A transitional semester for Residence Life department
Reflecting on the fall semester for Residence Life, there have been numerous changes and adjustments, with the department starting the 2025-26 academic year with an almost entirely new team.
Alex McCullough (‘19), director of community standards and associate director of residence life, said, “We welcomed three brand new Residence Directors in the Fall Semester … Alayna, Charlie, Bella … [who] have all been incredible additions that have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to create a great student experience.”
In Daniel Roselli’s (‘14) second year as director of residence life, understaffing issues have posed an issue – the department one Residence Director (RD) short last semester.
“It is understated how much RDs do on a day to day basis for their buildings, so when we are missing one, the work just gets moved to other RDs to balance out responsibilities,” Roselli said.
Both Roselli and McCullough commented on how well the team adjusted to the transition and the additional workload. The most experienced RD on the team, Dione Simmons, contributed to that success by leading new team members.
Residence Director Charlie Shipman (‘25), reflects on her first semester at Maryville College. She gravitated towards “the small school charm” and has enjoyed guiding her RAs and watching them grow.
“Being an RD means having a hand in those teachable moments, so students can grow as well,” Shipman said.
Gamble Residence Assistant, Katie Parnell (‘27), has seen improvement just from last year in the consistent residence staff.
“Getting to work with and get to know one RD has allowed me to have more individualized help in becoming better at my job,” Parnell said.
Parnell also mentioned that communication was improved throughout the fall semester. Every building was getting information that was consistent with other residence halls, which she stated was a problem previously.
Residence Life continues to work on improving the student experience by focusing on professional development, refining processes and programming efforts.
“[We have doubled] our programming effort amongst the RA staff from roughly 120 programs a semester to nearly 270,” McCullough said.
The department looks forward to what they can accomplish in the upcoming spring semester as they are now fully staffed. Caleb Tucker (‘24) joined the Residence Life team in January of this year, taking on the role of RD for Copeland Hall and Pearsons Hall.
“He has already proven to be a valuable addition, hitting the ground running by supporting RA hiring and recruitment season, and his two new-to-him staffs,” McCullough said.
Residence Life professional staff pose for a selfie, holding a photo of Daniel Roselli (‘14), who was absent this day.
Left to right: Alex McCullough (‘19), Caleb Tucker (‘24), Alayna Baggenstoss, Charlie Shipman, Dione Simmons, Bella Rossi. Photo courtesy of Alex McCullough