Stackman enjoys job, reaching out to students

New associate dean of student life arrived in January

The two large rocking chairs in new Associate Dean of Student Life Bill Stackman's office look like the kind you could sit on and chat in for hours. Stackman, who arrived in Oberlin six weeks ago, may have planned it that way. According to the new dean, getting to know people and listening to them is fundamental if he is going to enjoy his job and do it well.

"It is important to always attend to that relationship [with students]," he said. "It always has to happen. You can't assume people are always feeling valued. Sometimes that relationship and the level of trust is challenged and it is important to work through that."

Stackman remembers feeling unwelcome in the Office of Students when he was in college at the University of Kentucky. He asked to get involved in the office, but was told he would have to wait a year or two. "I think back on that now and then as a professional, and know that would never happen with me," he said.

Getting to know students shouldn't be hard if Stackman's current opinion of Oberlin students holds. "I love Oberlin students," he said. Stackman didn't feel comfortable offering a generalized view of Oberlin students or young people. "I don't want to assume that just because they are 18-21 they have the same needs as other 18-21 year olds," he said. Stackman did say that his impression of Oberlin students so far is that they are less career-conscious than students at other colleges and universities he has worked at. He said that Oberlin students seem to be interested in many different kinds of things as well.

"I am really pleased to see their interest and involvement in campus life," Stackman said of Oberlin students. "I think it is important to really make sure that happens. It is important to us that students are part of the process, but it is best when they are genuinely interested." Stackman is reaching out to students in several ways. He said he has invited representatives from student groups to eat lunch with him on Thursdays, and that these lunches are a good way to get to know students and their concerns. "We just talk about what they want to talk about," he said.

In addition to orienting himself to the College and students, Stackman is also getting to know the town of Oberlin and its surrounding area. The Midwest is by no means unfamiliar to Stackman. He grew up in several states, none too far from this area. "I consider myself a midwesterner," he said. The Cleveland area is not entirely new to Stackman either; the summer between his graduation from high school and his first year of college Stackman ran the log ride at Cedar Point in Sandusky. He has not yet been back to the amusement park, but said he is looking forward to going during Senior Week this spring.

A negative comment about Oberlin is hard to get from Stackman. He likes the town of Oberlin because of its size and community. "I wanted to be a part of a place where there is a sense of community," he said. Stackman said he thinks the College and the town of Oberlin have a good relationship. "I walk into restaurants [in Oberlin] and see not only students, but faculty and townspeople as well," he said.

"There does seem like at times there may be a strain, some tension," Stackman said. "But I feel like it is a priority for staff, students and faculty not to ignore the needs of the town." He mentioned the Women's Resource Center, a project he is helping students to coordinate, as an example of a program that could meet the needs of both the College and the community. Stackman lives with his wife, Terry Bump, and their 10 month-old daughter in Amherst. Bump is working in the Office of Student Life as a special assistant in the long-range planning process. Stackman said that setting up healthy boundaries between his personal and profession life is a priority for him. In addition to spending time with work and his family, Stackman enjoys swimming, running and walking as well as simply spending time with friends. He said he also draws and paints - mainly watercolors and landscapes - and he hopes to return to his pastime of making pottery. Stackman's interest in nature is evident in three large posters of landscapes that hang on his otherwise bare walls.

Stackman said he is still trying to work his hobbies into his schedule here, and hopes to find more time for them soon.

Stackman is working on several main projects now, in addition to simply getting used to Oberlin. He is working on long-range planning in Student Life, the long-term analysis of the rules and regulations and the organization of a Women's Resource Center. (see related story)

With long-range planning Stackman said he and other staff are thinking about a wide variety of options, including the need for a new or restructured Student Union. "My question is `Do all students feel connected here?'" he said. "We are talking about how to use space," he said. "I think Wilder is a great space in many ways, but also limited in may ways." He said that one major problem is the lack of a large lounge or "hang-out space." He also said that students have expressed a desire for a central gallery or performance space which could be used for student works.

One space Stackman feels is very positive for the Union is the 'Sco. "Students are very happy down there," he said. "They know it is a place they can go and hang out and meet people. I think students enjoy working there too."

Stackman also said he and the staff were looking into the possibilities of creating a Student Union Board, which would be composed mainly of students, but also staff and faculty as well. According to Stackman the Board would have a major role in making decisions about the building. "We have to talk about ways to give ownership to students," he said. Stackman also said these ideas are in the very early phases.

Stackman's list of degrees and jobs is long. He graduated form the University of Kentucky with a major in field and recreation studies, and went on to receive a masters in community recreation from the University of Missouri. Later, when Stackman was working in West Virginia he received another masters in higher education.

Stackman's decision to pursue a second masters coincided with his first job in student life administration at Glennville State College in West Virginia. "After a week [in that job] I knew that this was the profession for me," he said.

He has fourteen years of experience in the field of student activities and student union administration. He worked first at Glennville State College in West Virginia, then at Temple University in Philadelphia. He then worked at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and immediately previous to Oberlin he was the director of the student union and student activities at Tufts University in Boston.

Stackman said that nine of his fourteen years in the profession have been at small schools with less than 4,000 students and that after leaving Illinois he knew he preferred small schools. "What really makes me happy is relationships. Sometimes at a big place you don't see that. At small schools you can really see the product," he said.

Dean of Student Life and Services Charnel Cole- is happy to have Stackman on her staff. "Bill has been a delightful addition to the staff. He is extremely bright [and] has great ideas. He is very laid back and thoughtful. Kinda quiet," she said. "I think Bill has a wealth of experience and students and staff will have a great time working with him."

Rocking: Associate Dean of Student Life Bill Stackman sits in his office in Wilder. He came to Oberlin in January. (photo by Susanna Henighen)