Ella Diehl, Staff Writer–
The sun has just risen on the Hill when Liz Barringer-Smith steps into her office at 7:45 a.m. in Fellows Hall.
The third floor is typically empty at this time, aside from a few modern languages professors preparing for 8:30 a.m. classes. Barringer-Smith spends her quiet mornings responding to emails, organizing her calendar, and, of course, writing everything that needs to be done on pink or yellow sticky notes. Her sticky notes detail her responsibilities in all of the departments that she manages.
Barringer-Smith, the self-appointed “queen of Post-it notes,” works as the academic program coordinator for Modern Languages, East Asian Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, and Queer Studies.
As academic program coordinator, Barringer-Smith organizes schedules and troubleshoots any department issues. She also handles department finances and organizes events. If anyone has a question about anything in the modern languages and adjacent departments, they are instructed to consult Barringer-Smith. Her goal is to make sure the departments she represents all function smoothly. Each department works as its own entity. They require different budgets and different schedules. Yet, courses and professors overlap.
“The beautiful thing is it makes sense for me to do all of them. Actually, almost all of the faculty and the classes and things in those areas of study fall under our modern languages faculty. We cross-list these courses with Chinese and Japanese and LACS classes with Spanish. So it is a natural fit,” Barringer-Smith said.
Barringer-Smith started working at Denison in 2007 as an academic administrative assistant (AAA). In August, she received a promotion. Her tasks include everything she used to do as an AAA, but now she has the added responsibilities of the academic program coordinator.
Barringer-Smith’s multitude of responsibilities don’t intimidate her. She maintains a bubbly excitement for all those she meets. This is reflected in the decorations in her workspace. A large vase of peacock feathers sits on her right. A plastic tiara adorns the top of her gummy bear bag. Postcards line the desks. A crayon drawing hangs on the wall. Rebekah Lennon, new academic administrative assistant for Art History and Visual Culture and Visual Arts, said, “it’s like an eye-spy page.”
One thing Barringer-Smith does not have is a desk. That is because her position requires her to always be active. Her workdays are never typical. Sometimes she walks down to Eisner Center to check on Lennon, the new AAA she is helping adjust. Sometimes she has three consecutive meetings in the morning. Sometimes she runs from room to room troubleshooting technology issues. Sometimes department professors pop in with questions. Barringer-Smith serves as an information source. Recently, a modern language professor approached her with a request for instructions on how to refill the printer paper.
“Think it’s just my personality. I love people. I love talking to people. I love doing all the things. All the things,” Barringer-Smith said.
According to Lennon, Barringer-Smith describes her work as a “pile of beans.” Lennon disagrees with Barringer-Smith’s assertion. Her office may be cluttered with paper piles and boxes. Yet, the space doesn’t hinder Barringer-Smith’s ability to accomplish her work.
“I don’t think she forgets anything,” Monica Graffeo, colleague and friend of Barringer-Smith’s and AAA for Global Commerce, said. “She will tell you her office is a mess, but she knows exactly where everything is.”
Graffeo thinks Barringer-Smith has “never missed a deadline,” while Lennon doubts her ability to forget any piece of information.
Apart from her duties as academic program coordinator, she also works on multiple Denison faculty committees.
Barringer-Smith is heavily involved with the Engagement and Communications Committee (ECC). She refers to this group as “the culture keepers,” of the staff and faculty. This committee, introduced soon after Denison President Dr. Adam Weinerg began working in 2013, fosters connections between the staff members. Barringer-Smith was identified as a stakeholder on campus and asked to help start the committee, which strives to create an inclusive work environment and help staff not only understand how things work at Denison but who thse staff is as a whole. ECC hosts events for staff members to connect, for example, bringing food trucks out to A-quad.
Referring to Barringer-Smith’s hands-on work with these events, Graffeo said, “I’ve seen her out there in the cold for two hours handing out tickets. So she not only takes care of her students, but her fellow workers and even people beyond this building.”
ECC implemented a thank-you card process for anyone on campus to take part in. Barringer-Smith designed the cards herself. They mimic postcards; the front is red with “GR8!” written in white block letters across the front. Any faculty, staff, or student is encouraged to send a card as a thank you to any other faculty, staff, or student.
“She’s a really good face to the great eight programs that Denison has. She embodies that without even thinking,” Lennon said.
Barringer-Smith always takes it upon herself to write thank-you cards. According to Graffeo, Barringer-Smith wrote a thank-you card to Graffeo for helping out with an event she organized.
“If I were to write one every time Liz helped me, they’d probably reach a mile long,” Graffeo said, her eyes shining with admiration for her friend. “She’s so good at thanking others. And I’m not sure she gets as much of it in return as she does.”