As he loses his assistant and associate directors to other universities, Paul Cousins, director of the Office of Student Conduct, is left to fill two positions and assume the majority of their responsibilities in the interim.

Susan Trageser, former associate director, left on Jan. 8 to pursue an employment opportunity at the University of California, Berkley, according to Cousins.

Martha Compton, assistant director, said her last day at the University will be Feb. 2. She said she will go on to hold a similar position at the University of Texas at Austin.

Compton noted Cousins’ experience working without assistance.

“When Paul started, it was just him,” Compton said.

According to Compton, while others have worked in the Office of Student Conduct since then, “this won’t be the first time he is running the show by himself.”

Cousins said two interns will help to fill the gaps — Tony Shurer and Paul Neubert. Shurer and Neubert are residence directors. According to Cousins, both interns are working as part of a master’s graduate program and have experience as disciplinarians from their work with students in the residence halls.

Combined, Cousins said the two will fill one half of an associate or assistant director position in terms of the amount of hours each work.

Lock Whiteside, student chief justice, noted the strain on the Office of Student Conduct caused by the vacancy of the associate and assistant director positions.

“It has a big impact on the day-to-day operations of the Office of Student Conduct,” he said.

However, Whiteside said the vacancies will provide the Student Judicial Board with chances to assume heightened responsibilities.

“It gives opportunities for [Judicial Board members] to step up in leadership roles,” he said.

Between now and the completion of the hiring process, Cousins said the Office of Student Conduct will be “shorthanded.”

“My most sincere hope is that people behave themselves this spring,” he said.

Cousins explained that there is typically less misconduct during the spring semester. He cited the absence of football season and a smaller fraternity and sorority rush among the reasons for this.

Also, he said there is a reduced likelihood of academic misconduct among students who may have resorted to cheating in the fall, often due to discussions with parents over winter break and students “recommitting themselves to academic excellence.”

Cousins said in relation to his work with the Student Judicial Board, “Most of what it will affect is my time.”

He said he will be the representative from the Office of Student Conduct at hearings, which can occur up to twice a week.

“I would need to go to all of those,” he said.

Cousins said he used to alternate attendance at hearings with Compton and Trageser.

He said Compton and Trageser worked in the past with the selection of undergraduate and graduate board members. With Judicial Board selections around the corner, Cousins said current members such as Whiteside will have more responsibility in the process this year.

“A lot of board members, including myself, are ambassadors,” Whiteside said.

He said he looks forward to participating in recruitment and the selection process.

Cousins said this is an “awkward time” to lose staff members.

“The normal cycle for people to move around in Student Affairs is normally at the end of the spring semester,” he said.

According to Cousins, the Association for Student Judicial Affairs National Conference in February will provide opportunities to advertise the position vacancies.

He said he does not yet have a target date in mind for filling the positions and must consider both budget and the applicant pool.

Both Compton and Cousins agreed that neither Trageser nor Compton left the University for negative reasons.

“[Compton and Trageser have] excellent opportunities for personal and professional growth,” Cousins said. “Those don’t always come along.”

Compton said she has been searching for employment opportunities “off and on” since April 2006. She said Cousins was aware of her search.

She has been working in the Office of Student Conduct since she completed graduate school six years ago.

According to Compton, most people in Student Affairs work for two to three years in the same place after graduate school before moving on.

“I have hung around because I have loved [working at the University] so much,” she said.

Cousins said Trageser held the associate director position for “three and a half to four years.”

Whiteside said both played important roles in the Student Judicial Board; Compton dealt with issues in Greek Life, University Housing and academic integrity, while Trageser was “instrumental” in hearings, training new board members and recruitment for the board.

He said there will be an adjustment period for the new associate and assistant directors after their appointments.

“It will take them the summer to understand the infrastructure of the University,” he said.

Whiteside said the newly appointed associate and assistant directors need to work well with students.

“It needs to be someone who is compassionate and understands student needs and community needs,” he said.