VP for Student Life candidates visit campus as finalists
VP for Student Life candidates visit campus as finalists
Dr. MeShonya Wren-Coleman and Dr. Laura R. Hutchinson got to spend time with Bethel students.
With Samuel Haynes departing Bethel College earlier this fall, the vacancy has left a hole in the institution’s Vice President for Student Life role.
This position is of high priority on campus and needs to be filled as soon as possible — and Bethel leadership knows this.
Haynes, notably, brought positive energy to the campus, and now Bethel is looking for someone who can do the same and potentially more. To date, two candidates have been named finalists: Dr. MeShonya Wren-Coleman and Dr. Laura R. Hutchinson.
Whoever fills the vacancy will be expected to, as the job description states, “coordinate many of the services provided to students by the college. In many cases, this involves collaboration with other departments. This is heavily focused on aspects of student involvement, student behavior and well-being, and student satisfaction.”
Bethel hosted Wren-Coleman for a visit on Nov. 18. Wren-Coleman was a Director at Jackson State University prior to undergoing the interview process with Bethel and is “looking for an opportunity to expand [her] professional endeavors.”
She obtained her Master’s in Education from Oakland University in Michigan and her Doctorate in Administration Leadership in Higher Education from Jackson State.
The other candidate to visit campus was Hutchinson, who visited on Nov. 29. She obtained her Master’s in Theological Studies from Texas Christian University and her Doctorate in Education from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. From 2017-2020, Hutchinson served as the VP of Student Life and Dean of Students for Monmouth College in Illinois.
There was also a third candidate, Dr. Nicole Bradford, set to visit Bethel on Nov. 11. She canceled her trip just days before to accept and pursue a different opportunity.
Both Wren-Coleman and Hutchinson met with President Jon Gering, the Administrative Cabinet, Athletics Department, Student Life Staff, and Enrollment Management Team, among other groups.
Additionally, students were given the chance to speak with each candidate and ask them questions, which provided a prime opportunity to evaluate how they interact with students — which is the cornerstone of the VP for Student Life role.
For Gering and the rest of Bethel’s leadership, this hiring is easily the school’s most pressing vacancy. Faculty and students alike continue to await the decision as no timeline for a decision has been publicly provided.