Five new residence directors have been appointed to fill vacancies left by the departure of several RDs after the spring semester.
Vicky Briars will serve in Livingston Hall; Karen Duerr-Clark in Monroe; Nykki McCawthan in Genesee; Isaiah Tolbert in Jones; and Amy Williams in Niagara. Collectively, they bring a wide range of experience to the table.
Tolbert comes to Geneseo from Morrisville State College, where he was a residence director. "I saw an opportunity [here]," he said. "Geneseo has a great reputation. I want to work with the best."
Duerr-Clark was previously the graduate coordinator of Late Knight, and Briars is a full-time graduate student in the school of education.
Kim Harvey, the newly appointed assistant director of residence life, was enthusiastic about the staff additions. "They're a very dynamic group who've brought new ideas and initiatives to the department," she said.
One of the new initiatives is the revamping of the residence education program, which is designed to teach student residents effective and practical lessons about living and citizenship that may not be addressed in the typical classroom setting.
"When we plan programs, we have to pair them with a competency and a learning goal," said Jones Hall Resident Assistant Nick Duell. The program calls for each hall to develop specific goals tailored to its residents.
For example, Jones, a designated freshman hall, will have a program geared toward the transition to college life and making strong decisions while Genesee, which primarily houses upperclassmen, will aim to build upon the progress made in earlier programming.
The residence education program has existed in past years, but residence life is looking forward to its reinvigoration as well as the implementation of other fresh ideas from the new RDs.