Losing a director, an assistant director and five coordinators, the Department of Residence Life will begin a process of reorganization in order to provide more service to students.
“I want to alleviate some of the concerns students have with the department,” said Kathy Humphrey, vice president of Student Development.
She explained that the department will be divided into two parts-one business focused and one student focused-that will work together but be headed by two separate individuals. Both will report to Humphrey. The exact details of the structure are still being worked out, she said.
In addition to these changes in structure, other small changes are being made. University Hearing Officers will no longer be solely coordinators, leaving the coordinators free to develop community in their respective buildings.
Also, the workday for coordinators will be changed from morning and afternoon to noon until 9 p.m. in order to correspond better with students’ schedules.
Leonard Jones, director of Residence Life, will resign for personal reasons at the end of May, after two years at Saint Louis University.
“For a while, I’ve thought about what I wanted to do in terms of looking at other opportunities that would put me closer to my family,” said Jones, a native of Chicago. “This is one of the better places I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.”
Despite his short tenure, Jones thinks that a change in department leadership is not detrimental, as the people who support the director are still present and active.
Jones’ future plans are still to be determined, but he thinks that wherever he ends up, he will try to build the same type of cooperation with students that he did here.
In addition to Jones’ resignation, Assistant Director of Residence Life Lisa Thompson will resign as well. Thompson would not comment on her resignation.
According to SLU’s job openings posted on the Internet, three area coordinators and two community development coordinators are being sought.
Humphrey said that she appreciates all that Jones and his staff have done for SLU, viewing this change in personnel as an opportunity to move forward for the department.
