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Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
I am writing to let you know that Al Green, Dean of Equity & Inclusion and a longtime, beloved staff member at Sarah Lawrence, will be retiring in May after 20 years of service to the College.
Al’s rich contributions to Sarah Lawrence began upon his arrival in 1999 as the Dean of Studies and Student Life—a role he filled admirably for 16 years. As Dean, Al oversaw all functions of the student experience: Student Affairs, the Dean of Studies office, multicultural and international affairs, the Registrar, Career Services, Community Partnerships and Service Learning, Health & Wellness, the Center for Continuing Education, and Athletics and Physical Education. It’s not an exaggeration to say there was not a corner of this campus that Al didn’t touch or an aspect of a student’s life that he didn’t influence.
In 2012, while still serving as Dean of Studies and Student Life, Al took on the title and role of Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator. In 2015, Al moved into a new position related to diversity, athletics, and student health and wellness—the Dean of Equity & Inclusion. For the past three years, Al has been focusing on opportunities such as increasing the diversity of the student body, as well as the College’s faculty and staff, and on challenges such as sexual assault. As the Dean of Equity & Inclusion, Al remained in charge of Athletics, shepherding the College through its early years in Division III of the NCAA and growing the ranks of our student athletes.
Al has served on numerous committees, including Curriculum, Student Work, Student Life, Diversity, and General. A member of the senior staff for his entire tenure at SLC, Al has generously shared his wisdom, institutional memory, and good humor with three presidents. I have been grateful to be the recipient of his counsel since my arrival last year.
By providing this advance notice of his intention to retire, Al has demonstrated in yet another way his deep commitment to Sarah Lawrence by providing sufficient time to thoughtfully determine how best to search for a replacement and to ensure a smooth transition in the key areas he oversees. Upon retiring, Al will not stray entirely from Sarah Lawrence. He’s working on plans with our Advancement staff to assist with special projects related to alumni affinity groups.
We will celebrate Al and all his contributions to our community later in the academic year, and information on that will follow. In the meantime, please join me in wishing Al well and thanking him for all he has done for Sarah Lawrence!
Yours,
Cristle Collins Judd
president@sarahlawrence.edu