If you are a student of CHASS , chances are that you have received encouragement to participate in ‘dean for a day,’ in which students can switch places with the dean for an entire day.

Laura Wilkinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Technician and senior in International Studies, switched places with Dean Braden, of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, yesterday.

Wilkinson said that the experience helped her see a different side of campus life.

“I got to talk to a lot of professors that I wouldn’t normally get to interact with,” Wilkinson said, “I had no idea what they do.”

Although Wilkinson’s experience was new, she recognized the similarities between being a leader of the college and being in-charge of the Technician.

“I was also able to make some parallels between being a student leader, like dealing with the president, managing staff, listening to peoples ideas,” Wilkinson said.

While the ‘dean for a day’ experience was occupied largely by meetings for Wilkinson, Dean Braden got to experience life as a student as well.

“It’s certainly [interesting] to me because I get to see the college from a very different perspective,” Braden said.

Braden has had an experience stepping foot in the shoes of several CHASS students, many of which have provided very different experiences for the Dean.

“It has been fabulous. Doing this allows me the privilege of seeing how this university and my department looks for a student,” Braden said, “Every year is an experience.”

Braden said that during one of his favorite ‘dean for a day’ experiences, a student had a specific schedule laid out for him.

“One student had a very carefully scripted day for me. She had this whole day mapped out,” Braden said.

Another student told Braden to walk through the gardens past Holladay Hall and reflect on his day.

“It was a gift to me, that she invited me to do that,” Braden said, “Truly, that was the most memorable part of the day.”

Braden said that his experience filling in Wilkinson’s shoes was an interesting one as well, as he came to help the Technician hold their daily budget meeting, in which they discuss the next day’s scheduled articles.

Wilkinson said that the experience was hectic, as she traveled around campus to go to several meetings throughout the day.

“I was kind of running back and forth all day,” Wilkinson said, “I had to travel from Avent Ferry complex over to Caldwell hall.”

Wilkinson said the meetings were at times confusing, but were overall interesting.

“Although I wasn’t an expert in everything, and sometimes I felt a little bit lost as far as what people were talking about in this meeting, it was still good to experience that side that students don’t usually get to see,” Wilkinson said.

The experience was very different for Wilkinson, but refreshing.

“As a student I am pretty much on main campus for most of the day, and then I head back to Witherspoon at night,” Wilkinson said, “I got to meet a couple of people within CHASS that are the overseers of the classes that I’m actually in.”

Braden said that the experience is something that he looks forward to, and believes is a great learning experience for students.

“I think it’s definitely helpful for students to get some insight to what university administration does.”