Dean of Student Affairs to retire in August
According to Bruce Stevenson, 35 years of work is enough for anyone.
The Dean of Student Affairs will be retiring at the end of this semester after a lifetime at Bishop’s University.
Born in Sherbrooke, Stevenson attended Bishop’s for his Bachelor of Arts, his Diploma in Education, and his Masters in Education.
While obtaining his D.Ed, Stevenson led the Lady Gaiters basketball team through the 1974-1975 season.
“Five years after I coached them they went on to win the championships; I like to joke that they never would have made it without me,” he said recently.
Early on, Stevenson taught at local schools, and later owned a printing shop in Lennoxville. When the position of Director of Alumni and Public Relations opened up at Bishop’s, Stevenson got the job, and would go on to spend ten years there, before shifting to Dean of Student Affairs, where he has been for the last decade.
The Student Services Mission Statement states the responsibilities of the Dean modestly, saying that he or she “oversees the overall coordination and quality of student services, along with certain ancillary services.”
Based on this, it is fair to say that Stevenson has gone above and beyond for students.
Stevenson proudly highlighted some of the initiatives he has been responsible for while Dean, including the establishment of a Golden Key chapter at Bishop’s, the Trick or Eat campaign, and annual English lessons for Sherbrooke Police officers.
Additionally, Stevenson said he is happy with the changes to the Code of Conduct, which now allows him to take disciplinary action against students on- or off-campus who do not act in accordance with Bishop’s conduct.
Stevenson works tirelessly to ensure that Bishop’s students are having fun while still maintaining a positive image. For example, he has worked on making frosh week a more safe and media-friendly event, while trying not to impede on students’ fun.
“Before, frosh week was a group of ten leaders and the three that were the least drunk got to be in charge. Now the SRC organizes it so that there are 3-4 leaders for every 20 froshies.”
Stevenson also told The Campus that during frosh week, he awakes at an hour unheard of by many and sets to cleaning the streets, with the help of students, before any media arrives.
Stevenson has also stepped up during times of crisis. When Bishop’s students were left homeless after the fire above the Korvette, and later during the H1N1 scare, Stevenson chaired the committees responsible for organizing help.
The outgoing dean also played an important role on the committee to get the Canada Games in Sherbrooke, and to have the Bishop’s campus serve as the athletes’ village. “Having 3,000 young people exposed to our campus is going to be fantastic for the school and community,” he says.
When asked what he would like to tell students, Stevenson says to remember to be safe first and foremost. “Here at Bishop’s there is an incredible safety net; our student security program is one of the best in the country.”
In closing, Stevenson, who candidly spoke at Awards Night about the difficulty of his decision to retire, said, “It has been a privilege to come work at Bishop’s everyday. Some of my friends have had to move away from the Townships for their jobs and I have always been so grateful to get to stay here. The friendships that I have made with students over my career have been wonderful.”
