Small campuses

There’s something kind of wonderful about small campuses: people know each other, there are only a few buildings to familiarize yourself with, and there’s a friendliness you don’t necessarily find at larger universities. I suppose for some people those things might be turnoffs, but for me, they are some of the best parts of my job.

Yesterday morning, my iPod alarm sounded, softly playing Janet Jackson and waking me up for the start of my first day. After a morning of making sure I looked just right and getting all my paperwork in order, I made the 5-minute hop to the campus human resources building. HR is located about a ¼ mile from the main campus in this adorable 2-story stone house next to the campus greenhouses.

When I arrived at the front door, I was met by with a “You must be Holly!” greeting. Shocked, I gave the man a big smile and a nod. How strange that he knew my name, I thought. But that’s the thing about small schools: people know each other, and more significantly, they know who doesn’t belong or, in my case, who’s new.

The rest of the day followed a similar pattern: people wouldn’t recognize me (or my voice), we would make introductions, and then he/she would welcome me to the college. At Student Affairs, the administrative assistant responded to my inquiry about van rental by saying, “I don’t think we’ve met. Are you new?” When I went to the IT department, the director knew my name and said she has been waiting for me. And, in an almost-embarrassing encounter, my new dean said to me, “I heard your voice down the hall and I wanted to say hi! I’m glad you’re here!”

When people ask me how I knew Penn State Berks was the right school for me, I tell them that at the end of my interview almost the entire committee hugged me goodbye. That kind of gesture would scare a lot of people away or be characterized as “unprofessional,” but for me it was the moment I knew Berks was my kind of place. I just hope they continue to feel the same about me—and my loud voice!