Christina MacNair, the new associate director of Residence Life
CHRISTINA MACNAIR / COURTESY
Laili Shahrestani, Features Editor
On April 10, Manhattan University welcomed Christina MacNair as the newest addition to the Residence Life team, where she now works as the current associate director of Residence Life.
In the past few years, the Department of Residence Life has undergone various changes in staffing. MacNair’s arrival is a big step forward in terms of resolving the low staffing levels seen within the department. In the near future, there are plans to fill four more positions to complete the team.
Prior to starting her role at MU, MacNair previously worked at SUNY New Paltz, where she served as a resident director for two years. At her previous institution, she worked alongside current director of Residence Life at MU, Ronnie Genee.
The Quadrangle spoke to MacNair in regard to her motives behind leaving SUNY New Paltz, and what driving factors influenced her into starting a new chapter here at MU. She mentioned her excitement toward getting to know the campus community, and creating a new home for herself.
“I was just looking for a new opportunity to move up in leadership, and this opportunity came about,” MacNair said. “I actually knew Ronnie, because we both worked at SUNY New Paltz. So you know, he always spoke very highly of Manhattan University. I like that it’s a smaller campus than the SUNY schools. I’m very excited to get to know the community, the residents and everyone here on a little bit more of a personal level, because sometimes when you are at a big campus, it is hard to get to know everyone.”
With MacNair officially on the team, the Residence Life staff has doubled from one person to two people. This minor shift in staffing alone has created high hopes for the plans of Residence Life, in terms of providing a beneficial and rewarding experience for MU residents.
Genee spoke about how having an extra member within the department will help allow Residence Life to better cater to the needs of students living on campus, and provide them with better service.
“We’re trying to do the best for our students, and I think that having more staff helps provide that level of service that we are looking for and that students are expecting from us,” Genee said. “As the team continues to grow, I think students can expect more and more from our department and their experience living in the residence halls.”
With both MacNair and Genee working alongside eachother for the second time, Residence Life is hoping to undergo positive changes as a result of their collaboration. Genee went on to discuss how MacNair and himself plan on working harmoniously with one another in order to ensure a positive environment for everyone.
“Ever since Christina and I started, we talk daily, every morning just about our plans,” Genee said. “We discuss what we need to accomplish for the day or the week. So, I think we’ve been really working close together so far to try to give students the best experience we can.”
Brendan Coyne, a sophomore and a resident assistant for Horan Hall, spoke about how he is looking forward to MacNair joining the team, because it may allow for more organization within the department. Coyne emphasized how MacNair’s previous experience with residence life makes her a great addition to the team.
“I think that with an additional member, it’ll kind of ease up the work for other people,” Coyne said. “And yeah, just having a new person who has prior experience is going to be really helpful for both students and the staff. I hope that this change will bring us a little more organization. Especially because she has prior experience from New Paltz, I think she is going to be a great addition to the team.”
Upon speaking to The Quadrangle, MacNair emphasized her determination toward bringing more organization to Residence Life, and getting everything sorted out for the fall semester. She emphasized her excitement toward getting everybody moved in again after summer break comes to an end.
“I heard it has been a bit of a journey in the Residence Life department here, so I am looking forward to organizing, especially for next year and just figuring everything out,” MacNair said. “I am excited to see how opening works during the fall semester. That has always been my favorite part, just seeing everyone on opening day with smiling faces. It’s great seeing people finally come back to campus after summer.”
In addition to her organizational plans, MacNair also discussed that her passion for working in Residence Life stems from her enthusiasm for working with students.
“I love working with students and especially student leaders,” MacNair said. “I love being able to see people grow into their leadership roles, helping guide them and seeing them flourish. It’s also great seeing them move on after graduation to their professional jobs, and using those skills that they learned here in the workforce as well.”
During the search to fill the role of the new associate director of Residence Life, Genee mentioned that MacNair seemed to be a perfect fit. He spoke about how she was not only qualified for the role, but also appeared to be dedicated to giving students the best experience possible.
“We hired Christina because we knew that she was really dedicated to the student experience, and we are only looking for employees within the department who are aiming to give students the best experience that they can. Christina met all those requirements, and we are looking forward to moving forward in this direction.”
Although MacNair has only been working at MU for around a week, several individuals have expressed that they have nothing but positive things to say about her. Coyne spoke briefly about his first impression of MacNair, and how he is glad that she is now part of the staff.
“Me and a few other RAs got the chance to speak with her and she was really nice,” Coyne said. “She seems very down to earth, so yeah, I am excited to work with her. She will be a great addition.”