DiSabatino leaves for Clemson

Dean of Students Gail DiSabatino will soon be leaving her position at Tech for the position of vice president of Student Affairs at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.

She has been an active part of the Tech community and has been involved in many projects across campus, including the creation of Rambling Nights, the establishment of the Women's Resource Center and three revisions of the student conduct code.

She said that the things she has worked on that she is most proud of are "the things that people don't even see, those things behind the scenes that are making the department run more efficiently and effectively, like including an online appointment system that lets the dean know what you want to talk about beforehand."

DiSabatino is known for her influence on campus and her improvements across the board.

"She has been committed to women's issues, not just in the abstract way, but as a support and role model for her staff," said Danielle McDonald, assistant dean and director of Student Involvement.

"When I came here there were a lot of things not in place, so we had to create them from scratch," DiSabatino said. "I can't take full credit for any of them, though; they were the work of many people."

According to DiSabatino, Clemson will be an entirely different environment. She said that "lots of organizations are already in place at Clemson, so I [will not] be building up something new this time. My first task when I get to Clemson will be to listen and learn about the campus and students before trying to make any changes."

"Almost every initiative [at Tech] either came from a student idea or a student concern," she said.

She plans to try to connect with the students of Clemson even though her position will involve less direct daily contact with students than her current position does.

DiSabatino said she is prepared for the numerous challenges she will be facing in her new position at Clemson. "Having been at a top university with much of its own traditions I have learned to embrace tradition while also creating change," she said.

"Dean Gail is an incredible advisor, mentor and friend to the Student Government Association. She is always there to guide us and lead us in the right direction," said Saira Amir, executive vice president of SGA.

DiSabatino says that, "the Clemson students are very involved in campus activities, which is the same as at Tech, but they seem to have a broader range of interests at Clemson."

"We will miss her very much when she leaves, but we are happy that she has found a new way [to] better assist students," Amir said.