After serving Lake Forest College’s Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth for nearly five years, the popular and well-loved Bill Dlugokienski made the decision that it is his time to go.
Bill Dlugokienski
Dean Robert Flot sent an email to the Lake Forest College community informing students and staff that Dlugokienski, assistant dean of students and director of the Gates Center, will be leaving the College at the end of this academic year.
“I’ve worked for ten years at small, private liberal arts colleges and am looking for a change,” Dlugokienski explained. “I have always known when it is time for me to leave a position.
“When I feel I am becoming too comfortable [I know] it’s time to move on. Although I have loved my time at Lake Forest, I feel I have accomplished many of the goals I set out for the Gates Center. “I am in a place where I feel comfortable with someone else coming in and building on the foundation I set, just as I built on the foundation that [former Director of the Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth] Chris Waugh set.
“I want to continue to be challenged in my work, continue to learn and grow, and continue to build my professional portfolio. For me, at this point, that meant finding a new position that would do that for me,” Dlugokienski said.
“I hope that the office continues to focus on innovative, creative, and student-centered programming that meets the needs of our diverse students. I hope that the changes I made are not absolute and that the staff can challenge them…and always do what is best for the students.” -Bill Dlugokienski
During his time at the College, Dlugokienski has played a key role in bringing many new initiatives, programs, and organizations to the college community, including the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honors society, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, the Forester Five, Winter Formal, and Mohr at Midnight.
“I hope that the new traditions [the Gates Center] created [during my time as director] continue to live on,” Dlugokienski said. “From programming efforts to campus partnerships, to new services and resources, I hope the Gates Center continues to be an office that [will] be at the center of student life. I hope that the Forester Five continues to permeate all aspects of the student experience and becomes a set of institutional values.
“I hope that the office continues to focus on innovative, creative, and student-centered programming that meets the needs of our diverse students. I hope that the changes I made are not absolute and that the staff can challenge them…and always do what is best for the students,” he said.
While at the College, Dlugokienski placed a high priority on seeking student input and building programming around it. “I enjoy that I have had the chance [at Lake Forest] to connect with students and use their feedback to guide my work,” Dlugokienski. “This cammmpus has so many channels in which students can use their voice and that’s really exciting for an administrator because we get to hear from students on what they really want.
“The Gates Center has continually made changes form direct student feedback. Whether that was the development of new programming like the Mohr at Midnight series or a new model for the Forester Day of Service, the CORE Retreats, the addition of Forester Five signature events, new services like the expanded shuttle service, and the introduction of my.involvement.
“Each event and program came for a student need. I’m glad to have had the chance to meet those needs over the last four years,” Dlugokienski said. As the Gates Center begins to look at its future without Dlugokienski, it is clear that his absence will not go unnoticed. However, the Center is still confident that they will be able to continue serving the campus community.
“[Dlugokienski] is leaving the Gates Center in a really great place, set up well for future success,” Assistant Director of the Gates Center Pat Doggett said. “While his shoes will be big to fill, his successor will certainly be in great starting position due to [Dlugokienski’s] hard work and commitment to excellence. [The Gates Center staff] wishes him all the best for future success as he deserves future opportunities to continue to provide the guidance, support, respect, and leadership that he provided to our staff on a daily basis.”
