Student clubs, events move to new Student Development office

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Summer Cox

AACC Psychology Student Emily Noble (And Finn)

Johannes Haasbroek, Editor-in-Chief

AACC this semester permanently moved the Office of Student Engagement to the newly formed Student Development department. 

Dean of Student Development Deneen Dangerfield, the former dean of college transitions, oversees the new office. Dangerfield said the restructuring will not affect student activities or clubs. 

Student Development “will continue to operate and support [student] clubs and organizations,” she explained. The staff “will work with faculty [advisers] to ensure that their events are processed in a timely manner.” 

Amberdawn Cheatham, the director of new student transition services, will temporarily oversee Student Engagement until the college can find candidates for the position of director of Student Engagement, Dangerfield said. 

Dangerfield said the college is “broadly… looking at what that office will look like and what positions will live in the Office of Student Engagement.”  

Some faculty advisers for student clubs said the college did not clearly communicate the structure change. 

“Whenever there was a change, they usually let us know,” Gay-Straight Alliance faculty advisor Forrest Caskey said. “But so far everything’s just sort of gone like normal. … we haven’t noticed a change at all in anything.” 

Some club presidents also said they were unaware of the change. 

“I didn’t see [any] email,” said Korean Culture Club President Moriah Thompson, a second-year premedical student. “I did not know at all.” 

E-club President Na’Quan Willet said he learned about the change at a Student Government Association meeting.   

“All the [club] president basically participated and talked about the challenges of being virtual,” Willett, a second-year entrepreneurship student, said. “That’s how I learned about [the changes] but I wouldn’t say that I got a[n] email.”  

SGA President Ryan Kim told Campus Current that clubs can meet virtually this fall, but they cannot use college funds for in-person meetings or events.