Campus Connection

Nick Nicklaus retires after nearly 20 years as director of Residence Life

[caption id="attachment_5479" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Nick Nicklaus served as a mace carrier at the spring 2016 commencement ceremony. He retires Thursday, June 30.[/caption] Since before many of UWL’s incoming freshmen were born, a new face will be leading the university’s Residence Life program. Dr. Nick Nicklaus is retiring this summer after nearly 20 years of service. “Coming here has been a joy,” says Nicklaus. Prior to taking over at UWL, “Dr. Nick” was at Ball State University for about 19 years. When the UWL position opened up, a recent UWL graduate who joined the Ball State program told Nicklaus he would be a good fit at UWL. When Nicklaus arrived on campus, 11 residence halls housed about 2,900 students. Since then, three halls have come down, three halls have gone up and now more than 3,500 students call those buildings home. “No one comes to UWL to live in the residence halls,” says Nicklaus. “But 98 percent of our first-year students do.” Research conducted by the office shows that the students who live in residence halls are better able to transition into college life because they’re better informed about campus. But it doesn’t come without some struggles, some which haven’t changed in the two decades Nicklaus has been at UWL. “They’re still trying to figure out who they are, what they believe and what they’ll do after graduation,” says Nicklaus. “While the questions have remained the same, the process in addressing them has changed.” Nicklaus has seen plenty of change. For instance, today residents are able to have visitors 24/7, men and women are neighbors in halls, Wi-Fi is available across campus and the traditional residence hall living configuration has evolved. Reuter Hall offers students an apartment-style arrangement and Eagle Hall is set up in suites. [caption id="attachment_5481" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Nick Nicklaus stands in front of Eagle Hall, UWL’s newest residence hall, which houses about 720 students. He is only the second director of Residence Life at UWL since the program started about 50 years ago.[/caption] Those halls are some of the points of pride for the administrator. Nicklaus remembers giving as many people as possible tours through the construction sites as he could. He is also proud that 10-15 students go into the college student affairs field every year, working on campuses across the nation. “I’m pleased I’ve been able to create an environment where people can thrive,” he says. “Hopefully, I’ve modeled some good things relative to my personal belief of servant leadership and done some things that are going to enhance the profession.” Nicklaus is also proud of the strides made in social justice, accessibility and diversity. He knows there’s plenty of room to continue growth. For example, eight of the current residence halls were built in the 1960s and need to be brought up to code. They are particularly in need of elevators and gender inclusive bathrooms. He also has concerns about giving minority students a safe place to learn and making college accessible and affordable. What about a legacy? Nicklaus is “not one to make legacies.” Rather, he believes he came in and did his job “fairly well.” But his name will live on through a UWL Foundation scholarship, thanks to funding from student organizations and other donors. How that is awarded will be determined by Nicklaus. “I am more than honored and humbled,” he says. “It’s not just a scholarship for me. This is also for my wife and family who partnered with me as I followed my dream. They have been instrumental to my success.” Now he will get to spend more time with his family. Nicklaus also plans to improve his golf game, travel and spend some time in the garden. “I may even sleep in until 6:30 a.m.,” he jokes. While he sleeps in, Jacque Bollinger will take over as only the third director of Residence Life ever at UWL. Prior to Nicklaus, Dick Koehler led the program since its inception. “I hope Jackie will stick around for 20 years and lead this department to a better position to enhance the effectiveness of the learning that occurs here,” he says. While Nicklaus heads off to get his nails dirty and hit the links, he offers a piece of advice for everyone working in student affairs — “Listen loudly, especially to the students,” he advises. “You don’t have to take everything they say, but listen to their passions, dreams, wants and needs. They’re the reason I had my job.”