The Q & A With Campus Partners series is designed to connect faculty with personnel and offices on campus in order to better serve Belmont’s students. This installment features John Delony from the Office of Student Affairs.

What is your title and how long have you been at Belmont?
Associate Provost & Dean of Students.  I have been at Belmont since May/June of 2018.

What brought you to Belmont?
Belmont is a unique, welcoming and hospitable Christian community. During the interview process I was struck by the many ways Belmont is confident in who it is and how it is continuing to buck many of the trends across the higher education landscape.  And wow -the students, staff, and faculty! Behind the beautiful grounds, the new buildings, and the fancy showcases are talented, communal, and lovely people.  They have been worth the move.

What do you do in your role as Associate Provost and Dean of Students?
My job is fourfold: To make sure each and every Belmont student feels a deep sense of belonging, to make sure students have the spaces and services for their success, to create a safe and welcoming campus community, and to make sure the faculty and staff who serve our students them have the support and resources they need to best carry out the mission of Belmont U.

How does your office serve Belmont’s students?
The Division of Student Affairs welcomes students, houses students, teaches students, supports student mental and physical health, and offers multiple engagement, fitness, and recreation opportunities. Additionally, we offer academic accommodations, respond to crisis, offer co-curricular education, and leadership development. And other stuff too…

What would you like faculty to know about the Office of Student Affairs?
Student Affairs professionals are teachers and mentors, too. We teach students how to follow processes, how to disagree and live in community, how to develop resiliency, how to laugh and support one another, how to weep and ask courageous questions, and how to live in community with others who look, smell, act, and dream differently than each other.

You can find more information on the Office of Student Affairs here.