I was pleased to respond to the Wildcat to do a guest column. Frequently I am asked how I got into this profession and about 20 years ago I did not set out to be a dean of students. At that time I had completed my stint as a Wildcat reporter and I was aiming to be the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein (yes, these references date me). However, I got sidetracked, discovered the profession of student affairs and pursued a career in higher education.

Ironically, journalism did an excellent job of providing valuable skills which have served me well in my life and, specifically, in this position. While studying journalism I learned to check facts, write succinctly, identify and exploit angles, read upsi de down on administrators' desks and enter situations open-minded.

However, the most valuable skill or quality which I acquired as a journalism student was that of empathy. I learned to try to put myself in the place of others as I investigated a story, conducted interviews and wrote articles. I learned to put myself in the place of the reader, the person being interviewed or even my editor.

I rely on empathy (and other skills) in dealing with students and their parents, negotiating with colleagues and working with staff. Every time I have interviewed for a job, empathy (along with a few other qualities) has served me well.

What does this mean for this column? I believe that if more of us would stop and try to put themselves in the place of others the quality of this community would improve considerably. A few examples: I've spent much time talking with students this semeste r who have experienced harassment of some sort (racial, religious, gender). As we have tried to look at ways to address these issues what I observed was a difficulty students experienced being able to put themselves in the place of others.

What occurs, then, is tension, misunderstanding and, in some cases, hostility. I have observed this among colleagues and students alike. Lack of empathy results in a community where, simply put, we do not give each other a break. We tend to assume the wor st of a situation or each other.

I have been involved in a number of discussions (including faculty, students and staff) regarding campus climate this year. In fact, I am currently completing the first phase of a comprehensive study of our campus climate. Most of these discussions have f ocused on what can be done to improve our campus climate, including promoting education to lead toward understanding and increased knowledge.

We don't verbalize a goal of working to increase empathy and perhaps, when we describe understanding, this is what we mean. However, I believe that we need to be explicit in our stating that building empathy among members of this campus community is a wor thy goal.

Enhancing the ability of each of us to try to put ourselves in the place of someone else would not only increase understanding, but also reduce the judgment and preconceived stereotypes which frequently guide our discussions and decisions.

I believe that there is the potential for a more tense campus climate next year. Discussions about affirmative action have made some members of our campus community feel threatened while others feel emboldened. Next year is an election year, which tends t o heighten debate and dissent. My hope is that if we stop to try to imagine what the person with whom we are talking is feeling, what his or her frame of reference is, what his or her life and academic experiences are, we will still engage in lively debat e; however, we will do it in a context of mutual respect.

Melissa Vito is dean of students at the University of Arizona.