Betsy Noel, Lab’s equal opportunity services director and Title IX coordinator, has accepted the position of director of the Office of College Community Standards and assistant dean of students at the University of Chicago and will be leaving later this year. Ms. Noel has worked at Lab since 2017.
Ms. Noel said the transition to her new role will feel bittersweet, as she enjoyed her time working with the Lab community, especially high school students.
“I came to do this here because I believe in the importance of preventing harassment and discrimination,” Ms. Noel said, “and it has been a privilege to work with students who trusted me to help them.”
In an email to the Midway, Laboratory Schools Director Tori Jueds said that the search to find a replacement for Ms. Noel is under way and open to applicants. Ms. Jueds said the greater Lab community was top of mind in the process.
“As we gather résumés and indications of interest,” Ms. Jueds said, “our process will be inclusive of many voices so that our search will be informed by the wisdom of Lab students, educators and families.”
Ms. Jueds said that Ms. Noel has contributed greatly to equity practices and education at Lab, including training for harassment and discrimination prevention, along with other efforts, some unrecognized.
“Where community members have experienced harm such as bullying or harassment,” Ms. Jueds said, “the ensuing follow-up and investigation has generally been managed by Ms. Noel. Because such investigations are confidential, her impact may not be apparent to all members of the community, but I can attest that she has done this work with extraordinary attention to detail, empathy and patience.”
