Before he even gets his feet out of Bentley College’s door, the new Director of Residential Life has started working his way towards Northeastern.
Bob Jose, who has been in residential life for 20 years throughout the northeast, has sent a note around to select faculty and students to assist him in his transition.
“I don’t intend to do anything quickly. I want to talk to students – to staff – to have an understanding of what resident life means to Northeastern,” Jose said. “In the meantime, I want to take a look at what we value and what’s important in residence life to make sure every program and procedure, those values are seen clearly.”
In addition to the note, Jose formed a transition team to help ease him into his new role and learn a history of NU’s residential life program. He said every level of staff is represented in the team.
“I’m going to have to hit the ground running,” Jose said. “The summer is over.”
His official start date is July 19. Jose’s office will be located in the new Speare Commons facility.
“Northeastern is at a stage right now where it’s a hot place, people want to work here,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier.
Klotzbier said Jose “came through with flying colors” after a day’s worth of interviews. He said all of the candidates applying for the position were solid people, but Jose came to NU with the most to offer.
Before Jose began working at Bentley, he spent 13 years at Boston College as associate director of residential life. The sizes of BC’s and NU’s residence programs are comparable, Jose said.
“I’ve still got those muscles I’ve used at a bigger university,” Jose said.
But the amount of students housed at NU compared to Bentley, he said, is nearly doubled. He said it will be a matter of transition as he “learns the ropes” at NU.
“Everywhere I’ve been, community has been important, and I want to bring that desire to further enhance community at Northeastern,” he said.
Another goal of Jose’s is to facilitate more of a relationship for students and the faculty through residential life. He said he feels because students spend a great deal of time inside the classroom, they can further the education process by wielding informal relationships with faculty, and vice versa.
“Students need to have that significant and important relationship [with the faculty],” Jose said. “It’s a crime for five years to pass and that not to happen, to form a mentor relationship.”
Jose started a program of this type at Bentley during his three years at the Waltham campus.
Klotzbier said every time he had a conversation with Jose, he’d ask, “What does the student say? How will this benefit the students?”
“There are things that I think I bring to the table,” Jose said. “I come from a very student-centered environment.”
