Associate professor of religion John Grayson will become interim dean of the chapel effective July 1, ending several years of uncertainty about the structure of the chaplaincy and raising the profile of religious and spiritual life within the College. Grayson will also lead a search for a permanent dean of the chapel. His appointment is for one year. He was appointed to his new responsibilities by President Joanne V. Creighton after being recommended for the position by dean of the College John Rapoport.
"John Grayson brings to this position wonderful presence and a thoughtful perspective on the important role of religious and spiritual life on this campus," according to President Creighton. "I am delighted that he has agreed to take on the assignment."
In a memo this week to the College Life and Advising Committee, which submitted a report on the chaplaincy on March 11, President Creighton wrote, "[Dean of the College] John Rapoport and I believe that the designation of a full-time, year-round position to provide leadership for the chaplaincy is the most important and immediate of your recommendations. Having a director or dean responsible for the spiritual and religious life will allow for stronger leadership as well as closer integration and greater synergies within the academic and curricular offerings of the College."
Both Creighton and Rapoport, who is a member of the College Life and Advising Committee, praised the efforts and initiative of the three current College chaplains, Mary Sue Callan-Farley, Devorah Jacobson, and Andrea Ayvazian, whose one-year contracts will end on June 30. According to Rapoport, "The current chaplains have served the College community extremely well, and the committee was particularly impressed by the range of programs offered by the chaplains and the number of students who participate in their programs and services."
The March 11 Report on the Future of the Chaplaincy at Mount Holyoke College by the College Life and Advising Committee was the result of a year-long study of issues pertaining to the chaplaincy at Mount Holyoke, and drew on a number of past reports and studies. Copies of the report are on reserve in the library.
According to the report, one of the major challenges faced by the College is how to offer opportunities for religious, ethical, and spiritual growth for students from a wide array of backgrounds and beliefs in an inclusive and cost-effective way. The College Life and Advising Committee recommends that the director or dean of the chapel be supported by an administrative support person and one other staff person (or the equivalent split among several positions).
The interim dean's responsibilities will include working with the president, the dean of the College, and others to review a number of other recommendations made by the Committee on College Life and Advising to the College's Educational Priorities Committee regarding religious life and opportunities for service and spiritual development here. These recommendations, which are under review, include examination of possible collaboration within the Five Colleges to expand resources and opportunities.
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