Mary Liscinsky, the new Assistant Dean of Residential Life, is not a newcomer to the Dartmouth campus.
Liscinsky, who was an Area Director on the west side of campus from 1989 to 1992, returned to Dartmouth this summer with a wealth of experience and knowledge of residential life at the College.
Liscinsky said she fondly remembers living in Maxwell Channing Cox Apartments and being able to actively participate in student life on campus.
She said one of her main pleasures of being an Area Director was spending time with students.
In 1992, Liscinsky left Hanover and worked in the residential office of Indiana University. She and her husband both took classes at the school.
Liscinsky returned to Dartmouth this year in a position that bears some resemblance to her old work at the College, but presents her with new challenges as well.
"I like [my job] at this time in my life," Liscinsky said. "There's more of a balance between involvement in student life and long-range planning."
Liscinsky's main work on campus involves close contact with the Area Directors, Chris Foley and Chris Chambers, and there is no shortage of praise from Liscinsky's co-workers at ORL.
"She's awesome," Chambers said. "I think we're really fortunate to finally have a full-time supervisor of the Area Directors whose sole focus is the work we are doing. She's great because she has a thorough knowledge of Dartmouth and our jobs."
Liscinsky also works closely with the program liaisons for affinity housing and with the Graduate Assistants on campus.
Graduate Assistants live in the residence halls and provide undergraduates with a variety of academic support, including fellowships, scholarships and preparation for graduate school, Liscinsky said.
"They are there as a role model for students who are interested in graduate schools and the interaction they provide has proven helpful," she said.
Liscinsky is also working on establishing a peer judicial board for the College.
"When peers hold each other responsible in a formalized way, it holds a lot of weight among students," Liscinsky said.
The board is still in its early planning stages, she said. Liscinsky sees the board as dealing mostly with ORL issues but said input from students and faculty will ultimately determine the aim of the board.
Liscinsky has been back at the College since June 1 and is very interested in getting to know more students on campus.
"I am available to talk with and to be invited out to chat," she said. "What I liked about being an area director was that students knew me and now I want to keep that going."
When asked about her free time, Liscinsky smiled and gave the familiar Dartmouth reply of "I don't have much!"
She said she manages to find time for running and some knitting when not working at ORL. But most of her free time is spent with her 18-month old daughter, Grace.
Liscinsky graduated from Saint Lawrence University in 1985 with a bachelor of science in psychology.
