For a long time, students at La Salle Prep have been used to speaking to Mr. Brian Devine for most student life issues, given that he has been the longstanding Vice Principal for Student Life. At the beginning of this school year, though, La Salle changed its administrative structure to include a Dean of Men, Mr. Devine, and Dean of Women, Ms. Kelsey Powell.

Now, if a student gets into trouble, for instance, or needs to speak to an administrator about a student life issue, they will see the respective Dean instead of going straight to Mr. Devine.

“We focus on guiding students to be respectful and thoughtful decision makers,” said Mr. Devine when describing his job as Dean of Men. Both the Dean of Men and Dean of Women have the same job, only differing in which gender they work with. Together, they work to build Lasallian ideals in the students of our school.

This decision was made by Mr. Kuffner in order to give the students of La Salle a stronger support network. He has seen the model of two deans in other schools, and he says that it seems like the best choice for La Salle right now.

“It’s really nice in the sense that sometimes big brothers can have conversations with little brothers… and big sisters can have conversations with little sisters,” Mr. Kuffner said. He believes that the two dean structure “just fits.”

Students have also reacted positively to the new structure. “I feel like with having a woman in charge of (girls’) issues, our concerns and problems are going to be heard better,” said sophomore Rachel Jones when asked about the new Dean of Women. Others female students have expressed that having a woman in charge of helping girls grow as Lasallian women would make it easier and more comfortable to express their opinions on Lasallian issues that uniquely relate to them.

However, this structure does leave out students who identify with non-binary genders. In a society that has been changing in order to be more accepting of non-binary and transgender people, including with some specific changes happening here at La Salle, this system that specifically caters to young men and women has the potential leave some students feeling uncomfortable.

One non-binary student, who wished to remain anonymous, reported mixed feelings about the new administrative structure. “I do recognize that having a dean for each gender would have a large positive effect on many, but it would also have a large negative effect on those who feel as though they don’t fit into society’s pre-established gender binary,” they said.

However, Mr. Devine and Ms. Powell are already prepared for that. “In the case of a student who identifies as gender neutral, Ms. Powell and I would work alongside that student’s counselor and parents to support the student in an appropriate and compassionate way,” Mr. Devine said, when asked about the issue.

Though Mr. Devine and Ms. Powell are not new additions to the Lasallian community, they believe that their new roles will be serving the school in a way that will benefit all students here.

“Our hope is that having a shared position will provide more resources and support for our students as they grow through their high school experience,” said Mr. Devine. “We are excited to be one of the first Lasallian high schools to innovate this model.”

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How do you feel about the new administrative structure? Let us know in the comments below.