Prairie State College Names New Dean of Student Development and Campus Life

Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights, IL, recently announced Felix Simpkins, a police officer in the PSC Police and Campus Safety Department as well as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at PSC, as the new Dean of Student Development and Campus Life.
Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights, IL, recently announced Felix Simpkins, a police officer in the PSC Police and Campus Safety Department as well as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at PSC, as the new Dean of Student Development and Campus Life.

Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights, IL, recently promoted Felix Simpkins, a police officer in the school's Police and Campus Safety Department as well as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at PSC, to Dean of Student Development and Campus Life.

“Because of his many years serving as an adjunct faculty member and then police officer on our campus, Mr. Simpkins really understands PSC and our students,” said PSC President Dr. Terri L. Winfree. “I am pleased that he is going to take on this new role within the college, and I’m sure he will continue to be an asset to our students and the PSC community.”

In his new role, Simpkins will manage PSC's Counseling and Academic Advising Center, Student Career Development Center, Disability Services, Veterans Affairs, TRiO Programs, Hispanic Outreach, and the Male Success Initiative. In addition, he will oversee the college’s student conduct protocols.

In a recent conversation with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, Simpkins shared his thoughts about his newfound position.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What does being appointed dean of student development and campus life mean to you?

Dean Simpkins: It’s very important to me; it’s a great opportunity, it’s an honor to actually have the appointment and to take the opportunity to work with our students. I look at it as an opportunity to help fulfill the mission and to help fulfill the wishes and dreams of some of our students as they look into different careers and opportunities that exist through the resources available here at the community college level.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: How will you use your background in law enforcement to improve security and student life for PSC faculty, staff, and students?

Dean Simpkins: In that regard, working with our current chief of police, Chief John Murphy, I have a relationship with him coming from that area, that background, to facilitate opportunities to discuss campus security with some of the recent issues of campus security throughout the nation to put together a rapid deployment plan, a safe plan, for evacuation and securing the campus for active shooters or anything like that. We work with him and what his emergency plan should be to help facilitate that plan.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: Do you see yourself as a role model for African American males?

Dean Simpkins: I was assisted by others who saw a need to help me move forward, I like to pass that on through myself and to the coordinator of the male initiative as well as other resources here on campus to help foster a positive image of male success as a whole.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: A lot of your history stems from being a servant of the south suburban Chicago community; how will you continue that effort at Prairie State College?

Dean Simpkins: I see this job as a servant; I think it’s our job to be a resource, I consider us to be mass unit here when we’re talking about students and the community as a whole.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What are the first challenges you’re looking to tackle?

Dean Simpkins: To support the overall mission that the president has as well as through our public information office to get the word out about start near and go far. When they say start near, you can come here to Prairie State College and prepare yourself to go far and be successful to ensure that you’ve gotten all of the tools necessary to matriculate to the next level and to obtain degree at the next level. My job is to support that effort college wide and the college wide mission of staying near and going far.

For more information about Prairie State College visit http://prairiestate.edu/index.shtml.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

Sydney Blaylock-The local skater with national experience