Bridgewater, Va. – Residence Life is making changes in response to the Strategic Resource Allocation recommendation that Student Life be restructured.

Assistant Dean of Students Liz Howley explained what the SRA recommendations mean for Residence Life. 

“Basically, it just means that we are better allocating our resources and matching them with our enrollment, instead of keeping things the same and not necessarily matching our enrollment,” said Howley. 

The most significant change is that the director of Residence Life position has been eliminated, resulting in former Director of Residence Life Suzanne Mullins being laid off. 

The director of Residence Life and director of student conduct positions will be combined to create a new “Director of Residence Life and Community Standards” position. Current Director of Student Conduct Alex Johnson will hold this new position. 

Most other changes to Residence Life will occur as residential student needs are evaluated. 

For example, there are currently only two area coordinators on campus, instead of the normal three or four. However, the school will not hire a new AC until the need arises.

“Obviously right now the campus isn’t at full capacity,” said Area Coordinator Keon Nesmith. “If we were at full capacity, meaning Wakeman was open and Daleville wasn’t quarantine housing and the Crimson Inn was full, then obviously we would have the need for another Area Coordinator.” 

Staffing has looked different this year as a result of COVID-19 and the resulting residential requirement waiver. 

“We have lost a couple of our staff members due to them opting out for the semester,” said Nesmith. “But at the same time the number of students that we have on campus is also lower than they usually would be. So in that respect, I feel like it’s kind of balanced itself out.” 

Due to the lower numbers on campus this semester, Residence Life believes that most students and staff will not notice many changes as a result of the SRA. 

“It’s not really impacting anybody on staff this year,” said Howley. “And to be fair, we’re a little under-staffed this year anyway. So someone who’s an RA this year probably won’t notice a difference next year because we didn’t hire all of the positions that we had open to begin with.”