The new director of minority student affairs has been unable to begin his position at Iowa State this fall for undisclosed reasons.

Leonard Perry, who was scheduled to fill the position that has been vacant for two years, has not reported to work for “legitimate reasons,” said Pete Englin, dean of students. Perry was scheduled to begin work Aug. 1.

“He is planning and arranging to arrive here,” Englin said.

Karen Burdick, a secretary in the MSA office, said Perry’s delay in reaching Iowa State was medical in nature, based on what was said during an MSA staff meeting on July 16th.

Englin did not disclose the nature of the illness. Perry could not be reached for comment.

Burdick said while Perry’s absence will not necessarily cause any problems for the department, missing a director has made it difficult for new plans to move forward.

“We can sustain the office for now because we have very qualified people who know what they’re doing,” she said.

Englin echoed the statement. “[Perry’s delay is] an obstacle, but we’ve been operating for two years without a director,” Englin said. “So if the reasonable thing is to wait another three to six weeks, or whatever it takes, then they can do that.”

When Perry arrives, his tasks will not be simple, said both Englin and MSA program assistant Grif Kolberg. The MSA director will be charged with aiding in the retention of minority students, something the university has had trouble with in the past.

“President Geoffroy set a goal during his installation of wanting to graduate 70 percent of our students,” said Englin. “And if you start to segment our student body, we do not graduate our [minority students] at the same rate as our white majority students.”

Englin said it is important for the MSA office to increase minority student retention and minority student graduation. He also said it is important to understand why minority students leave Iowa State in order to resolve the problem.

Englin said the problem the school suffers with minority retention is not something that can be ignored.

“If you care about students, you want all of them to graduate,” he said. “So it’s more an issue of care and responsibility. And if there are ways that we can contribute to their success, we have an ethical responsibility to do that.”

Other plans for MSA include making students more aware of student services provided to them.

“Students don’t tend to be aware of student services until they’re in the moment and need them,” Englin said.

Perry is also expected to take over Student Support Services, the Multicultural Vision and Hixson programs, the National Student Exchange and the Academic Success Center. Englin said part of Perry’s job will be to create unity between the different departments.

Those in the MSA office eagerly await Perry’s arrival. Kolberg, who, with the rest of the MSA staff, met Perry before his position was confirmed in April, said he was struck by Perry’s self-assured manner and leadership abilities.

“That’s something we need,” Kolberg said. “It’s something that’s needed in any department. We have to have someone who is confident, who knows what they need to do, and what direction they need to go.”

Englin also spoke highly of Perry and said former colleagues expressed confidence in him.

“He’s got a broad view of things,” Englin said. “He’s a regular participant in the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity.”