Residence Life & Housing Staff

All residence halls have student and/or full-time staff members living in them. Staff members are responsible for helping establish and maintain an environment which is supportive of the academic mission of the college and which encourages the development of all students.

What is an Assistant Director (AD)? 

Assistant Directors are full-time professional, live-in staff members responsible for the overall operation of the residence halls. They have graduate degrees in student development or a related field and have had previous experience working with college students and student groups. 

What is a Resident Advisor (RA)?

A Resident Advisor is an undergraduate student serving on the residence life staff who is responsible for a number of residents. The RA assists in the social, educational, cultural, and community development of students on the floor and in the residence hall. The RA serves as a resource for campus services, community builders, programmers, and administrators and helps promote our mission to provide students with safe and comfortable living environment. The RA spends a significant amount of time getting to know residents as individuals and generating enthusiasm in bringing students together to create floor and hall communities.

What is a Head Resident Advisor (HRA)?

A Head Resident Advisor does everything a RA does; but has additional responsibilities like advising Neighborhood Council and assisting the ADs in all their work. 

What is a Greek Resident Manager (GRM)?

The GRM assists in social, educational, cultural development of greek students. A GRM is an undergraduate staff member who is directly responsible for the operation of the fraternity and sorority areas in regard to room inventories, damages, roster reconciliation and physical plant/housekeeping needs.

Meet the Professional Staff

Rachael Clark
Associate Director
540-375-2308
clark@roanoke.edu

Rachael oversees the community development, training, and supervision of ADs, HRAs, RAs, and GRMs.  In addition, Rachael runs the Northside Neighborhood consisting of the CBR Complex (Caldwell, Beamer, Ritter), New Hall, and Sections (Wells, Yonce, Fox) as well as Afton Apartments and Catawba Hall from the Westside Neighborhood. Rachael received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Flagler College in 2014, a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Ball State University in 2015, and joined the Roanoke College community in 2016 as an AD. She decided to explore another career opportunity in student conduct in 2020, but ultimately decided to return to Roanoke in 2021.  She is a two-time recipient of SEAHO Service Award for the Commonwealth of Virginia and has been an active member of VACUHO. Rachael serves as a RAD Self Defense instructor on campus and enjoys fostering meaningful relationships with students! Rachael also enjoys camping, kayaking, sports, and traveling with her spouse, Jess.

Carter Smith
Assistant Director
540-375-2308
caesmith@roanoke.edu

Carter oversees the HRAs, RAs, and Southside Neighborhood of campus which includes; Marion Hall, Bartlett Hall, Smith Hall, Crawford Hall, and Chalmers Hall. Carter received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Roanoke College in 2020. During her time at Roanoke College, Carter was an RA for two years and was a Head RA her senior year. Carter received the award for returning RA of the year in 2019 as well as Head RA of the year in 2020. Since graduating, Carter has worked as a social worker in the Roanoke and Salem area where she collaborated daily with local service providers, the judicial system, and law enforcement. Carter has decided to return to Roanoke College as an Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing with the hopes of helping students discover their “why” and further develop the sense of community on Roanoke’s campus. In her spare time, Carter enjoys camping, volunteering, reading, playing with her dog Monty, and on sunny days can be found hammocking on the back quad. 

Ellasen Spangler
Assistant Director
540-375-2308
spangler@roanoke.edu

Ellasen oversees the RAs and HRAs as well as the West Side Neighborhood of campus including the Wortman Complex (Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, and Tabor), Catawba Hall, Chesapeake Hall, and Afton Complex. Ellasen is a recent graduate of Roanoke College receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a concentration in Screen Studies. Along with her education at Roanoke she also managed Event Staff for two years and was an RA for three years. She is a recipient of the VACHUO Programing award in 2019, Returning RA of the Year award in 2022, and inducted into the Media Arts Hall of Fame in 2022. She is focused on creating safe places for students and advocating for the health and wellness for others. Ellasen enjoys reading, filmmaking, walking with her dog Carl, and spending time with her family and friends in her free time.