What to expect with the new and improved Res Life changes

By Lily Shelton \ Nov. 3, 2026

At the beginning of the fall semester, Maryville College’s Residence Life department implemented a few major staff changes. The department downsized from five to four residence directors and added an assistant director position.

Director of Residence Life Daniel Roselli (’14) described the changes as a means of “streamlining the position” of residence director for the college.

Because of the downsizing, one residence director, Bella Rossi, had to take on another building. Rossi had been in charge of only one building, Davis Hall, when there were five residence directors, so it was natural for her to take on another. Each residence director now oversees two buildings.

“I was really excited to be able to take on another building,” Rossi said. “The first-year halls are my favorite because students are just starting their college journey and everything is new and exciting to them; it’s a great atmosphere to be a part of.”

Rossi has enjoyed taking on Gamble Hall for more than just the residents. She also loves every chance she gets to work with more resident assistants.

“I also love getting to help mentor another staff of resident assistants. The Gamble RA team is amazing, and I’m grateful to be their supervisor,” Rossi said. “The transition was a balancing act at first, especially because I do not live in Gamble, but intentional hall hours have really helped me be present and support all students in both halls.”

In addition to taking on Gamble Hall, Rossi has also been tasked with planning and executing major events on behalf of Residence Life, including the Hall Crawl earlier this year and the Fall Festival. She has event management experience from collaborating with the Student Involvement team last year.

“We want to adjust the perception of Residence Life and let people know that we are not scary,” Rossi said. “While we maintain safe living halls, we also want to support residents in creating communities.”

Residence director Dione Simmons has also seen significant changes in her role after being promoted to assistant director.

“There was a need for help and more of a senior-level person outside of me in this office,” Roselli said. “Dione was a natural choice.”

Though Simmons still has many of the same responsibilities as before, she said her promotion has brought new experiences.

“My transition to assistant director of Residence Life has been a meaningful step in my growth as a professional,” Simmons said. “While my main areas of responsibility are assignments, operations and communication, I’ve also had the opportunity to work in many other areas, including hiring, staff training and event planning. I’m excited to continue building on that experience and contribute to the broader work happening across Residence Life, Student Affairs and the College.”

So far, many staff members are pleased with the current team and have high hopes for the department’s future. Roselli said he is excited about being closer to his team and exploring new opportunities.

“Being able to integrate with the residence directors and see them on a regular basis and bounce ideas off of each other has really made it a much more collaborative effort,” Roselli said. 

However, Roselli also alluded to bigger changes coming to the department now that he has settled into his role and “understand[s] what the issues are.”

Roselli has already made a change that some students may not have noticed: This year’s programs are bigger and better. By increasing hall dues from $10 to $30, a figure that had never been raised before, Roselli freed up more money for resident assistants and professional staff to put on programs.

“I think we’ve already seen [an improvement] with the programs,” Roselli said. “The quality is a lot better, and the size of them is greater.”

Beyond finances, Roselli has also pushed for residence directors to spend more time working with one another and within the office. The goal is a more cohesive focus on maintaining and improving the general resident experience at Maryville College.