Next fall, Erwin N. Griswold Professor of Politics Michael Parkin will leave his teaching position for the next three years to serve as an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He will replace Daphne John, who will return to the faculty next spring as associate professor of Sociology and Comparative American Studies after completing her current term as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

John worked in the administrative role for the last four years and served as a liaison between the administration and natural and social science departments. Her responsibilities included interviewing candidates for visiting professorships and working on Oberlin’s accreditation process. 

“Everything is a team effort, but I am especially proud of leading the College (with team members Bill Quillan and Ross Peacock) through our successful 10 year accreditation review in 2018,” John wrote in an email to the Review. “I’m also proud of the work we did as an [Arts and Sciences] team to prepare and implement the three-semester COVID response.”

As Associate Dean, Parkin will work to implement the Academic Reorganization of the Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences — a project he was a part of as a faculty member. The project is an effort to make Oberlin’s bureaucratic structure more efficient and was developed out of the One Oberlin recommendations that were released in 2019.

“I’m excited to continue the ongoing efforts to streamline the process of submitting materials for faculty promotion and tenure, for example,” Parkin wrote in an email to the Review. “I’d also like to build on our ability to use clear and precise data in making important decisions. I find this work really interesting, and I think it has the potential to help the College address some of the most pressing challenges in higher education today.” 

Since Parkin was involved in the development of the report, he is especially well equipped to oversee the implementation of the recommendations. 

“Mike Parkin brings great strengths as a social scientist and was one of the authors of the [Arts and Sciences Administrative Reorganization Committee] Final Report that was overwhelmingly endorsed by the college faculty back in spring 2020,” Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka wrote in an email to the Review. “Beyond the regular duties of academic associate deans, such as hiring visiting faculty, managing courses and enrollments, and chairing several essential committees, he will also oversee the implementation of many of the recommendations found in the ASARC Final Report.”

After finishing her term as an associate dean at the end of June, John will take a semester-long sabbatical before returning to teach in the Sociology department in the spring.

“I look forward to working with my Sociology and Comparative American Studies colleagues again, teaching students in the classroom and on undergraduate research,” John wrote. “I’ve missed teaching my ‘Unequal Educations’ course and am happy to be scheduled to teach that in Spring 2022.”

While Parkin valued his time teaching in the Politics department, he is excited to take on new challenges in his upcoming role. 

“I’m also looking forward to joining a very hard-working and innovative team,” Parkin wrote. “Like many others, I’ve had the chance to work with them over the past few years, and I’m excited to join them in my new role.” 

Kamitsuka is also looking forward to having Parkin join the leadership team and cites his experience and close connection to the faculty as qualities that will make him a successful fit for the role.  

“Mike is a superb scholar and teacher, with deep knowledge of Oberlin,” Kamitsuka wrote. “He has been elected by our faculty to both [the Educational Plans and Policies Committee] and [the College Faculty Committee]. His skills and experience position him well to provide excellent support to our faculty and students.”