Columbia College Observation

In an office with a large desk crowded with papers, folders, and a fresh cup of coffee, Cliff Jarvis fills out some paperwork while laughing with a colleague. Jarvis, a man with a strong stature and friendly smile, puts the campus at ease with his job as the executive director of plants and facilities at Columbia College. Samantha Heckel, a junior at Columbia College spent a lot of time in the basement of St. Clair Hall where Jarvis’ office is located. “It is a great place to study, no one goes there and there is a little lounge area. He always made a point to talk to me when he came out of his office, joking about my studying and things like that. He is a nice guy,” Heckel said. Heckel, although never engaging in lengthy conversation with Jarvis about his position, says that so far since he …show more content…
“You get to know the people who work here because the school is so small. Mr. Jarvis seems like he wants to interact with the students and make them feel comfortable. I feel like that would be pretty important when you are in charge of the safety of campus,” Heckel said.

Jarvis, before taking the position at Columbia College, held a position as the engineering supervisor for the city of Columbia’s capital improvement program, which entailed his oversight on Columbia’s long-term infrastructure needs. He also held a position as a civil engineer and as president of a Columbia-based engineering consulting firm for Engineering Surveys and Services. Civil engineer to overseeing campus security, maintenance, and operational functions is quite the jump in positions, but for Jarvis it was something he was passionate about. “I have a masters degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, so I’ve always liked the administration side of things. I like to oversee things and make sure everything is going smoothly, and improving of course,” Jarvis