The transfer of an academic counselor to another department has left the College of Social Sciences with a need to fill quickly a position the dean said they don’t fully understand yet.

Teri Berthelot, the former academic counselor for the college, has taken a higher position as the Academic Counselor and Program Coordinator in the Evening Division.

That left Luis Miron, dean of the College of Social Sciences, and Philip Frady, associate dean of the College of Social Sciences, in need of someone to take on the duties that Berthelot performed as academic advisor. Her responsibilities included tasks involving student records, petitions, helping students with classes at other universities and advising students without declared majors.

To remedy the issue, the dean’s office will be delegating all undergraduate student advising duties to the faculty of the departments of political science, sociology, part of criminal justice and the School of Mass Communications.

“So we’re really trying to get a handle on what Teri’s job was originally, but the bottom line is we’re trying to get more involved in engaging with students,” Miron said.

The restructuring of the College of Social Sciences is intended to increase the engagement between faculty and students, therefore improving success rates and retention, Miron said.
The goal for “undergraduate advising is (for it to be done) by faculty at the departmental level,” Miron said. “Whatever plan we come up (with) that’s really the goal.”

Miron said that he has a background in research colleges where advising is done at a departmental level. He said that the Social Sciences office would see less issues “if more departments were involved in engaging with students.”

 “We had been looking for a good while on how we could strengthen student advising and Teri was involved with those discussions …Teri’s departure requires us to accelerate that process,” Frady said.

Frady also characterized Berthelot’s departure as “abrupt.”

Frady has instructed the chairs of each department to direct all students without declared majors to him until they “have gone through this transition.”

Miron added that he also has an open-door policy and the Office of Social Sciences will maintain “daily contact with students.”

Loyola’s Human Resources department has advertised Berthelot’s former position and has received quite a few applicants, according to Miron. The ad seeks someone with at least two years of college education who is a team player and quick learner.

The job description states that the position is “Responsible for supporting the College of Social Sciences in the delivery of efficient and effective service to all of its students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community constituents.”

Jean-Paul Arguello can be reached at [email protected]