UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #556
GILBRIDE-BROWN, JENNIFER

GILBRIDE-BROWN, Jennifer (1972- )
Residence Life Coordinator, Chadbourne Residential College
At UW: 1998-2001

Interviewed: 2000	
Interviewer: Barry Teicher
Length: 3 hours, 8 minutes		

Childhood and education; Student teaching at Aiken High School, Cincinnati, Ohio; Employment as Residence Life Coordinator at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa;  Arrival at UW; Chadbourne Residential College; Scott Seyforth; Students in leadership and governance at CRC; William Cronon; Diversity; Residential and academic communities at UW; Future goals.   

First Interview Session (December 28, 2000): Tapes 1-2

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:27	JGB was born and raised in Ohio as the oldest of four children.  She attended Catholic school for twelve years and was the first in her family to attend college.  JGB graduated in 1994 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  Dr. Mike Fuller at Miami University was especially influential in molding JGB's view of education and instruction.  She intended to become a teacher.

00:02:30	JGB did her student teaching at Aiken High School at an inner-city school in Cincinnati, Ohio.  While at Aiken, she became interested in introducing at-risk youth to the possibility of attending college.  She later earned her master's degree at the College of William and Mary.

00:04:24	JGB describes “bridge programs” which are designed to ease the transition from high school to college for at-risk, often minority, students.  She mentions UW-Madison's Plan 2008 as an example of such a program.  

00:07:20	After receiving her master's degree, JGB began a job search and eventually began to work as Residence Life Coordinator at Grinnell College in Iowa.  She explains the educational philosophy of Grinnell and why she accepted the position there.  It was an example to her of what a small liberal arts community could be.  There was a great deal of communication between faculty and staff about the students and a shared concern for the well-being of the students.

00:10:10	JGB describes her position as Residence Life Coordinator at Grinnell.  She was responsible for the administration of some student issues, oversaw a staff of student advisors and was expected to know and develop relationships with the residents.  

00:11:55	JGB and her husband conducted job searches by attending a national housing conference.  She was attracted to the Chadbourne Residential College job description because it emphasized contact and interaction with faculty.  It did not appear to be a traditional residence hall position. 

00:14:58	The first interview JGB had for the UW position was with Scott Seyforth and Gina Casalegno at the ACPA conference.  She was able to discuss with them the possibility of creating and maintaining a learning community.  JGB explains how her experience at Grinnell prepared her for CRC. 

00:17:08	JGB discusses her campus visit and interview in April 1998.  She describes William Cronon.  They were both interested in empowering students and getting students involved in the life of their own education.  

00:20:42	JGB met with students from CRC and was impressed with their questions and the caliber of conversation she had with them.

00:23:38	After her visit to Madison, JGB says she wanted to take the job at Chadbourne.  She explains it was not a typical residence hall job.  She valued the promise of close interaction with both faculty and students. 

00:26:05	JGB explains the smooth transition she experienced when beginning her position at Chadbourne.  This was largely due to the skill of her predecessor in handling the change.  

00:28:38	JGB discusses her supervisor, Scott Seyforth [SS], and how their positions at Chadbourne differ.

00:30:54	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:31:00	JGB is the first-line call for suicide threats.  She estimates that she receives approximately two calls per month.

00:32:15	JGB and SS are co-supervisors of the house fellows.  She explains how house fellows are chosen.

00:34:12	As student activities coordinator, JGB and SS oversee approximately 1,000 planned programs each year.  She explains the student programming structure and the five mission groups which are charged with organizing events and bringing people together around issues which are central to the mission of CRC.  

00:36:21	JGB explains how the five mission groups flourished in their first year and the problems their success created for the student governance board.  

00:43:51	Eventually, the student governance board was dissolved.  JGB discusses this decision.

00:44:32	JGB describes the Forum at CRC, an assembly to which all residents are members.  The finance committee grew out of the Forum and filled the vacuum left by the dissolution of the governance board.  JGB explains this as a decentralization of power.  

