Justina Parsons-Bernstein on May 16.
The finalists come from a broad range of backgrounds. Voss is currently the operations coordinator for EMU events and technical services. Bryant is an assistant director for residential life at the University. Scott is the general manager of the Oregon Country Fair.
Two hail from out-of-state — Kershaw, who is the assistant director for student activities at the University of Maine at Farmington and Parsons-Bernstein, who is an instructor at Arizona State University.
Lobisser said the University received more than 30 completed applications for the position, which was advertised nationally.
The finalists will each have a day of interviews with the search committee, Lobisser and EMU Director Dusty Miller, as well as give a public presentation in the EMU before a decision is made. Students can check the EMU schedule — posted daily in the lobby between the Fishbowl and the Taylor Lounge — for locations of the presentations.
Lobisser said the EMU is investing so much time and resources into finding someone to fill the position partly because of the impact the program coordinator has on student life.
“It’s an exciting position, and it is a position that has a significant impact on the quality of life for students,” he said.
The search committee, headed by Greek Life Coordinator Shelley Sutherland, is comprised of four students and three University staff members. Students on the committee include Cultural Forum Performing Arts Coordinator Windy Borman, ASUO Vice President-elect Ben Buzbee, EMU Board Chair Christa Shively and Hai Do from the Multicultural Center.
By involving as many viewpoints as possible in the search for the coordinator, Lobisser said he hoped whoever is chosen will have the support of the community.
“In some ways, it’s an investment to pick the very best person, but it’s also an investment to help that person be successful after they arrive,” he said.
Based on the interviews and feedback they receive from people who attend the candidates’ public presentations, the search committee will make a recommendation to Lobisser, who will make the final decision. He said he expects to offer someone the job by the first week in June.
Whoever is chosen will replace a leader who has clashed with administrators but has been strongly supported by students. After EMU administrators decided last spring not to renew Dievendorf’s contract after 17 years as Cultural Forum program coordinator, students protested and demanded her reinstatement.
Since then, however, students in the Cultural Forum have helped with the search for Dievendorf’s replacement. Borman said they began to look to the future after Dievendorf decided not to pursue her reinstatement through legal avenues.
“When she did that, we finally decided not to beat the dead horse and work towards looking for ways to help the search committee,” Borman said.
Despite some initial tension between herself and Lobisser, Borman said the search committee process has gone well. Borman said they are looking for someone with motivation and experience.
“We want someone who is excited about working with students and has a variety of experiences planning large scale concerts to intimate art gatherings, and everything in between.”
As for Dievendorf, she said she remains disappointed with the lack of discussion between her and administrators before her contract was terminated.
She said she decided not to file a lawsuit for her reinstatement partly because she doesn’t want to dwell in the past. She said she also realizes now that she had a part in what happened because she made decisions that, while she believed they were right, she knew could affect her job.
Although she is leaving the Cultural Forum, Dievendorf is optimistic about the future of the program and wishes her successor well.
“It feels like it’s going to be a good beginning for someone else, and it’s time for me to let go,” she said. “I realized that in January.”
After her contracts end May 24, Dievendorf said she plans to start her own production, promotion and consulting business.
“I’m going to miss the students terribly,” she said. “I’m not going to miss the politics, though.”