Admin Realigns, Creates CARE Office
Returning St. Lawrence University students may have noticed a difference in administrative organization this fall. The Division of Student Life saw significant change. Most notably, the offices of Student Activities and Residential Life have merged, becoming the office of Campus Activities and Residential Engagement (CARE). The change follows a pair of high-profile staff vacancies created by the resignation of Dean of Student Life Hagi Bradley and the retirement of Associate Dean of Student Life and Community Standards Rance Davis.
Jodi Canfield ’91 — who spent nearly two decades in SLU’s Athletic Department — was hired to fill Davis’s role as Associate Dean of Student Life and Community Standards. Gail DiSabitino was named the Interim Dean of Student Life while SLU continued its search for a permanent replacement.
Christopher Marquart M’09 became the Associate Dean of Student Life & Community Engagement and will help oversee CARE alongside DiSabitino. “All of us on the team are incredibly excited to bring the Campus Activities & Residential Engagement concept to life,” said Marquart. “It will really open up new opportunities for us to better listen to student interests and concerns and then work together with our students on creating the St. Lawrence they want to see.”
Alongside Marquart, CARE will also be led by Director of Campus Activities & Residential Engagement Maverick Cummings and Sr. Associate Directors of Campus Activities & Residential Engagement Ashlee Downing-Duke and Stacie Olney LaPierre. In these roles, they will provide support to students, residential coordinators, community assistants, townhouse managers, theme coordinators, orientation leaders and first-year guides. CARE also plans to collaborate with Laura Lavoie and The Office of Wellness Education.
CARE’s mission statement highlights the office’s goal to interweave the various aspects of student life at SLU. They hope to create an all-encompassing learning environment with “inclusive residential and co-curricular opportunities focusing on wellness, leadership development, and dynamic community involvement.”
The creation of CARE comes alongside a $30 million investment in SLU’s residential spaces. First-year dorms Priest and Reiff recently saw renovations to their communal spaces, with similar efforts underway in Rebert and Lee halls. Associate Vice President for Facilities Management and Chief Facilities Officer Bob Hance believes that facility improvements will “make our beautiful campus a more comfortable, secure place for our students to call home,” echoing CARE’s desire for a better student experience.
Residence Life and Student Activities merging into CARE aims to provide SLU students with a more streamlined higher-education experience. Administrators look forward to the potential benefits, one being Marquart, who said, “we hope this will provide an enjoyable residential experience, as well as campus events and activities, that support academic and social engagement.”
It is yet to be seen how CARE will operate further along in the semester. However, with residential hall improvements and greater access to resources, students have the opportunity to determine how these changes impact their experience.