A familiar face held a discussion with students as one of three finalists for the largest student-oriented position at Ohio University, detailing what she could do to serve the campus.
Jenny Hall-Jones, current interim dean of students, was the first candidate to hold a students-only forum in the Honors Collegium on the fourth floor of Baker University Center for the dean of students search. About 16 students attended the discussion.
Next week, the two remaining finalists, J. Malcolm Smith and Greg MacVarish, will have their opportunity to meet with OU students during their respective forums on April 14 and April 16.
Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs, said the forums will help students observe the interaction between them and the finalists.
“This is an exciting time,” Lombardi said. “I’m looking forward to knowing them all and seeing how they connect with the community.”
Hall-Jones has served as the interim dean since Lombardi, the former dean of students, was promoted to vice president for Student Affairs. The former vice president, Kent Smith, left to serve as president of Langston University in Oklahoma.
Hall-Jones said while serving as the interim dean, she has gained perspective into what students need on an everyday basis and how to make herself more approachable for student-to-administrator interaction via social media as well as advising student organizations.
“I want to continue being accessible to students,” Hall-Jones said in an interview.
“That’s what I love about Student Affairs. You don’t find that a lot of higher education institutions have contact with students. I am never too administrative (for students); that’s what makes this job so worthwhile.”
Hall-Jones said she wants to focus on two things if she is chosen for the position: suicide prevention and the new master plan that involves the renovation of South Green residence halls. A suicide prevention coalition would train students on how to respond in crisis situations involving fellow students, while the new master plan would help engage students with one another.
She added during the forum that if she is not selected for the position, she would consider searching for positions at other universities.
Kelsey Crowley, a freshman studying communication studies, said she was impressed with what Hall-Jones said during the discussion and hopes she can attend the other finalists’ forums as well.
“(Hall-Jones) is like the Mom Bobcat,” Crowley said. “(The forum) was more laid back. We can see how the finalists interact with students, since that’s the most important thing. I really liked hearing what Jenny had to say.”
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