Archive for ‘Personnel’

Student workers listen as SRWC executive director Brian Devost (right) and director of operations Joel Swedlund answer questions Thursday morning.

Delays in obtaining a certificate of occupancy rearranged the schedule of but couldn’t stop the dozens

of Abilene Christian University students who came to campus more than a week early to be trained for their new roles as employees in the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

The training, initially planned for the large classroom on the second floor of the Money Center, was moved across the street to the Hunter Welcome Center as crews scramble to overcome last-minute delays in completing the facility. That was fine with the nearly 60 student workers, who expressed excitement about the prospect of working inside the 116,000-square-foot renovation and expansion of the Gibson Health and Physical Education Center.

“I’m so excited about that,” said Farron Salley, senior public relations major from Fort Worth who will be a building supervisor. “The rec center is going to be such a great place for students to hang out and be active.”

The two-day session, which ended today, included training in customer service, policies and procedures, ACU values and wellness, and software the students will use to manage their shifts, said Joel Swedlund, director of facility operations. In a week, the students will enter the SRWC for the first time, learning how to use the TechnoGym cardio and weight equipment.

Brian Devost took over as executive director of the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center last week — one of the newest and most high-profile jobs on the Abilene Christian University campus, given the center’s expected prominence on campus, physically and recreationally.

So far, so good.

“It’s everything I thought it would be and more,” Devost said, talking in the sparse confines of his temporary office in the Hunter Welcome Center. “We’re like nomads, going around to different offices, trying to find places to meet.”

Devost toured the center when he came to campus for an interview, but a couple of months had passed, so one of his first things to do was take another look at the 116,000-square-foot facility he will oversee.

“My first impression was the students are going to just be wowed when they see the finished product,” he said. “It’s going to be state-of-the-art everything. It’ll be amazing. It’s exciting to be a part of this.”

Of course, the three months or so between now and the facility’s grand opening will require more work than simply the occasional tour. Devost said he has plenty to do.

“There’s a lot of little things,” he said. “We ned to be contacting a lot of people, making sure we’re connecting the dots. … Typically, the most difficult (thing) is the staffing, but Joel [Swedlund] and [Dr.] Kerri [Hart] have already done that. The training, developing a culture, so to speak, of what we’re expecting service-wise, how the students will interact with each other.”

Training of the five dozen students who will work in the center begins Aug. 15, two weeks before the start of classes.

“That’s a whole schedule unto itself,” he said, “but it doesn’t just stop there. The thing will be amazing.”

In the meantime, Devost will be working with Hart, director of programming, Swedlund, director of facility operations, and other voices on campus to determine everything from the type of furniture to place on the outdoor patio to what kind of policies and procedures will govern the students, faculty and staff working out in the building.

On a broader scale, Devost sees his job as developing a better sense of the whole-wellness philosophy ACU wants to encourage through the Money Center.

And it all needs to happen in 85 days or so.

Brian Devost, executive director of the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center at Abilene Christian University

Brian Devost was recently hired as the first executive director of Abilene Christian University’s Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center. He called in from his Virginia Beach home this morning to talk about his vision for his new job and the campus’ new facility.

Have you ever been to ACU before?

I have been to campus twice during the interview and hiring process. I had the chance to look around. The people there are wonderful — very forthcoming and willing to help. I can’t tell you the number of faculty and staff who have emailed me.

How do you see the executive director position, especially as it relates to the rest of the university and the students?

I see my role as being the coordinator of all the different entities relevant to fitness and wellness, getting everybody together to promote an interest in general fitness and wellness and coordinating all the services we can offer to the rest of campus. I’m working with two very good people, Joel (Swedlund) and Kerri Hart. They’re going to be able to manage most of the programming. I see myself more globally.

What’s the first thing on your to-do list when you take over in June?

It’s getting a lay of the land. Trying to get a better understanding of what people really want. I really need to spend a lot of time talking with people about their hopes and ideas for the center.

What does a successful first year for the Money Center look like?

It’s creating an environment where students, faculty and staff can connect, where we are better educated about the components of wellness. I see success as one individual at a time, creating an environment where they can succeed.

What attracted you to this position?

There are some very passionate people who work at the university. Dr. Nicki Rippee in particular and her vision for wellness on campus was very refreshing to me. Reading the blogs and researching online was very appealing. Just bringing people on board who are looking at it in a positive way. I think everybody’s looking forward to the facility once it’s built. The potential for wellness to be a major focus on campus came through loud and clear.

How does your faith inform your work?

I lean a lot on I Corinthians 6:19 — “Don’t you now that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” Your body houses the Spirit, so we need to be responsible so we can be healthy enough to do His work. I need to make sure I’m a good steward. It’s bigger than any one thing; it’s global. It’s about service to God and being the image of God, like it says in Genesis 1:27.

Abilene Christian University has hired Brian Devost to be the first executive director of the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, the Office of Student Life announced today.