00:48:53	Students in leadership positions at CRC are phenomenal to observe, says JGB.  William Cronon and JGB meet with student leaders extensively.  JGB discusses the position of forum chair and describes it as a facilitative position.  She praises Andy Underwood-Bultmann, the current forum chair.  

00:55:51	JGB describes the steering committee of faculty, staff and students, which is facilitated by the faculty director.  

00:58:25	The position of program advisor was created after JGB's first year to help manage programming in CRC.  JGB explains the duties of the program advisor, who is an undergraduate student and lives in an apartment in Barnard Hall.  

01:01:50	End of side.  End of tape.

Tape 2/Side 1

01:01:56	JGB discusses the various duties of the program advisor, who is in charge of advising two mission groups and overseeing the Forum office staff.  Katie Givens and Dave O'Brien are examples of CRC students who have taken advantage of the leadership opportunities available in Chadbourne.  

01:04:35	One of the changes JGB saw as necessary was to maintain the CRC budget record in-house rather than relying on outside housing staff to track the budget.  JGB discusses the evolution of the CRC budget and the generosity of the housing division.  

01:10:31	JGB lists some of the interest groups in CRC: Barbra Streisand and Diet Coke, Duct Tape and Poetry, All Things Ohio.  

01:12:20	JGB discusses the seasons of residence hall life and how this affects programming and the atmosphere of CRC throughout the year.  

01:15:55	With the departure of William Cronon as faculty director came a bit of apprehension for JGB and SS concerning his replacement.  JGB explains how she prepared students for the change and discusses the three advisors, Rich Keeling, Mary Layoun and Peter Quimby who guided CRC in the first year after William Cronon's departure.  

01:25:17	The faculty director and the assistant dean are crucial for sustaining the CRC community.  Boundaries between the student services world and the academic world are bridged by the faculty director, assistant dean and the resident life coordinator.

01:27:27	JGB discusses Paul Evans, housing director, and his interest in creating a dialogue between CRC and the housing division.  JGB says the success of CRC tends to overshadow the other facets of housing.  

01:30:26	JGB talks about the tension in the relationships she has with the other residence life coordinators on campus.  Part of this may stem from her decision to remain at Chadbourne instead of moving up in the housing division administration.

01:32:50	End of side.  

Tape 2/Side 2

01:33:25	JGB names diversity as one of the most important issues at CRC and at UW.  She explains the difficulty of having an ongoing dialogue about diversity among minority and majority groups.  

01:35:59	Students of color at CRC report that they tend to feel rather isolated.  JGB explains why this may be the case, and discusses the frustration faced by minority and majority students concerning this issue.  One of the residents called CRC “a big suburb.”  

01:38:40	JGB says CRC faces the same problems as the other residence halls concerning diversity.  

01:41:05	JGB discusses some of the new techniques and programs she and the staff at CRC are using to encourage interaction among minority and majority residents.  Residents are required to attend events sponsored by minority/under-represented groups.  The goal is to get students to think about race and diversity and intentionally expose themselves to situations which will spark dialogue.
  
01:44:29	Connections between the residential and academic communities have evolved in the years JGB has been at CRC.  There was some concern that faculty involvement would taper off after William Cronon stepped down as faculty advisor, but this has not been a problem, says JGB.  She describes the dinners sponsored by CRC to which residents invite faculty and teaching assistants. 

01:50:51	End of side. End of tape.

Second Interview Session (December 29, 2000): Tapes 3-4
	
Tape 3/Side 1

00:00:39	JGB discusses the new semester at CRC.  Mary Layoun will be returning as faculty director after an absence for illness.  CRC is also searching for a replacement for Peter Quimby.  Development and recruitment of staff will continue to strengthen the academic side of the learning community.

00:06:35	JGB discusses William Cronon and his vision for CRC.  He was the perfect person to lead the first years of CRC. 

00:08:05	Marion Laines was the “fairy godmother” of the initial program.  She was the one person in the housing division with the status necessary to get the project off the ground.  

00:08:50	JGB comments on the roles of Paul Evans and Kevin Helmkamp, who oversees the four residential halls in the southeast sector of housing, including CRC.  He has been crucial, says JGB, in granting special consideration to CRC to attempt new activities.  

