By Paul A. Anthony, Editor in Chief

Dr. Mimi Barnard, assistant professor of English, has been named the new director of Residence Life Education.

The decision was made by Dr. Bob Strader, director of Student Development, who said Barnard was chosen because of education, experience and vision.

“We had four really good candidates,” Strader said. “We had a long interview process. Mimi emerged as the top candidate primarily because of her vision for residence life education.”

Barnard said she expected her role as a teacher to influence that vision and the office.

“It’s pretty exciting,” she said. “I’m a teacher. I’ll still be teaching, just in a different way.”

Barnard will keep her faculty status by teaching one English class each semester but will keep her current four-class workload until December.

Reg Cox stepped down as director of Residence Life over the summer to become a pulpit minister in Colorado. While in transition, the office changed its name to Residence Life Education.

“One thing we’re interested in across campus is holistic education,” Strader said. “We’re intentionally creating learning opportunities in every area of life.”

One potential conflict is husband, Wayne, is dean of Campus Life. She and Dean Barnard said it would pose no problem, especially because she will report to Strader.

“As far as the reporting structure, that’s not a problem,” Dean Barnard said.

Both Strader and Mimi Barnard discussed her vision for residence life, which included close contact with the resident directors and assistants.

“One of the reasons she was hired was her vision for what’s happening in the residence halls,” Strader said.

Barnard agreed, saying she had already met with the directors as a group and planned to meet with them individually.

“I’ve got a pretty big vision,” she said. “But all of this takes time. I will not leave them.”