New dean of students notes priorities as her job begins

For many new employees at UW–Madison, the first few weeks on campus consist of a gentle succession of departmental orientation sessions, benefits presentations and get-to-know-you meetings before slowly easing into a regular work routine.

Luoluo [pronounced Low-low] Hong hasn’t had the luxury of such a peaceful transition. Her first two and a half weeks as UW–Madison’s new dean of students have included a headlong rush of committee meetings, an avalanche of e-mail messages, meetings with student leaders, and working with university officials and parents following the aftermath of Halloween on State Street and a student’s tragic death from Meningococcal disease.

While interviewing for the position, the Baltimore native says she knew from the start that expectations for the job are high and that she would be hitting the ground running.

“They basically told me that UW was looking for someone to walk on water, destroy mountains and move the earth,” she joked with a gathering of Wisconsin Union Directorate student leaders last week. “And I’m thinking “Yeah, sure — that’s what I really want — the impossible job.'”

If not impossible, the role of dean, one of UW–Madison’s top student life officers, is at least daunting, mixing equal parts advocate for students, savvy administrator, organization builder and high-profile spokesperson. The responsibilities of the office are important, including working as part of the administrative team to address such issues as campus climate, high-risk drinking and sexual assault. The office also provides an array of student services and serves as a resource in crisis situations.

Hong, who last served as assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, W. Va., succeeds Alicia Chavez, who left the office in January. While a successor was being sought, longtime associate dean Roger Howard served as interim dean through the summer.

A graduate of Amherst College, Amherst, Mass., Hong served as the director of wellness education and outreach services at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., prior to her time at Shepherd.

Hong says she knows that there is rebuilding to be done in the dean’s office. Some of her key goals include helping to provide stability and support for department colleagues and working to re-establish a connection with the student body, particularly in the area of advocating on behalf of students.

She hopes to do so by making an effort to listen to the needs of students and student groups, raising the visibility of the office and increasing her own accessibility. One symbol of the change is already noticeable: Her door in 83 Bascom is open.

“Everyone’s really freaked out that the door is open,” she told the WUD group.

Hong says that to be effective, her office needs to be able to meet with students on their own turf — even during their typically quirky hours. She recounts a visit to a fraternity house at LSU, during which an evening meeting turned into a deep and meaningful conversation with the fraternity brothers that didn’t end until well after midnight.

With a laugh, she recalls that while her husband was wondering where she was, she was wondering how she was going to explain it to him.

In addition to her humor and high-energy approach, Hong also brings expertise in key issues, such as student engagement, health and social justice issues, and coalition building.

“The history of student activism at UW–Madison excites me,” she says, noting her own past work to raise awareness of issues such as HIV/AIDS education, and sexual assault. “The dean of students (at Amherst) probably doesn’t remember me all that fondly, but I still carry a piece of that activism in my heart.”

And while students have graciously welcomed her during the past few weeks, Hong also knows that down the road, her job may call for her to make a decision that flies in the face of student sentiment.

“I want to make the right choices that will benefit students. To be an effective educator — and that’s what the dean needs to be — you can’t always be wondering if people like you,” she says. “In the long run, it’s much more important to be respected. I think I have that kind of thick skin.”

Outside the office, Hong spends time with her pets (six cats and a cocker spaniel) and enjoys collecting dolls — Beanie Babies, in particular — and reading fantasy novels.

Her husband, Christopher Aamodt (now a emergency room technician at University Hospital and Clinics), is a 1988 UW–Madison graduate whose family lived in Madison for nearly two decades. While they were still dating, he told Hong how much he enjoyed Madison, and how her values and personality would also be an ideal fit with the campus culture.

“Christopher spoke so fondly of Madison, and he saw that I’d be the type of person who would thrive here,” she says. “Back then, who would have thought I’d be coming here as dean?”