After six years, Russ Schneider is leaving Waynesburg University to continue his career with an exciting new job opportunity on the opposite side of Pennsylvania.
Schneider has accepted a position with Cairn University, formerly Philadelphia Biblical University, a small bible school outside of Philadelphia. He will become the new Director of Community Life, a job that brings him plenty of new responsibilities. This move comes after he has been a Resident Director for the male dorms during his time with the university, including four years in Thayer Hall and his final two in Willison Hall.
Schneider is excited for the new job, saying that this type of position encompasses majority of what he’s been looking for in terms of a career.
“Since I started my Masters in 2014 at Geneva College for higher education, I knew that was the career path I wanted to go in to,” said Schneider.
Schneider graduated from Arcadia University in 2011, and after working with the Coalition for Christian Outreach based out of Pittsburgh, he was able to find Waynesburg several years ago which has helped prepare him for his departure for Cairn University. Although, he wasn’t even aware that a job as an RD was available until he was convinced to apply by someone important to him.
“My campus minster mentored me, discipled me, encouraged me to apply,” said Schneider. “So when I did, I didn’t even know that a partnership as an RD was possible. When I interviewed I met Kelley Hardie, she was my supervisor my first two years… I had three years of RA experience as well, so it seemed like a perfect fit.”
As Schneider leaves, the university has run into a unique situation in compared to years past with only one RD living full-time combined in the male dorms.
However, Assistant Dean of Student Services Chris Hardie assures that the university has been on track to cover the situation promptly in Willison.
“There is an exit strategy, we had about three weeks to prep and I knew we had to kind of move quickly,” said Hardie. “I’m going to take over all of his day-to-day operations that was office related with managing the staff and coordinating duty logs and those kind of things. We’re also, in the next week or so, going to have a full-time person that will move into his apartment that will coordinate all the evening events.”
Hardie will cover day-to-day activities while the person that the university has in mind to be in Willison will be on evening coverage. They have residence life experience and have also lived in the dorms, however the person filling the position cannot yet be announced until it is official.
Before the person is announced and moves in to the dorm, the RA’s in Willison will watch over the dorm. Hardie says he very much believes there shouldn’t be any problems during the transition period.
“I always think about the RA’s in a team dynamic as captains, this is their moment to step up and really help our team. Most of them are upperclassmen and have been with us a few years,” said Hardie. “They all have a couple years of experience and so I think they’re going to step up. I think they’re really ready for this challenge. They don’t have to do a superhuman effort; it’s really just do your job. I have the utmost confidence in that group of five.”