Candidates for director of financial aid come to SIUC

The University began interviewing candidates Tuesday to take over the director of financial aid position left vacant by Dan Mann in October 2004. The director is responsible for financial aid policies, services and overall supervision of the office. In 2004, the Financial Aid Office delivered more than $177 million in financial aid.

A committee has narrowed the search to three candidates, who will be interviewing through Thursday. Each candidate will have an open-invitation forum for faculty, staff, students and constituency groups to meet with them in the Ohio Room in the Student Center at 3 p.m. on their corresponding interview dates. Billie Joe Hamilton met with the committee on Tuesday, Donna Williams will meet with it today and Dorothy Body on Thursday.

Billie Joe Hamilton

Hamilton has served as the director of Student Financial Aid at Southwest Missouri State University since May 2001. She has had more than 23 years of experience in financial aid, with schools such as University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Tennessee-Memphis and University of Missouri-Columbia. She said that her experience at other institutions would help improve SIUC's Financial Aid Office.

"I would get some research together so that we can make a case for getting students more need-based financial aid," Hamilton said. Hamilton received her bachelor of science in business administration in marketing and her master's in business administration from Pittsburg-State University. Mann recommended the University to her. "He said Carbondale was a great place to live," said Hamilton. "You have a beautiful campus."

Donna Williams

Williams has served as the interim SIUC director of financial aid since October 2004. She has had the responsibility of supervising the financial aid staff and its office operations.

Her honors include nomination for Civil Service Employee of the Year in 1996 and 2002, and the Department of Education Certificate of Appreciation in 2004. After graduating from SIUC with a bachelor of science in 1982, she has worked a range of accounting jobs at the University.

"I have experience with the state of Illinois programs and the campus itself," said Williams, "and the knowledge of the University and challenges that face us." In all, she has worked a total of 18 years in the University's Financial Aid Office. "With the years I have spent in financial aid," said Williams, "I just wanted to go to the next level."

Dorothy Body

Body has served as the assistant vice president for Student Financial Support and Services at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. She has had experience as the director of financial aid at University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 1989 to 1999 and at Tuskegee University from 1999-2000. Her education includes a bachelor of arts and a master's in public administration from Governors State University.

Body has had more than 21 years of financial aid experience. If hired, she said she would work to provide efficient delivery of financial aid to students and would make sure that students are actively engaged in the decision making process. "Given the immediate impact on student access and retention," said Body, "the position of financial aid director has a more visible and direct impact and should concern all students."

Larry Dietz, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said the search committee plans to select the next director by May. "The whole staff has been doing double duty," Dietz said. "We don't want to prolong this."