Home to 646 students, Wonnacott Commons is your first home base, a neighborhood within the larger "city" of Middlebury College. On the Middlebury campus, a commons is defined by the buildings in this neighborhood and, much more, by the people who inhabit them.
History of Wonnacott Commons
Wonnacott Commons was established in 1998. Our commons bears the name of the first person to hold the title of Dean of Students at Middlebury, Erica Wonnacott. Remembered affectionately by generations of Middlebury alumni, Wonnacott first took office during a period of campus unrest in the early 1970s, and quickly became known for her willingness to listen to students and to seek reasonable comprise when conflict appeared likely. She worked tirelessly to preserve the Middlebury traditions she cherished. She retired in 1988, and passed away in 2002.
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Dean of Students
Erica Wonnacott |
The Wonnacott Team
Some of the first people you will meet on campus are members of the Wonnacott team, the core professionals who help put Wonnacott into motion.
Wonnacott is led by Professors.Will Nash and Deb Evans. As Commons Heads, they plan academic and social activities, host lectures and dinners, and provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to interact with one another outside the classroom setting. They are the mentors of your hall's First Years counselors, and through them, will help you learn your way around the academic terrain that is this College. All of these activities serve their central mission of setting the intellectual tone for Wonnacott. Deb and Will balance a professional life that includes teaching, research and writing with being actively involved in the Commons.
As commons dean, Matt Longman is a dedicted student affairs professional, whose duties include personal counseling, academic counseling, and serving as a link to residential life staff. Matt, class of '89, has served Middlebury as a dean since before the inception of the commons system.
The commons team is balanced by the essential work of two other positions—the commons coordinator and the commons residential advisor (CRA). The CRA is typically a recent Middlebury graduate who devotes a year of his early professional career to administer the every day aspects of student life. This year we are pleased to have James Tresner '09; he'll be living in Battell Hall with our incoming first year students.
Brenda Fizur, Coordinator of Wonnacott, makes the trains run on time in the Wonnacott office and is known for her kind smile, her sense of humor, and her delicious chocolate chip cookies. Brenda has worked at Middlebury for ten years and is very much looking forward to meeting the next group of students who will call Wonnacott home.
Making Wonnacott Yours
There are countless ways to be involved in commons life. From becoming an active member of the Commons Council; to helping commons heads bring a favorite musician or author to campus; to organizing an Quidditch tournament; to planning a Katrina relief fundraiser; to organizing a concert series, hike or apple picking trip—what the Wonnacott experience can be is largely up to you.