00:12:02	JGB mentions SS, the live-out residence life coordinator.  He has a vision about how the life of the mind can manifest itself in a high-rise residence hall.  One of his challenges is attempting to counter the culture of anonymity which can flourish in residence halls.  JGB also speaks about Mercedes Ramirez Fernandez, an academic advisor.

00:15:08	Maury Cotter, has a wise head about organizational behavior.  She has encouraged CRC not to be an insular and elitist program.  JGB says Cotter sees the value of CRC and works at enveloping students into the learning community.

00:17:19	JGB discusses the varying levels of involvement among the CRC residents and names three students who have served in positions of leadership: Dave O'Brien, Katie Givens and Andy Underwood-Bultmann.  

00:19:00	When JGB arrived, Dave O'Brien was a student and was the president of the hall association when Chadbourne was simply a residence hall.  He had a certain perspective to offer students who were not quite convinced by the CRC idea.

00:20:46	JGB discusses student leaders Katie Givens and Andy Underwood-Bultmann.  

00:25:04	Peter Quimby stepped into the faculty director role and assistant dean position after William Cronon's departure and during Mary Layoun's absence for illness.  JGB says he navigated some difficult issues and has been invaluable.  

00:27:05	JGB elaborates on her future ambitions.  She is planning to work for a Ph.D. in higher education administration.  Certain interests and ideas about the support and structure of undergraduate education have emerged from her work at CRC.

00:31:30	End of side.

Tape 3/Side 2

00:30:42	JGB discusses some of the biggest changes at CRC. 

00:32:56	CRC provides students a way to enter and be involved with the university and to allow students to drive their own education.  JGB emphasizes the importance of interest groups and the ways these allow students to connect with each other.  

00:35:35	JGB says she has learned how to take students seriously and to trust them.  As a result of her involvement with CRC, JGB values continued contact with undergraduates and believes this will greatly affect the way she goes about her career.  

00:38:39	JGB considers the future of CRC.  The most important factor in its continued success is recognition and examination of what makes CRC different.  It is only through the acknowledgment of distinctiveness that CRC will continue.  

00:40:57	JGB is facing her final semester at CRC and discusses the recruiting of her replacement.

00:43:17	End of side.  End of tape.  

Tape 4/Side 1

00:43:45	JGB characterizes and discusses the relationship between University Housing and CRC and university administration. She emphasizes that CRC was not a Housing initiative, but rather was introduced from outside of the Housing “family.”

00:47:21	JGB discusses House Fellow selection and issues that have had to be confronted by CRC staff. Skills and qualities that are prioritized in CRC House Fellows differ from those of other Housing entities, “having lived the Chadbourne experience.” She goes on to highlight culture conflicts in the House Fellow selection process between CRC and the rest of University Housing.

00:58:03	JGB discusses how the new House Fellow selection process is intended to improve the experience of CRC. She emphasizes how CRC is different and has unique needs in its House Fellows.

01:00:10	The funding structure within Housing and CRC is confronted. JGB talks about financial issues at her arrival and up to her impending departure. She discusses Paul Evans’ decision to change the rules of hall membership and financing. JGB discusses how residence life coordinators have lacked the leadership to expand programming within halls and take advantage of funding opportunities presented by Evans and the administration.

01:07:42	JGB discusses her and SS’s roles in furthering change within Res Life and Housing under Paul Evan’s leadership. CRC is viewed as very different from the rest of Housing. 

01:09:51	JGB goes on to talk about her professional relationships within Housing.

01:11:36	JGB examines the current CRC and the future of ongoing dialogues between the administration and Mary Leone at CRC.

01:14:10	End of side.

Tape 4/Side 2

01:14:19	JGB discusses how Housing administration and leadership is “very proud” of CRC but also “very beat up” by them.

01:15:10	JGB talks about how the views of and interactions with CRC and other halls have changed over time from “confrontational” to being more accepting. 

01:17:36	End of side. End of Tape.

END