Admits official to leave for Duke

Associate Admissions Dean Christoph Guttentag has accepted the position of Director of Admissions at Duke University, ending his nine-year stint in the University's admissions office. After starting out as an admissions officer, Guttentag worked his way up in the Admissions Office hierarchy, ultimately becoming associate dean and director of planning. But now, Guttentag has decided to move up again, sharing his expertise with Duke. His new position, which will begin July 1, is roughly the equivalent of Dean Willis Stetson's position at the University. Guttentag has been in contention for the position since late 1991, and said when Duke administrators offered him the position last week he accepted right away. "It's a terrific opportunity for me," Guttentag said. "I'm really grateful to the University and to Dean Stetson for giving me the opportunity to do things to prepare me for this." Stetson raved last night about Guttentag as both a hard worker and a congenial person. "He has certainly earned the chance to take over an office because of his many duties in his years with us," Stetson said. "He leaves behind a long legacy of leadership, a strong sense of planning, and a basic understanding of the role of a good admissions officer." Guttentag said that for the most part, Duke's Admissions Office operates similarly to the University's Admissions Office. "[Duke] recruits similarly [to the University], but they make fewer [high] school visits, Guttentag said. "I plan to take some time to look at the recruiting and selection processes to find out why they do what they do." He said he plans to learn not only how the department operates, but also why it has the policies it does before he makes any changes. "Only after I have gotten a good feel for how they operate and why would I change anything," Guttentag said. Stetson has until July 1 to find a new associate Admissions dean, and he said he will utilize many means in the search. "We will begin the search, and we expect that we will advertise in national publications," Stetson said. "We will look at external as well as internal candidates."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.