A Day in the Life: Alison Bartel Keller

A brightly painted plate mounted on the wall of Alison Bartel Keller's office reads "A Scare is in the Air." Against the yellow background, a green-faced witch is shown stirring a large, black cauldron. Although I presumed that the plate was simply a seasonal addition to the office decor, the phrase was poignant, given the gavel-striking tone with which so many students hark the name--"Bartel."

However, the woman I interviewed was not the green-faced witch that many envision. Instead, the woman I met with was blonde, accessorized and extremely committed to her foe-friendly position as Director of Greek Life and Associate Director of Student Activities.

"One of the most difficult things about my job is the requirement to make decisions based on liability rather than education," Keller said. "Risk management in the legalistic society that we live in demands us to respond in ways that sometimes make it more difficult, and often students don't realize that."

Keller said the unique thing about the Greek system at Richmond was that it tried to do things right.

"Do we make mistakes? Yes," she said, "but for the most part our system has set many standards for the Greek life across the country."

At many other universities, her position is held by a recent graduate, who, because of the demands and stress, will only hold the position for one or two years and therefore is generally not as committed to his or her relationship with the national organization, she said.

"I have a very good relationship with the national offices and the students are aware of that," Keller said. "I value that relationship. I believe we should be partners and not adversaries."

When Keller came to the University of Richmond 25 years ago, there were no sororities on campus. The installation of sororities in 1987 was one of the products of a comprehensive examination of student life on campus. Sororities were installed after fraternities because initially Westhampton College Dean May Lansfield Keller, who was the national president of Pi Beta Phi, thought that the small class size perpetuated the same camaraderie and values for Westhampton women that a sorority would, she said.

In her time here, Keller said she had seen Greek life take on a healthier, balanced presence.

"I think that the Greek students are more aware than ever of their responsibilities to be something more than a social outlet," she said.

Keller received her degree in community arts management from East Carolina University. Although she was not involved in a Greek organization, she was president of her residence hall for two years and was the special events chair for the program board, she said.

Other than a one-year position as the interim director of student activities at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Keller has been working at Richmond since she received her Masters of Science from the University of South Carolina, she said.

"I consider the 18-to 22-year-old timeframe in a person's life to be a period when you explore and experience what you've learned as a child and the values that your parents have given you, and to push that, to determine who you are," Keller said.

"What I enjoy doing is seeing students reaching their full potential and coming to terms with who they are and who they want to become."

Keller's responsibilities are multi-faceted. Although she reports directly to Max Vest, the director of student activities, she also works closely with Steve Bisese, the vice president for student development, she said.

"The thing that makes my job unique," Keller said, "is that I am working with the alumni constituent, the community constituent, the university administration constituent and the student constituent."

Usually, Keller receives between 75 and 100 e-mails each day. She said she often didn't have time to eat lunch, but when she did, she liked to stay on campus to save money. At D-Hall, she always makes a salad with grilled chicken and balsamic vinaigrette, she said.

On the weekends, she enjoys reading books by her favorite author, Daniel Silva, but she said her favorite book was The Bible.

She said that if she had a second home it would be in Idaho, which she fell in love with on a one-week whitewater rafting trip.

She doesn't have much time for TV, but in the morning she tries to watch the CNBC series "Squawk Box" and "Fast Money," she said.

"It's taught me more than I could have ever learned about the economic situation in our country," she said.

Since she was from Ohio, Keller said she had always been a fan of the Browns and Cavaliers, but it was difficult for her to select a favorite team, she said.

"I always root for the underdog," Keller said.

Contact staff writer Emily Viviani at emily.viviani@richmond.edu