A dozen Honors College students have prepared a petition to reinstate the Honors College “father figure” and the man known as “Dr. P.”
Perry Prestholdt, Honors College director of student services, will be dismissed from his duties at the Honors College effective May 20.
Prestholdt said his position is being replaced with a full-time staff member. He is a professor of psychology and worked at the Honors College part-time.
“He helped build cohesion amongst the entire Honors College,” said Jeremy Greenwald, Honors College Advocate secretary-treasurer.
Last Monday, Honors College interim Dean Ann Holmes gave him a letter stating he no longer would be assigned Honors College duties, Prestholdt said.
In the letter, Holmes said the reason for Prestholdt’s dismissal was to devote his part-time salary from the Honors College toward a full-time staffer, Prestholdt said.
Brittany Powell, an English and Spanish senior, said the main question Honors College students have is why Prestholdt was fired.
Holmes declined to comment about the dismissal.
Greenwald said Prestholdt is the Honors College contact most students respond to when they come to Spring Testing, and losing him would be detrimental to the college.
The students’ petition will be presented to the LSU Board of Supervisors next week, said Erin Hough, Honors College Advocate selections chair.
Hough said the goal is to receive signatures from at least two-thirds of the Laville Honors House students.
Greenwald said the petition is directed to the Board of Supervisors because talking with the Honors College has not helped.
“We have talked to people at the Honors College, but nothing has come of it,” Greenwald said.
The decision to start a petition came after Nancy Clark, Honors College incoming dean, responded to a student letter asking her to reconsider Prestholdt’s position.
Clark responded by saying while she appreciates the students’ voice, the decision to release Prestholdt would not be overturned.
Clark said all questions about the dismissal should be directed to Holmes.
Matt Auten, Honors Fellows council chair, said he is in favor of all Honors College decisions, but the dismissal of Prestholdt makes him question the direction the college is headed in.
While at the college, Prestholdt helped launch the Honors Fellows program and brought the Honors College Advocate program to higher prominence.
“Dr. P. is solely responsible for Honors College Advocates and Fellows becoming recognized University organizations,” Hough said.
Fellows are upper-class students in the Laville Honors House who help freshmen get accustomed to college life, while Advocates are students who help with recruiting incoming freshman, Hough said.
“I will miss the students the most; I really loved working with the kids in the Honors College,” Prestholdt said.
Hough said students who want to send letters about what Prestholdt has meant to them or the Honors College can send an e-mail to [email protected].
The e-mails will be forwarded to Dean Clark, and they also will be copied to show various University officials what is going on in the college, Hough said.