With many changes coming to USAO this year, the Housing Department is not left unaffected. With such sweeping changes underway and more on the horizon, students might wonder what these changes are and how they will impact them.
The Housing Department is made up of resident assistants (RAs) with different emphasizes, as well as other full-time staff. The full-time staff includes three housing coordinators and the individual who will replace Bobbie Shores, director of student life and housing, as her last day was Friday, Sept. 22.
Annie Roberts, Galen Phillips, and Skyler Sturgis-Garneau have each taken their respective places as housing coordinators for USAO this fall trimester. This is a large change, as the three of them are new this year in the department. Each has their own specific job, with Phillips tasked with resident outreach, Stugris-Garneau with facilities, and Roberts with anything to do with student life. The goal of student life team is to reach out to the students and increase campus involvement and engagement.
Changes are taking place all over campus, including a new freshman class and new president. Sturgis-Garneau said they believes that this will spell large changes in the Housing Department.
“I would anticipate things changing as we meet new challenges,” Sturgis-Garneau said. “Things are always changing to fit the needs of every incoming class, and we [the Housing Department] are no different.”
Sturgis-Garneau is a recent USAO graduate, as they received their degree in the spring of 2023. This gives them a unique perspective, as they said they know how the students feel when it comes to housing.
“Coming from the perspective of a former resident, I can personally point to issues I have seen and faced in the past and see that we are all working to fix them,” Sturgis-Garneau said.
Additionally, Sturgis-Garneau worked as an RA for two years, and spent a good amount of time getting to know the ins and outs of the Housing Department.
“I’ve been really happy with the new leadership structure within the university, we are committed now more than ever to making the housing experience as comfortable as possible,” Sturgis-Garneau said.
Sturgis-Garneau said they are excited to be back at the university, as it was their home for four years, and it was incredibly hard to leave. Although they worked at a different university as a housing coordinator, they said it felt like they were coming home as they got into the groove of work at USAO.
“Everyone on campus seems to be geared and ready to focus on the future of USAO,” Sturgis-Garneau said.
Bea Bourland is a second-year biology and environmental science major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
