The Central Office Leadership Team coordinates the operations of the departmental functions for three primary areas:   

• Programs
• Facilities
• Services

The central office sets and enforces policies for the residence hall system, makes housing assignments, responds to questions from parents and students, manages a revenue and expense budget of nearly $28 million dollars, supervises all professional, student, and facilities-related residential staff, advises the Residence Hall Association, and performs many other tasks. The Central Office Staff are full-time professionals with mulitple years of residence life experience and are committed to making the residence halls a positive experience. All staff members may be reached at (573) 651-2274.  The telephone number to reach the fax machine is (573) 651-2557.

Office of Residence Life Organizational Chart

Director of Residence Life

Bruce Skinner
(573) 651-2274
bskinner@semo.edu

As the Director of Residence Life I oversee the entire Residence Life/Housing office. This includes setting direction and policy for on-campus housing, supervising the Residence Life Staff, coordinating facilities management and central office operations, working closely with Chartwells Dining Service and working with students and University staff members to administer policies and operational procedures in Residence Life.

I am a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and am therefore very appreciative of the opportunity to serve as Director over the same residence halls I once lived in as an undergraduate. I believe the staff within the Office of Residence Life has a unique commitment to working with students in an environment that it unlike any classroom or organization. It is this connection between a student’s formal education in the classroom and the informal education that takes place in our residence halls I find most rewarding. For many students having a roommate or not having a parent right there with them is a significant change in their life. It is in this environment where I feel students have a great opportunity to grow personally, establish and test their own value system and then using these experiences, learn to advocate for themselves and accept responsibly for their own decisions. 

Associate Director for Student and Staff Development

Kendra Whitcher-Skinner
573) 651-2274
ksskinner@semo.edu

As the Associate Director for Student and Staff Development, I work with my staff to promote a sense of community and an environment for personal growth within each of the residence halls. To accomplish this, I am responsible for the selection, training, and supervision of eight professional Hall Directors and two Graduate Hall Directors. With these ten staff members, we select and train the 98 student staff members (Community Development Assistants, Resident Assistants, and Greek Resident Assistants) assigned to every residence hall floor or chapter house on campus. In addition to these duties, I monitor the emergency on-call process, Residence Life conduct system, hall and departmental co-curricular programming efforts, and on-going staff development in the residence halls, all to create more seamless learning environments.

As a first-generation college student, I understand what it can mean to navigate through a system others in your family do not understand. This is one of the reasons I have a commitment to providing quality customer service. My current role involves daily communication with students, parents, and staff. I believe that no matter how many times a question has been asked of you during your day, it is the first time that particular person has asked it and they deserve the same response and understanding you gave when you answered it the first time.

I have been at Southeast since 2004 and in this current position since 2007. Through my combined residence hall experiences, I have spent the past 13 years working at both private and public universities. I believe this has given me a unique opportunity to bring the best of those institutions here to Southeast so that our students can truly enjoy their residential experience.

Kim Fees
(573) 651-2274
kfees@semo.edu

As the Assistant Director for Facilities and Operations I oversee the 20 residential facilities. Every day I work very closely with the students, Hall Director staff and various trades in Facilities Management: custodial, MEP, HVAC, painting, project management, etc. Together we work to clean, maintain and improve the residence halls so the students feel the residence halls are their “home away from home”.

I have been employed with Residence Life, in various capacities, since Fall Semester 2002. I have been a RA for 1 ½ years, a graduate Hall Director for 1 ½ years and a full time Hall Director for 4 years. I have held my current position since Summer 2007.

I completed both my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Southeast Missouri State University.  While completing my degrees, I resided in the residence halls, both Towers South and Dearmont. When I resided in Dearmont from Fall Semester 2002 – Fall Semester 2003 (3 semesters) there was no air condition. In my current position I coordinated the renovation project to increase the electrical capacity in each student room to power personalized air conditioners. It’s fun to see projects come full circle.  Other major capital improvement projects I have been a part of include:
• Henderson Hall renovation (HVAC, showers, all furniture, flooring, paint, etc),
• Myers Hall shower renovation,
• Greek Housing bathroom/shower room renovation,
• New student room furniture in Dearmont, Cheney, Myers, Towers east and Towers South,
• Surveillance camera and security enhancements,
• Cool roofs on Towers South and West,
• Towers Café remodeling, and
• Construction of the New Residence Hall.

Assistant Director for Academic and Leadership Development

The Assistant Director for Academic and Leadership Development is responsible for the overall coordination of the Hall Councils, is the primary advisor for the Residence Hall Association and serves as the liaison between Residence Life and the faculty in the pursuit of academic and themed communities.

Coordinator for Administrative Operations

Gwen
(573) 651-2274
mailto:kfees@semo.edu

The Coordinator for Administrative Operations provides oversight for several key administrative operation functions, including but not limited to contracts and assignments; serving as a member of the leadership team; participating in strategic planning and implementing new processes, procedures, and services; support the Director in developing the operating budget; collaborating with others using the student information system for administrative processes.

As a Southeast alumnus, I am proud to serve fellow Southeast students. This position presents a unique opportunity for me to interact with students and their family. Placing students in a comfortable environment alleviates some of the anxiety associated with change. We have implemented several changes that have improved student services here in Residence Life. Simplification of the application and placement process offers students more flexibility. Helping student to reach the right decision about their living environment, assist in developing good decision making skills. These opportunities make for an enriched experience here at Southeast for the student and myself.

Coordinator for Business Operations

The Coordinator for for Business Operations is responsible for the business operations of the office including vending operations, leased property management, and some budget development.

Senior Administrative Assistant

Senior Account Clerk

Printer-friendly

E-mail this page to a friend