Dear AU Returners,

It has been a fairly quiet summer around here—no residence hall renovations, no athletic field upgrades.  There is a big street project that should be done before you return, but overall, this summer is allowing for a break from the busy schedule of the school year and plenty time to prepare for your return to campus.  We are looking forward to you getting back here!

I did mention the one physical change on campus that has been in process since the day after graduation, and that is the street project on 5th Street that runs from Park Place church all the way down past Hardacre Hall.  A safety and beautification corridor is being built that will allow for both vehicles and safer pedestrian crossing of the street, much like University Boulevard.  I am excited to see how it all turns out, but expect that it will look great!

We have had a few changes in Student Life staffing over the course of the summer. Two new resident directors will welcome students to Rice and Martin Hall.  Heidy Tandy will be serving as the new Resident Director for Rice and Megan Estelle will be leading the women of Martin.  Both of these women come to us with graduate degrees in Student Affairs and are alumni of AU.  They were also both very involved students during their days here on campus and are looking forward to combining their love for students and this place with their education to serve us well.

Four of our team will also be assuming new responsibilities this fall. Abby Long will be moving from Martin Hall to become the Director of Student Leadership.  She will be working with SGA, social clubs, and the Morrison Fellows program.  In addition she will serve Commuters and attend to the development of a number of other leader-related opportunities.  Andrew Parker will remain in Fair Commons, but will also now serve as the Director of Student Housing.  In this new role, Andrew will be the first responder to all things related to housing and will oversee the apartment and room draw processes in the Spring.  Lindsay Harger, who served as RD in Mansfield and with Student Activities this last year, has been named the Director of Student Activities, and will also retain lesser responsibilities, along with Abby Long, for Mansfield Apartments.  Finally, Trent Palmer will remain the RD of Smith Hall, but will also give leadership to our Intramural Sports program.

Recently you received a letter from President Edwards that announced a Health Services fee of $30.00 per semester.  Beyond the good care that so many of our students receive there (over 3,000 individual visits last year), Health Services also provides service to the broader campus community.  This occurs in various ways such as Tri-S immunizations, managing medications, and preparing our campus for potential dangers such as the eminent H1N1 epidemic.  If you have illnesses or injuries this next year, I hope you will plan to visit the staff in Health Services.

I also want to share our theme for this year, which is Exercising Freedom.  Through this theme we hope to invite our campus community to reflect on the many ways that we are invited to freedom through our relationship with Christ.  Galatians 5:13 further defines freedom as the opportunity to serve one another in love.  Instead of a book that we will refer to throughout this year, Pastor Todd has worked with a number of faculty, staff, and students who have submitted poems, shorts stories, and testimonials that reflect on freedom and we have created our own book.  I want to encourage you pick up a copy of the book in the bookstore this fall.

I hope your summer is going well.  Please contact us here in Student Life if there are any questions we can answer or anything we can do to help you get ready for the start of school.

Sincerely,
Brent Baker
Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students