By now, most everyone knows that the construction for the new residence hall for SCAD Atlanta is underway. The 14-story building is just one of a few changes sweeping through the campus, as SCAD Atlanta also has a brand new assistant director of residence life and student conduct, Matthew Graham. The Connector got to ask Graham a few questions, so everyone can get to know the newest faculty member, his background, and his hopes for the future of residence life.
The Connector: Where did you go to school and what did you study?
Graham: I went to the College of Charleston for undergrad, and was a triple major in history, philosophy and communications — class of ’05. I went to graduate school and received my master’s in college student personnel services and administration at the University of Central Arkansas — class of ’07.
The Connector: Do you have a background in art?
Graham: I am not visually artistic at all. I do consider myself a writer at some level, but that is it. Truth be told, I am even part colorblind. Needless to say, I was not hired for my artistic ability.
The Connector: Where did you get your start in this field?
Graham: I worked for residence life and sat on the honor council while in undergrad. My supervisor my senior year suggested I consider the field since I had been a very active student on campus. There was an entry level/graduate-type job fair happening over my spring break in Memphis, Tenn. for Student Affairs. So, I signed up, packed a few suits, and did a drive from Charleston to Memphis to interview for different graduate internships/graduate programs. At the time, I was looking at graduate school in several different fields: everything from law school to academics (I had wanted to be a professor for a while). I did not have a lot of direction at the time before I went to Memphis.
The Connector: What prompted you to come to SCAD Atlanta?
Graham: Having grown up in South Carolina (high school and college), I knew of SCAD and had been to Atlanta and Savannah several times. The position was interesting. I have always enjoyed and worked better at smaller institutions than larger ones. I was working outside the United States for a few years and spent time in Iraq and China before coming back to the U.S. as a base for my job hunt. The fact the school has multiple campuses, both domestically and internationally, really drew my attention. I knew this would be an institution that would appreciate some of my more non-traditional experiences overseas.
The Connector: Can you talk a little bit about what you do in your position at SCAD?
Graham: While I am still new, I have been working more behind the scenes. Between the quarters I was working on assignments and getting up to speed with SCAD. My goal is to support the resident directors as much as I can in their operations of their own buildings — it is their relationship along with the resident assistants that is the most important.
I do like the focused nature of the students, as in their academic focus. The majority of the other universities I have worked with were more traditional schools, meaning the full gambit of different majors. Often students would come to college undeclared, meaning they were not sure what they wanted to study. While it can be great to help students figure this out, I do like how the students here at SCAD already have that focus and passion.
The Connector: Where are your favorite places to go/favorite things to do in the city while not working?
Graham: I am still out and exploring Atlanta when I get the chance. I’ve been a frequent visitor to Atlantic Station (hard to beat how close it is) and an avid trivia player once a week with friends.
The Connector: What are you looking forward to in your new position?
Graham: I never come into a new position with a laundry list of things to change, I make sure I take time to observe how things are currently done and work before I start changing things. While I have been here since the end of November, I arrived after the students left for break – so I still have a lot to catch up on regarding how everything works now the students are back and we have our halls full.
The Connector: How do you hope to improve the quality of student life at SCAD?
Graham: That is still an ongoing idea. As I said before, I like to spend some time in observation before I change too much. I do hope to improve the quality of student life here, but I’m still working on what areas need it and where I can be the most help.
The Connector: What can we expect from the new residence hall that’s being built?
Graham: To raise the profile of the school; a new capital construction program always does — from residence hall or academic buildings. For those students, who have maybe transferred from a different institution, I think the new residence hall will feel and remind them of that experience. The style of the building, the room layout — all very modern and the standard for new residence hall construction. It will impact students currently (always happens when you build next to actively used buildings). The changes to traffic flow and the soon-to-start noise of the construction project will become the norm for a while. But before we know it, the project will be done and a lasting change and improvement that will change the face of the campus will be open.