Devost (pronounced Devoe) for more than a year has been a strategic planner for various parks and recreation agencies and has experience as an executive director of the Richland County Recreation Commission in South Carolina, executive director of the YMCA, director of wellness programs at two large hospitals and founding director of the intramurals, recreation and fitness program at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

He graduated with bachelor’s degrees in recreation leadership and leisure studies from Concordia University in Quebec, Canada, and earned a Master’s degree in recreation management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Devost and his wife, Kim, will move to Abilene shortly, as he is scheduled to take the position officially on June 1.

As executive director, Devost will oversee the budget, policies and employees of the new wellness center, a 116,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of the Gibson Health and Physical Education Center. We’ll have more on Devost and his hiring in the coming days.

Monica Parodi, junior nutrition major from Honduras, talks with Dr. Kerri Hart about applying for a nutrition counselor position in the new wellness center. "The Counseling Center is going to be good experience," Parodi said. "Clinical (experience) is really important."

The hiring process is beginning in earnest for the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

More than 40 student positions will be filled before the end of the school year, and two-thirds of the center’s new leadership team is working with the Abilene Christian University Career Center to help students polish resumes and cover letters.

Joel Swedlund and Dr. Kerri Hart joined Career Services executive director Mary Ellen Olson and other staff in front of the Campus Center this afternoon to give students more information and point them to instructions for applying for one of the dozens of new positions.

Open positions include lifeguards, nutrition counselors, trainers and others.

The deadline for applications is a week from Friday, April 29, with interviews occurring the next week. The staff hopes to have the center’s student team in place before finals week, which begins with dead day May 9. About 70 students will be selected for interviews, Swedlund said.

For more information about applying for a job in the wellness center, students should visit the Career Center blog. The application process is entirely electronic, Swedlund said, in keeping with efforts for the new facility to promote environmental wellness.

Alex Potess has more reason than most students to be excited about the opening this year of the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

As the student worker in the Office of Campus Aesthetics, she has had a key role in selecting paint colors, furniture styles and even trash cans for Abilene Christian University’s new facility. It’s a job she’s used to by now; she did the same thing for the recently opened AT&T Learning Studio.

“Alex pushed us in the direction of things to consider” in the Learning Studio, said Mary Reyes, director of Campus Aesthetics, and as work heats up on the wellness center, “Alex will be heavily involved.”

Alex, senior interior design and pre-architecture major from Lubbock, picked out the bold, vibrant colors and trendy furnishings of the Learning Studio, and when it opened, she was able to see the results of her work on the walls and in front of the desks now used constantly by ACU students.

“It was really cool,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen something I’ve worked on come to life. I can actually walk through and experience it for myself.”

Working on the wellness center has made her so excited, Alex said she pushed her last exercise science class into the fall semester so she could attend class in the new building. To read more about how Alex came to ACU and the vision she has for her life, visit her profile page on the ACU website.

With more than five dozen applicants from around the world, work has begun in earnest to hire an executive director for the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, a process that could be complete before May.

A nine-member search committee is interviewing candidates in hopes of recommending a finalist to Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, vice president and dean of student life, in April. That deadline might be pushed back, however, thanks to the weeklong ice-related closure of campus in early February.

“We would like to have the person in question be able to visit on campus during the semester,” said Dr. Jeff Arrington, associate vice president of student life.

The search committee comprises:

• Arrington, chair of the committee
• Dr. MaLesa Breding, dean of the College of Education and Human Services
• Billie Currey, director of advancement strategies
• Kenli Edwards, director of intramural sports
• Dr. Kerri Hart, director of training and fitness programming
• Dr. Nicki Rippee, professor of exercise science and health
• Steve Rowlands, director of University Counseling Center
• Joel Swedlund, director of facility operations
• Thompson

According to the job description posted on ACU’s website, the executive director will be expected to manage the facility’s budget, recruit and develop staff for the center and guide the development of policies for the facility — doing all these in close collaboration with Hart and Swedlund.

That means the executive director will be working to bridge the academic and student life components within the center.

“We’re looking for someone with academic credentials and experience in the recreation and wellness field,” Arrington said, “who has a history of a collaborative work style.”

The facility is expected to feature a large number of student workers from numerous academic disciplines, and the executive director will be responsible for implementing a process that allows students the ability to become vital cogs in the day-to-day operation of the facility, including service on the center’s Collaborative Management Team, Arrington said.

Likewise, the team is seeking someone who embodies the whole-wellness philosophy of the center as represented in Mark 12:30 — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.”

“I’m hoping for someone who has a passion for wellness, has a lifestyle of wellness,” Arrington said, adding that the academic side of the facility’s programming is essential. “We really envision the center as the facility to support both research and activities in the Department of Exercise Science and Health.

Beginning shortly after spring break, Arrington said, finalists will be brought to campus to tour and interview with the search team, with a final recommendation Thompson in April. More than 60 people — men and women, internal and external candidates, including two from outside the United States — applied for the position, and the team continues to accept applications, he said.

Joel Swedlund is well known at Abilene Christian University as the friendly face behind the operations of the McGlothlin Campus Center. But on June 1, Swedlund will leave his job as Campus Center manager and become director of facility operations for the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, joining Dr. Kerri Hart and an as-yet unnamed executive director as the three principal administrators of the new facility.

What will your new role entail?

