A blank name plate, barren shelves, an empty desk and bare white walls.
This is what can be seen in the office of the former Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Campus Life Daniel Brown. He is no longer employed by the university.
The university refused to comment said Brown’s absence. According to the Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan, the university does not comment on personnel matters. Though that has not stopped Brown from commenting on the matter.
“Over the past 14 years, I’ve had the privilege to work with some of most amazing college students in the country,” Brown said in a statement. “While I won’t be at Quinnipiac anymore I look forward to following the future successes of all the students I’ve known.”
Brown had been a part of the Quinnipiac community since 2003, starting off as the associate director of the Carl Hansen Student Center and student leadership development. He oversaw the daily operations of the student center, as well as hiring, training and overseeing the payroll of 75 student workers.
Regarding student leadership, Brown designed and facilitated campus workshops, training retreats and leadership development programs for students, according to Brown’s LinkedIn profile.
Junior marketing major and SGA Vice President for Public Relations Ryan Lynch said the Brown was very involved in SGA as an advisor.
“Daniel is an advisor that just gets it; he cares and the members valued their relationship with him as a true friendship,” Lynch said. “He met with students weekly and constantly challenged us to be better.”
Lynch admits that it has been an adjustment period.
“Nothing will hold us back from doing our jobs,” Lynch said. Older members in the organization have stepped up in his absence to help guide the new members in the right direction. We have no idea who will be stepping in, but we expect our new advisor to be able to assist us and allow us to use him/her as a resource, something Daniel did so well,” Lynch said.
In 2008, Brown became the assistant dean of student life and the director of campus life. During his last eight years at Quinnipiac, he was the head decision maker for the Department of Campus Life’s orientation, according to Brown’s LinkedIn profile.
He oversaw the new student, transfer and family orientation programs that welcomed approximately 2,000 first-year students and 200 transfer students over the course of the six orientation programs that ran this summer.
Sophomore english major John Acker was an orientation leader this past summer and said that although he had limited interactions with Brown, he was still very personable and welcoming.
“I saw very little of Daniel like most of our staff mainly because DB [Daniel Brown] was usually doing a lot of the behind the scenes stuff,” Acker said. “He wasn’t interacting directly with us as much as Erin was, but I did have the chance to have a few brief interactions with him. He was very polite and very kind he knew my name which obviously made me happy. I got sick during the orientation process and he checked up on me during my absence.”
Although Brown wasn’t as apparent in the orientation process as other lead figures in the orientation program, Brown’s influence is still going to be missed, according to Acker.
“[Brown’s absence] absolutely is going to produce implication in the program without a doubt,” Acker said. “I’m not entirely sure who would be qualified to take his position. I know that Daniel does a whole heck of a lot. He deals with a lot of the behind the scenes student things and parent things. DB has been here a long time and he’s done a lot of good things for both SGA and the orientation program. And I think all in all it’s gonna be difficult to find someone that holds the place like he did.”
