Brown University Dean of Fresh-men and Sophomores was put on probation for a year after being charged with "open and gross, lewd and lascivious behavior" earlier this month, police officers said yesterday.

On September 15, Bruce Donovan was arrested after attempting to solicit sex from a male undercover officer at an Interstate 95 rest area and "exposing himself to the extent that it is considered to be a felony," said Attleboro Police Detective Gabriel Dagostino.

Donovan has taken a leave of absence from Brown for an indefinite time to pursue "special assignments" for the Dean of Colleges Office, and his replacement has not as yet been determined, according to junior Jonathan Youngwood, a reporter for the Brown Daily Herald.

After the arrest, Brown University released a statement which praises the dean as a "distinguished member of the Brown community." University officials could not be reached for further comment yesterday.

Brown students said the dean was known as one of the most popular and accessible members of the faculty, liked by many for his activeinvolvement with students.

"He was a really good-natured and funny guy,"said Diane M. Theil, who is a senior at Brown."Everybody thought he was a great guy."

"He was a little bit of a crazy person, alwayscracking jokes--not your typical stiff-neck-typedean," Theil added.

Freshman Christina A. Conner said although shewas surprised by his arrest, she still thinksDonovan is very friendly and amiable.

Conner said that during freshman week, when sheworked on a university community service project,Donovan came to visit with her and all the othergroups. "I was very impressed, and I think he wasdoing his job well."

Donovan, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, is a 1959graduate of Brown, who has worked at theuniversity for more than 22 years. He is also theDean of Chemical Dependency and a former classicsprofessor. He is a recovering alcoholic who helpedto start the university's anti-alcohol abuseprogram.

His duties included counseling students withdrug and alcohol problems on an individual basisand handling academic problems.

Donovan was arrested by Attleboro Police inAttleboro, Mass., a town approximately eight milesfrom Providence, where the university is located.

He was arrested at 5:50 p.m. and released thesame night. The dean appeared at court the nextday and was sentenced to probation for one yearunder the condition that he pay a $450 fine andseek psychiatric counseling.

Charges will be officially dismissed in oneyear if no other infractions are reported in thattime.

The officers said arrests like Donovan's occurfrequently at the rest area, known for highincidences of crime and drug-trafficking.

Attleboro police said they did not think thereis a connection between Donovan and last year'sarrest of two Brown students on charges ofprostitution last year