Lafayette College hired three new employees in the Division of Student Life over the summer, filling months-long vacancies and introducing a new position.
Braeden Barnett, the new director of student conduct and restorative practices, started his position on Aug. 11; Thor Banks began as the director of residence life on July 1 and Vanessa Freeman assumed a new role as the director of student wellness initiatives on July 1.
Barnett — whose tenure began 10 months after the October resignation of his predecessor, Austin Haytko — said he hopes students know he will “listen to them and hear what they have to say.”
After receiving his master’s degree in higher education from Kent State University, where he also worked in its office of residence life, Barnett later moved to Lehigh University as an assistant director of residence life.
“We talked about the larger umbrella of restorative practices,” he said of his past positions. “Which are not just when things go wrong or some harm takes place, but what are some of the proactive elements or opportunities we can engage with to try to prevent harm from happening, to build community.”
Dean of Students Walter Snipes — who served as the interim director of student conduct and managed the Student Life division’s recent hires — said Barnett came across as “really trying to be present with people, really trying to say, ‘Let’s look at it, it’s not about being punitive, it’s about being holistic.’”
Following the December retirement of Residence Life Director Grace Reynolds, Thor Banks ended Associate Director of Residence Life Julie Mulé’s eight-month stint as the interim director.
Before Lafayette, Banks earned his master’s degree at Kutztown University, going on to complete a year-long internship at Lehigh in the residence life and dean of students offices.
“I knew that this position would give me an opportunity to learn from folks who have been in the field for a very long time,” Banks said of his new position at Lafayette. “I would get to soak in and gain knowledge from them, while bringing new perspectives to a team that is doing really good things.”
Banks, who studied hospitality management for his undergraduate degree, said that he hopes to use his customer service skills to best manage circumstances in the residence life office.
“I’d say that’s kind of my flavor or twist that others might not have,” he said.
Prior to her new role as director of student wellness initiatives, Vanessa Freeman spent almost a year at Lafayette as an interim case manager.
Snipes said that student wellness was the “thread that connects” other aspects of Student Life’s work, from residence life to student involvement. Freeman’s position is intended to create more opportunities for student wellness.
A psychologist by training, Freeman has over a decade of experience in higher education. After five years of private practice, she said she gained experience as a mental health counselor, an academic advisor and a career counselor.
“Mental health and well-being is something I’m really passionate about,” Freeman said. “How can I partner with students to really dive deep into who they are, who they want to be, what questions they have — that all really excites me.”
Freeman said she will assess the Lafayette community’s needs during her first year in the new role.
“I plan now that students are back to try to reach out to different student groups to see if I can learn a little bit about what wellness means to the student body,” Freeman said. “I want to make sure we’re doing programming and things that relate to what folks are actually curious about.”
