Three resident directors plan to leave John Brown University before the fall 2017 semester.
Andrew Lehr, Resident director of walker, is one of the directors that will be leaving the university after five years in the dorm.
“I feel like being in residence life is kind of like being Mary Poppins, you come in for a little while, you make an impact, and then you leave,” Lehr said.
Lehr said that residential director’s terms run an average of three to five years before moving on, paving the way for a new residential director.
Even though Lehr said it is bittersweet, he is excited to move into a house and eventually move closer to his family in Indiana.
Lehr is not the only resident director that is looking forward to moving closer to family. Erin Christner, residential director of Mayfield, will be returning to her roots in Wheaton, Illinois, only an hour and a half away from family.
Dani Rivas, senior international business major, has been on Mayfield Resident Life staff for two years and spent a total of four years in Mayfield. During her time in Mayfield, Rivas developed a professional and personal relationship with Christner.
“Whenever she told me she was leaving it was sad. JBU, specifically Res Life, is going to lose someone really valuable,” Rivas said.
Rivas added that one realizes it is the right time for Christner to leave and that mayfield is transition. The first half of Mayfield Dorm is scheduled to undergo the long-awaited renovation process, in fall 2017.
“I’m excited for a new RD to really set a new vision for this building and to pave her own way,” Christner said.
Christner said that coming in at such a transitional time will benefit the new resident director and help her truly make the dorm her own.
On top of the two residence dorms, the Northslope Apartments on campus will also be losing their resident director, Lauren Lane.
Lane is leaving because she is nearing the end of her two-year contract and her residency for the apartments. Her position is part of the program where a master’s student studying higher education through JBU can work as a resident director.
Lane encourages the next student RD to “get in Scripture daily, pray daily, and ground yourself in God’s Word so that you will be better equipped to support the students that God has placed in your care.”
Despite the transitional period that will come in 2017, the current resident director’s said they trust JBU to find new Resident Directors to lead and strengthen the university.
“I’m really excited for the changes that will be happening here,” Christner said. “It will be great to have someone in this role that can see the transitional period through and get to enjoy the results.”