By LAURA BORRELLI
Sports Editor
Residence life is an essential office at The College of Saint Rose, and in February 2020, Phylicia Coley was hired as the new director of residence life. Coley said she always had a love for residence life.
Coley worked as the associate dean for off campus curriculum running programs to create resources for off campus students prior to coming to Saint Rose. She has been in the Capital Region for about 15 years and knew the streets surrounding Saint Rose, but never saw the campus.
Coley said that after seeing the campus, it reshaped her perspective of Saint Rose. The small close-knit college caught Coley’s attention.
“I saw the posting go up and definitely wanted to be a part of the residence life team,” said Coley. Since March 30, Coley has been a part of that residence life team. She has already been at Saint Rose close to six months.
Coley said one of her passions is overseeing, and here she wants to create a space conducive to all students In order to do that she needs to get to know all the students. Coley said she was “a little late to the party” because of COVID-19, but she is still trying her best to care for the safety of all the students on campus.
Ken Ribot, former area coordinator, described Coley as a detail oriented individual, and emphasized how every detail is essential. Ribot also wrote that Coley likes to have everything in writing which has had a positive effect in the residence life office.
Ribot wrote that Coley brings leadership, organization, and a positive attitude to residence life. Trying to adapt to COVID-19 Coley has been staying updated and interactive on campus to help the Saint Rose community according to Ribot.
“Phylicia is really big on learning from others and sharing her experiences with us,” Ribot wrote in an email. According to Ribot, inclusion is something very important to Coley that she emphasizes to her staff, including Ribot.
“I want to create a safe space for all residents of all backgrounds,” said Coley.
Coley emphasized the importance of listening to students and being a voice for people who can’t have one. Coley said she appreciates all the students advocating and their willingness to help residence life in order to make the best decisions for students.
Coley said she loves how the Saint Rose students have such a large voice and let the staff know what they are thinking. This helps residence life create a harmonious environment for everyone according to Coley.
Coley is a first generation college student and said she wants to be able to improve residence life to help students. She said that the care students have for the college is rare to see, but she loves how invested students are toward the college.
“Phylicia is always willing to jump in and do whatever is necessary to help our campus community,” wrote Jen Richardson, assistant vice president for student development, in an email.
Richardson, the previous director of residence life wrote that she has enjoyed working with Coley so far and is excited for the future of the residence life program.
Richardson described Coley as energetic and excited to work with the students at Saint Rose. Richardson wrote that Coley values “team work, open communication, and supporting and challenging our students.”
Coley has been able to adapt to creating a safe space on campus, but letting others know they can talk to and be comfortable at any time, according to Richardson. Coley reassures the students and colleges with no judgement.
“Phylicia brings a strong sense of positivity, lots of energy and new ideas, and a desire to work with students and colleagues alike to create an enjoyable experience for all,” Richardson wrote.
Coley was working remotely when she began her job and has only been working on campus from her office for two months. Richardson said that Coley has been enjoying the interaction with students since her return to campus.
Coley said that her biggest challenge is the limited interactions because she loves saying hello to people around campus. Coley said she is not able to engage with students how she would like to, especially because the job is focused around creating a safe and positive space for the students.
Coley said that she likes staying late after work to meet with the Resident Assistants who come to pick up the duty equipment, just to interact with them. She said she is thankful for the residence life staff for welcoming her.
Coley said she felt the sense of community the residence life office had over Zoom calls back when everything was remote, and it made her transition easier to moving on to campus.
“The biggest thing residence life wants to continue to push forward to create a better environment that hones in on the college’s motto of home,” said Coley.
