The goal of Housing and Residence Life is to provide students with an experience as close as possible to living at home, says acting director Lynn Charron.
"We're always asking: what can we do to support these residents?" she says. "Whether it's our facilities, residence life staff, study assistance, dining options, or entertainment and events, we try to ensure they succeed in their academics and we're here to give them a cushion if they do stumble."
Lynn Charron, acting director of Housing and Residence Life, has spent most of her professional career working with students living on campus.
Her job entails all aspects of campus housing, from setting and defining policy to budgeting for renovations.
"A surprising amount of my time is spent with contractors," Charron says.
Still, she tries to keep her office door open as much as possible.
"The part of my job I love the most is interacting with students," she says. "They're really the reason that we're here, and they bring a breath of fresh air to my day."
Charron has spent almost her entire working career in the field, starting as a residence assistant and residence life co-ordinator before taking on her current role.
"That experience allows me to combine the student perspective with the finance perspective when making decisions," she says. "When the decisions are tough, it's almost always because of pressures on resources."
Every day can bring new challenges, depending on what's waiting for her when she reports to the office.
"Sometimes there are emergencies: facility or human emergencies, from a water leak to illness or injury. Luckily, they don't happen all the time."
She is excited by the prospect of the new Rodzik Hall now rising on Sunset Avenue across from Alumni Hall opening this fall, with more than 400 beds and a dining hall.
"It's nice for the students to have their own spaces where they can socialize," Charron says. "I also like to be able to drop in occasionally for lunch or dinner and let them see that it's more than a 9-to-5 job for me."
