Within the next couple of weeks, the Student Involvement Office (SIO) will gain a new member; the assistant director of student involvement. This marks another of the many changes the SIO has made in the past few years.
The position, which originally had 66 applicants, now has four final contenders. The faculty, students including Fraternity and Sorority Life representatives, staff and Capital community members joined to create a selection committee that helped to narrow the selection of applicants through application reviews, which then narrowed the search to eight phone interviews and then the four finalists. The four finalists are Kristyn Tomlinson, David Gonzalez, David Neumann, and Lindsay Faulstick.
“ We were looking for candidates that had a masters in higher education, two to four years of experience in Greek Life, experience with student organizations, a passion for students, and a person who would fit the values of Capital,” Melvin Adams, director of student and community engagement, said.
The candidates come from a range of schools from small schools to large, state schools, Michelle Hardgrove, senior and Inter Sorority Council (ISC) soon to be the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) president, said. “They are all really unique with their experiences, ideas and personalities. They have their own styles.”
This past week, April 9-13, the four finalists held open forums on campus and a session devoted to Fraternity and Sorority Life, Adams said. The candidates discussed the relevance of fraternity and sorority life on college campuses, Adams continued.
The position will involve the new assistant director getting to know the students and the values of the Capital community, Adams said. “The assistant director will come in and get a feel for the community and decide which way Greek Life should go in the next three to six months.”
The assistant director will also have the responsibility of keeping the organizations healthy and making sure the organizations have the proper training and can keep moving in a positive direction, Adams said.
Along with Hardgrove, Justin See, president of the Inter Fraternity Council (IFC), also served on the selection committee.
I was looking for someone with a lot of energy, and experience with governing boards to help facilitate the IFC and the National Panhellenic Council NPC, Justin See, junior, said. “I want someone who is going to continue to support Greek Life and student organizations and help them move in the positive direction they are already going.”
“I was looking for someone with a good connection with students and someone who could fit at Capital with the administration,” Hardgrove, said.
The committee will have a decision on the new assistant director after they meet and agree on a candidate choice, and then have the decision approved by Dr. Betty Lovelace-Ross, associate provost and associate vice president for academic and student affairs, and then by the provost, Dr. Richard Ashbrook.
“We were very purposeful in our selection [of the finalists],” Adams said. “We took time to really evaluate each candidate, because it’s important for Greek Life, student organizations and programs on campus.”
“The most difficult part of this process will be trying to make a final decision,” Hardgrove said. “Each candidate has unique goals that could benefit Capital.”
We want someone who will live the Cap family values and support all students and see the wealth in Greek Life and student organizations, Adams said. We want someone who will be a part of the community and help it to continue to grow.
The committee hopes to have a decision by the end of next week.
The SIO will also be looking to hire an Assistant Director of Students and Community Engagement in the next few months to have more of a focus on community service.
