Yesterday the Yale College Council sent an email to the Yale College community with information on the search for the new Dean of Yale College, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and assurance that there will be student input in the process.

After Yale College Dean Mary Miller and Graduate School Dean Thomas Pollard announced that they would leave their posts by the end of the 2013-14 academic year in January, a Deans Search Advisory Committee was formed comprising 13 faculty members and two students. Following the creation of the deanship of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which will oversee appointments, promotions and budget, the committee was tasked with finding candidates for the newly created position as well. According to the email, the committee expects to submit its list of a dozen or so candidates for the three positions to President Salovey by the end of April for him to consider.

The email mentions three different ways for students to voice their opinions on candidates to the Committee in the upcoming weeks. On Wednesday, March 26, students will have the opportunity to talk with faculty members sitting on the committee during a Town Hall, and next week, YCC members will hold office hours to answer any further questions and hear additional ideas. Students who prefer to submit their thoughts online may do so through a form accessible through the email. In addition, the email also states that the YCC will actively reach out to various students to ensure that they hear opinions from a variety of communities and sources. The information and ideas obtained from students will be compiled into a report that will be given to the committee and publicly shared.

The email also links to an open letter penned by YCC President Danny Avraham ’15, who is also the undergraduate representative on the Deans Search Advisory Committee. The letter intends to clarify any “misperceptions about the appointment of an undergraduate representative to the committee and the committee’s role.” Avraham’s letter contains a FAQ-style explanation of his appointment to the committee and of how the selection process will incorporate student opinions.

Graduate Student Assembly Chair Brian Dunican GRD ’15 is the other student representative on the Deans Search Advisory Committee.