In a recently announced organizational restructuring, the office of Residential Life & Explorations (RLE) has split into two separate organizations: the Office of Residence Life (RLO) and the Orientation & Transition Programs office (OTP).
The split was announced publicly on Sept. 18 by Tynika Williams, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Office of Residence Life, in a campus-wide email.
In a subsequent sit-down interview, Williams explained that the decision to split RLE into two separate departments has been on her mind for some time.
“When I was hired [two and a half years ago], I was like, orientation and res. life together just was not the best idea… move in and orientation happen at the exact same time with the exact same staff — it was too much work for one staff to do.”
After talking with Dean of Students Leon Hayner about separating the components of RLE into their own offices for years, an opportunity to see the split made manifest came when former Associate Director of RLE Aspen Fox transitioned out of her role (Fox now serves as a Data Coordinator in the Office of Institutional Analytics).
“When [Aspen] left the position, it made sense to divide out explorations and then also develop OTP to really give it the attention that it needs,” Williams added.
While Williams remains at the helm of RLO, Kelly Murphy began as the Director of OTP on June 30. As an external hire, Murphy says that she was brought in to “really beef up the orientation program and peer mentor program.”
Murphy and Williams both reflected on the “whirlwind” that has been their partnership over the past three months as Williams has helped Murphy to learn the ropes of Rollins. A key to her success in this endeavor has been the help of the Graduate Assistant, Gianfranco Marchelli, with Orientation and Transitions Programs.
Williams credits Marchelli’s attention to the small details necessary for facilitating orientation as a key part of Murphy’s successful transition into her new position: “Gianfranco knows more about the i’s and the t’s that need to be crossed then I could ever remember.” Much of this expertise, in Marchelli’s opinion, comes from his years working with RLE as an undergraduate before becoming a graduate assistant.
As OTP continues to settle into its new status as an independent office, Murphy is working on programming to provide services to more groups of students, including more programs for commuter students and transfer students. Most importantly for Murphy, though, is making sure that she is “assessing what it is our students need.”
For current students, this split also means that they will have to reorient themselves with where to access the many services formerly provided by RLE. Williams explained that RLO will remain where it is currently housed on the first floor of the Lakeside Neighborhood complex across from the Fox Lodge. OTP, however, has moved to the first floor of Kathleen W. Rollins Hall near the Center for Career and Life Planning (CCLP).
Students who have further questions about the services offered by RLO and OTP can also contact the organizations directly by emailing reslife@rollins.edu for RLO and otp@rollins.edu for OTP.
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