What is your role as a Dean?
The Associate Dean for Student Life. I oversee the college judicial process and work with the honor code. I also work with CC Curtiss on campus wellness and with Darcie Fulsom overseeing the THINKSAFE project.
You work with the judicial process and the J-Board, correct?
I am the only staff member that works with J-Board.
What has been the funniest moment on J-Board?
I’m going to need a minute to think of a response, can you ask me at the end?
Definitely. So, I have to ask, is there a social and academic honor code?
No, in my head there is not.
Why do you feel that students make the discrepancy between the two?
I think students take their academics seriously here. That is something that you all have in common. Your primary purpose to be here is to study, to learn, to be engaged in academics. There’s not a lot of tension or disagreement about the importance of academics here. When it comes to your social lives students have a lot of difference over what is okay and what is not okay.
I notice a Southern accent. May I ask where you are from originally?
I am originally from Memphis, Tennessee.
Do you miss the South?
Yes, I do. I don’t like the winter.
What is the main difference you notice between Memphis and Connecticut?
I’m going to say climate, and I mean that in two different ways. When my parents say it is 75 degrees there and it is cold here, I get sad. Life is less rushed there. People take the time to have conversations with each other that you don’t know. It is not uncommon when you are checking out at Target to have a conversation with the cashier.
How long have you been at Connecticut College?
I started here in November of 2007.
What has changed the most since you’ve been here?
I think the thing that has changed the most for me has been the structure of the Student Life Office. For example, when I started here there were three people working in Residence Life. For me, just the growth of the office and the impact that has hand on students is really exciting.
What is your favorite day of the year at Connecticut College?
Do I have to pick one? One is opening day and one is graduation. Opening day is really exciting because it is new, and there is energy. There is something momentous about graduation.
That is sad, graduation.
Well, you see people come in, and, where I sit, I know different things about people. For me to see that they’ve had obstacles and worked through them and walk away with a diploma is special.
What is something that we need to work on at Connecticut College?
I sometimes am worried with how I see students treat each other. Some of it is face-to-face, but a lot of it is online.
What do you think of CollegiateLink?
I think it’s good for two reasons. One is that all the information that students need for clubs and organizations is centralized and that’s good. Centralizing all that information in one place and creating one process where you can reserve a room. A student used to have to come in here and fill out a book, and it made students have to run around a lot before.
Secondly, I think it is good because it is accessible online. For a student to sit in their room and plan an event with other people instead of waiting for the office to open at 8am is very convenient.
Which Sex and the City character are you?
I would either be Charlotte or Cynthia Nixon’s character…
Miranda?
I’m more Miranda. Definitely Miranda.
Final thoughts before Finals?
People should remember to sleep.
I think we would if we could.
I think some people get a rush out of not sleeping.
Alright, I agree. I do.
I did it too junior and senior year, and now I go to bed at 10 o’clock.
Well, that is all. Do you have an answer for the funniest moment on J-Board question? Please don’t feel pressured to answer if you can’t.
I don’t think I can say it.
Well, I don’t want you to say something that will get you in trouble with the Office of Student Life. Unless you want to say something negative about CollegiateLink.
I don’t.
