Associate Dean for Residence Life Stacie Wolbert, who began working for the college in 2024, announced her resignation to Residence Life staff on Oct. 10. She planned to leave Nov. 7.
However, Residence Life staff were informed on Oct. 11 by Dean for Student Life & Title IX Coordinator Trae Yeckley that after discussions with human resources, Wolbert’s last day at the college had been Oct.10.
Wolbert did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Yeckley said that during Wolbert’s time at the college, she was a key figure in rebuilding the resident advisor program after the effects of COVID-19, helping with RA hiring and the training process. Yeckley also said Wolbert brought a lot of enthusiasm to build a better community within Residence Life.
Wolbert’s last email to Residence Life staff on Oct. 10 emphasized this community.
“I’ll be here over the next few weeks,” Wolbert wrote, according to a copy of the email viewed by The Campus. “I look forward to supporting you, celebrating your successes and making these last weeks together as positive as possible.”
Wolbert’s departure means that her duties fall to Yeckley and Residence Life Coordinator Mary Boepple, ’25, and Operations & Conduct Coordinator Isaiah Romain, ’24.
Despite the increased workload, Yeckley expressed confidence that the temporary lack of an associate dean will not impact Allegheny students.
“I have the utmost faith in my staff,” Yeckley said. “Not just Mary and Isaiah, but the rest of my staff and our colleagues across campus. Students shouldn’t see any impact on their housing, their day-to-day, things like that.”
Wolbert’s departure from Allegheny marks the third Residence Life staff member to leave the college this year.
Residence Life Coordinator Gordon Truesdale announced to RAs on Aug. 4 that he would be resigning before the semester began.
Shortly after, Wolbert told college RAs on Sept. 12 that Marko Sadikovic’s role as director of Student Life operations had been eliminated as part of a reorganization effort by the college.
“Unfortunately, most of these RAs are used to this level of turnover,” Yeckley said. “There’s been a lot of turnover, not just this year, but in the past four years in Residence Life. The RAs that I’ve spoken to are sad. They appreciate the work that they’ve done with the folks that have come and gone out of the office. They also understand that this is higher education and that happens.”
While the turnover rate within the office may seem high to students, Yeckley explained that Residence Life’s turnover is common for smaller colleges.
“In higher ed, turnover, especially with small institutions, is not all that uncommon,” Yeckley said. “It’s something that we wish didn’t happen as much as it does, but we recognize that a lot of people kind of use smaller institutions as a way to kind of gain experience before moving on to sometimes larger institutions.”
According to Yeckley, the position of associate dean is responsible for the hiring and training of RAs, implementing the residence life curriculum, updating the office’s policies and procedures and working to ensure students have housing over breaks among other things.
Yeckley declined to speak about Wolbert’s, Truesdale’s and Sadikovic’s departures.
While the position of associate dean for Residence Life currently remains vacant, Yeckley confirmed that the job opening had been posted on the Human Resources website and will be checked daily for applications.
“We’re looking for someone,” Yeckley said, “who is energetic and has an ear to the students, that takes their feedback and can really work with them to create a vibrant residential community.”
