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| Photo credit: Brittney Gathen |
“I had never felt so blessed in my life—to see that book just filled with people that I knew personally, not just people that I knew on the surface, but have had personal contact with (and) students that have participated in the office (The Office of Multicultural Affairs) in some manner,” Hall said.
What particularly touched her was a column written by Dr. Houston Davis, a U of M alumnus who is the president of the University of Central Arkansas. In his column, Davis specifically mentioned Hall as one of the people who’d impacted his life during his time at the U of M. Davis wrote, “I benefited from working in President Lane Rawlins’ office, which led to valuable time with other meaningful relationships with folks like Dean Authur Holmon, Dr. Bill Akey, Dr. Gene Smith, Linda Hall and many others. I hear all of their voices daily and owe them so much gratitude.”
“When I read the article about him and he mentioned my name, I could’ve just done a praise dance,” Hall said. “I could’ve come back to work right then.”
It is moments like these that Hall said make her sometimes challenging job “worth it” — moments when she realizes that her interactions with current and former students really make a difference.
As the Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs, Hall is responsible for supervising the staff in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, managing a budget, promoting diversity and making sure that the office helps students network and develop useful skills. She helps to provide support to the 11 organizations and approximately 500 students who are under the office’s supervision.
During the three years that she’s worked in her position, Hall said that she’s faced her share of challenges.
“The most challenging part is not always having the resources that I wish I had to address some of the issues that our students may have and to be able to expose them to things that I would like to do,” Hall said. “We’re working to try and close that gap.”
These resources include things such as money and additional programming.
However, Hall said that it is rewarding to see students overcome obstacles and to graduate.
Although she’s been in her current position for three years, Hall is no stranger to the U of M. She has more than 20 years of experience of service with the University of Memphis, 11 of which she spent as a coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in legal thought , a paralegal certificate and a master’s degree in leadership/higher education from the university.
Despite her interest in the legal field, Hall decided not to pursue a law career after she discovered a new passion for working with students. When she got her master’s degree, she started working in student affairs, and she said she knew then that she had “found her home.”
“I think with students, you can see the results,” Hall said. “It’s not about winning a case. After I started working in student affairs, I saw how things you can do—whether it’s buying a student lunch, going to a wedding (or) supporting somebody when somebody dies—make a difference in the retention of a student. I thought it was very important to do that. It felt like I was never at work, so I knew it was the right profession.”
Students aren’t the only ones who have been impacted by Hall.
Dr. Eric Bailey II, assistant dean for nursing students at the U of M, worked as a multicultural affairs coordinator prior to his current position.
Bailey said that working with Hall was “entertaining, fun, challenging and rewarding all in one.”
He said that working with her gave him a good foundation for his current career.
“She gave me an opportunity to gain experience (in) programming and working (with) multicultural student organizations, while allowing me to complete my doctoral degree,” Bailey said. “This plateaued me to my current position and will continue to be invaluable experience in my continued work with students.”
Bailey said that working with Hall taught him about resourcefulness.
“ (I learned) that you can accomplish a lot with a little just by knowing the right people,” Bailey said.
Hall realizes that her position and her office have the ability to impact the campus, particularly regarding topics such as diversity, and she said that her office will continue to be involved in efforts to encourage students to be respectful of differences.
“Along with being a part of the Critical Conversations committee, I think it’s imperative that we continue to put programs out there,” Hall said.
Hall said that one such program is the Diversity Ambassador Program, which encourages students to increase awareness about topics such as multiculturalism, the LGBTQ community, micro aggressions, ableism (topics regarding people with disabilities) and prejudice/discrimination. It includes 20 students.
“As long as we can help them understand what’s out there (and) how they can make a difference, they can educate their peers and faculty members, and they can recognize it (disrespect) when they see it and put a halt to it,” Hall said.
Hall, who describes herself as a “humble servant,” said that she wants to leave a legacy of helping people.
“If I can do that, my living won’t be in vain,” she said.