Director of Housing Lynn Rosenblum's recent resignation and the upcoming maternity leave of Assistant Housing Director Rachael Class-Giguere threaten to create an understaffed Office of Residential Life this spring.
Despite the departure of all but one of the housing office's full-time employees, Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman does not anticipate that ORL will face any problems due to shortages of staff.
Currently, Class-Giguere is serving as Acting Director of Housing while resumes are being reviewed for a temporary replacement in that position, Redman said.
By Class-Giguere's departure in late April or early May, ORL should have found a temporary Director of Housing, Redman said.
ORL has also begun a national search for a candidate to permanently replace Rosenblum.
Although only Redman and the temporary Housing Director will be working at ORL when students draw Fall housing, Redman says that he does not anticipate that room draw will go any less smoothly than usual as a result.
"Rachael will have left before room draw happens physically," he said, "but most of the planning for room draw happens months in advance."
To illustrate the point, Redman noted that he is already reviewing the pamphlet that explains room draw to students.
Redman added that student employees should help the office through their "crunch period" as well. One student has already agreed to work 20 hours a week at ORL.
Once room draw is over, the demands placed on ORL are relatively light, Redman said.
"Only about 500 students apply for on-campus housing in the summer," he said, "since basically only sophomores are here, and even many of them opt to live off-campus."
Redman anticipates that Class-Giguere will return to work in early July and that ORL will have found a permanent replacement for Rosenblum by then.
"We really start looking at first-year housing assignments around July 15," Redman said, "and we should have both the new Housing Director and Rachael back by then."
Redman declined to comment on why Rosenblum left, but he did say that she "did not leave under duress or under negative circumstances."
He added that she is not retiring, but he is unsure if she will seek employment elsewhere.
Redman praised Rosenblum's work for ORL. "She worked very well with students," he said.
He added that his personal acquaintance with Rosenblum allowed him to appreciate her creative and artistic talents. "She was an excellent gardener, and she made much of her own clothing," he said.
Due to an ORL policy that does not allow employees other than the Dean to comment on personnel matters, Class-Giguere declined to comment for this story.
Rosenblum could not be reached for comment.
