Executive director of housing helps PNW feel like home

Scott+Iverson+discusses+upcoming+business+and+housing+operations+with+Debbie+Barabas+%28left%29%2C+business+manager.

Shakira Taylor

Scott Iverson discusses upcoming business and housing operations with Debbie Barabas (left), business manager.

 Scott Iverson, executive director of Housing, has been the executive director for six years and oversees housing operations for 750 PNW students living on campus.

Iverson, who has been involved in college housing for 19 years, has previous experience from the University of Northern Carolina Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. His passion for university housing started when he was a resident assistant during his college years at North Central College, where he got his undergraduate degree in communication. Iverson also holds a master’s degree in college and student personnel from Western Illinois University.

“Being an RA was an important thing for me to do for students,” Iverson said. “I began to realize and see that people’s lives change most in college. I really believe that, and I wanted to be part of that.”

Iverson felt it was opportunities through pizza parties and movie nights for students, especially first-year students, to connect with one another.

“It was my job to help them find this place and get connected on campus,” Iverson said.

Iverson’s position is not a typical nine-to-five. He is always on call. Iverson also makes a point to connect with students by saying hello or coordinating events in the residence halls. While connecting with students is Iverson’s favorite part of his job, it is not the most important part of his job.

“If I had to boil it down to one thing, the most important part of my job is keeping students safe. Everything I do is to try to keep our students safer,” Iverson said.

One way Iverson is keeping students safe is with the newly installed cameras in Peregrine Hall, which were installed last summer. The cameras have reduced the number of incidents happening in that hall. He also plans to install license and I.D.track of visitors coming in and out of the residencies.

“We try really hard to do things that make sense within the community to keep [students] safe,” Iverson said. “Safety has been, and will always be, my number one priority when it comes to working in housing and guiding my decisions,” Iversonsaid. “Safety is about the physical and emotional well- being of our residents.”

Iverson oversaw the installation of speed bumps in the parking lot to prevent collisions. To keep housing an open environment, he installed glass doors in the lounges and removed blinds in the stairwell so no one has to feel threatened and enclosed while in a residence hall.

Due to Iverson’s experience as a resident assistant, Iverson was involved in many clubs and activities and would love to see more students involved in campus activities.

“The students that succeed here are the students that want to be here,” Iverson said.

He believes every student should be able to have the full college experience, whether they are living on campus or commuting from home, and his goal is to help every student get that full experience.

“[Iverson] speaks from a place of care and knowledge due to his past experiences on other campuses,” Renee Poirier, housing clerk, said.

When Iverson is not busy making sure the campus is a safe place for students, he likes to spend time with his family. He feels being a father and husband is his greatest reward in life. He enjoys watching movies and viewing the Oscar and Emmy award shows. He’s also an avid Chicago Cubs fan.