9)tWiJ begitU new PGJitWn aJ dtM 4- mm; ~ t6 ituJte an impact Gn ~tUJmt bGJg After Dean James Anderson 's departure from Student Services, former Director ofStudent Involvement Terry Davis made the transition to assistant dean of students for the 1998-1999 school year. Davis had spent three years as director of studen.t involvement and was looking for a change. "I'm very excited that I finally have an opportunity to help students with their spiritual and physical needs instead of just their social needs," Davis said. "I think students understand that I'm not trying to nit-pick. Most students reall y understand that when I take them aside and tell them that I'm actuall y more concerned with their souls than anything else." Davis had previously served as a dorm manager for the Old Married Student Apartments . "I'm really trying to change a lot of what goes on in the men's dorms, "Davis said. 'We 've hired two ladies to give Harbin and Keller dorms a homier atmosphere. These two ladies have been baking cookies for the men, and they have been decorating the dorms to give them a lady's touch. For the most part, the students have really enjoyed the attention. " Davis reinstated the detent ion hall for code of conduct offenders and rechecked the dorms several times late at night. "Detention hall serves as more ofa deterrent than some of our other forms of punishment,"Davis said. "We've also been assigning some students toworkwith the Harding maintenance crew. Most of these students have been caught defacing the campus in some way. It's definitely had a big effect on those that had to do some of the dirty work for punishment." Davis is slowly moving out of his role in student involvement. "I still work with Jim Miller, my graduate assistant, in supervising some of the student activities," Davis said. "Jim is really running the day-to-day activities; however I have biweekly meetings with student leaders to find out what is happening on campus and what students are wanting. " Davis said that the biggest changes in his role have been the addition of a supporting staff, dealing with discipline and having more of a say in what goes on. "Before, I could just hear rumors about th ings that went on. Now I can act on them," Davis said. "My dealing with discipline has really been something the students have had to adjust to. However, I feel that the biggest adjustment that students have had to make is ca lling me Dean Davis." Davis said he deals mainly with disciplining studentswho have violated dormand chapel rules. "Dean Gardner deals mainlywith the sex, alcohol and drug violations ," Davis said. "I've dealt with everything from earrings to pornography in the dorms . There's no tellingwhat I'll be confronted with in a day's work." Although his new job requires more responsibi lity andwork that he has to take home, Davis feels that he has freed up his weekends. "I finally have weekends off, with the exception of some late nights when we recheck the dorm, " Davis said. - Philip Murphy Dean Terry Davis chats with Carolina Barreto in the McInteer plaza. Davis spent a lot of time with the students to get on idea ofwhat problems and issues they were facing so he could have a better grasp on how to serve the student body. • 146 ACADEM ICS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==