Primarily I will be responsible for hiring, training and mentoring student employees in the new wellness center.

I will also be engaged in the marketing of the center’s functions and events to our students. I will also work closely with [ACU’s cleaning service] WFF and Physical Resources to maintain the clean and safe environment we desire for our students, and I’ll be the designated emergency manager for the facility. I’ll be wearing a lot of hats, but those are some of the things that will keep me busy.

What are you doing now to prepare for the opening in the fall?

Right now we are developing policies and procedures for the facility, as well as working with various vendors to ensure the center is 100 percent ready for use on the day we open the doors to our students.

How will your job interact with Dr. Kerri Hart’s and the new executive director’s?

It will be a collaborative effort — bringing together folks from different divisions and departments across campus.

I, along with Kerri, will report directly to the executive director. While we will each have specific roles and specific areas to oversee, operating the new facility will require a team effort. Kerri and I have been working on many projects in preparation for the opening, and we are very excited about having the executive director in his or her new role soon!

What are the biggest challenges you face in taking a job like this? The biggest opportunities?

The biggest challenge will be having everything and everyone in place for the opening of the center. We want this to be a premier facility from Day 1, and a great number of things need to be accomplished in order for that to happen.

As for opportunities, they are almost unlimited. First and foremost, we want to serve our student body body in all aspects of their life journey. We want students to have a deep understanding of wellness. This center will not just be another gym. It will be a space that students use to become the healthiest version of themselves that God wants them to be — heart, soul, strength and mind. That’s why the university’s leadership intentionally housed the medical clinic, the counseling center and the physical workout areas under the same roof.

How will students interact with you in the new center? In other words, when would a student approach you for something?

A student can approach me about anything and everything. I want to be there as a resource for our student employees and student body. When students have questions, concerns or new ideas about how the center could be better utilized, I want to be there to give answers and solutions and to think through new possibilities with them. The students are my No. 1 priority, and I want that to be obvious in all that I do.

When you talk about having everything in place, what specifically does that entail?

We have to complete our policies and procedures manual and hire student employees, and be in communication with them because we’re going to have to hire and train them before the facility opens and be in contact with them about policies and procedures as they change.

There are details as small as ordering towels. We’ve already ordered the workout equipment, but we also have to order classroom and office furnitureand equipment, and we need to coordinate moving it in so they don’t all show up on the same day. But we also need to get them moved in fast enough for the building to open on time.

We have to coordinate with campus tours on what to show and what should or shouldn’t be said on the tours. We have to plan a grand opening. We have to get students into the card-reader system. We have to train student workers on software that will be used in the center. After we get the certificate of occupancy, we have to do things like fill up the pools and make sure the chemicals are balanced.

It’s not going to feel like summer! That’s one of the reasons we’re excited to have the new executive director take over — to provide some leadership but also to provide another body to share the load.

Dr. Kerri Hart, assistant professor of exercise science and health, has for a decade been the driving force behind the construction of a wellness center for the ACU campus. When the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center opens, Hart will take on new duties as the center’s director of training and fitness programming. We sat down with Dr. Hart to talk about her new position and what it entails.

What will your new job entail?

I get to be in charge of the trainers that are on the weight or cardio floor. I get to be in charge of the group exercise classes and decide which ones we offer. Basically, it means I get to be in charge of the programming for the building.

Are these academic classes, or more activity-type extracurricular offerings?

I’ll decide what activities classes, what educational sessions we offer in the evenings.

The academic side is intertwined. I will keep a part of my position in the Exercise Science Department and act as a liaison. There would be some nonacademic classes and some academic classes. It’s a unique position; that’s what makes it exciting.

What are you doing to prepare?

It’s almost like going in and filling in an outline. We’ve got the outline; now we’re just going in and filling in the details of it.

We’ve got the equipment ordered, from as small as stretching mats to as large as treadmills. I’m working very closely with Joel Swedlund, [who currently manages the Campus Center but will move over to perform a similar role in the SRWC]. We’re working on a policies and procedures manual, we need to decide on the hours. We’ll begin to hire student workers and train them. A lot of that will happen this summer. We have a plan for that.

What has prepared me for that was my doctoral work, where we had to do projects like this all the time. One of our assessments was we had to design a policies and procedures manual. Our work was to plan a facility like this. That is a blessing and a benefit.

You, Joel and the facility’s executive director will have a dual responsibility to Student Life and to the Exercise Science and Health Department. How will that relationship work?

The idea is for it to be totally collaborative effort between the three of us. We’ll fall under Student Life. This semester, I’m transitioning into Student Life.

Joel and I are revisiting other university recreation centers. There are two that stand out in our mind, TCU and Texas State. Texas State was built by the same architects; When you go into the Texas State building, it’s set up the way ours will be. Even though theirs is larger because it’s a large university, it’s set up very similarly.

We’re going to visit there, we’re going to a similar wellness facility that’s using the technology from [SRWC vendor] TechnoGym.

After all this preparation, what will you do when the building opens?

The first year is going to just be learning. Any new building, from learning about the sound system to pool temperatures and atmosphere, there’s a lot you can’t know until that building is there and you’re living in it.