In need of a classroom for an event or review session? Terry Free, an office manager for the Office of the Registrar, has got you covered.
He handles the academic event scheduling for the campus, which involves finding space in general-assignment classrooms for everything except classes.
“It’s a very much behind-the-scenes kind of job,” Free said. “It’s not something you actively think about.”
That means he juggles the schedules for about 315 rooms. If a faculty member wants to have a review session before an exam or a class has an exam outside of normal classroom hours, Free can find a space for them. If student groups need classrooms to meet, or Greek organizations need space for their chapter meetings, those also go through Free. If a department hosts a lecture series, such as the College of Law bringing Bob Woodward and George Will to Foellinger Auditorium, he assists the theater manager with that as well. If a faculty member wants to hold office hours, but their office space is too small to accommodate the number of students with questions, Free schedules that. He also handles the final exam schedule, which is “a whole different beast.”
Free has been at the U. of I. for a little more than eight years in the same area of work. “I love what I do,” he said. “The great thing about it is the fact that we work a little bit with everybody. Our hands are in a little bit of everything.”
The Office of the Registrar works with faculty members, teaching assistants, students, department schedulers and support staff members. The job is a huge jigsaw puzzle completed three times a year.
“The next term comes around, and then you have to rebuild it all over again,” he said.
The office has a great reputation, Free said.
Staff members often get told their turnaround is quick, and they always strive to explain if a certain request won’t work. Sometimes the requests are too narrow, such as someone requesting a space on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. in Lincoln Hall. Requesting a certain building or time limits what’s possible for Free to find.
One of the hardest parts of the job involves student groups not passing information on to new students from year to year. The information for requesting classroom space doesn’t change that much, but if someone doesn’t know the policies or procedures, that can be a problem. Free is currently in contact with the assistant director of the Registered Student Organization office to create a workshop that will give tips and suggestions to RSO members each fall.
Outside of work, Free and his housemate enjoy having friends over to watch television and host game nights, and Free usually bakes – a lot. He enjoys baking Texas sheet cakes, cookies, brownies and more, explaining that baking is his stress-reliever.
His love of coffee extends well beyond the usual favorite blend or coffee shop. He has a set schedule of coffee shops he visits six days a week, spending about an hour each day talking to the baristas and meeting with friends. He really enjoys meeting new people. “I’m a dripping faucet of conversation,” he said.
He also serves the campus outside of his job. As one of three faculty and staff members on the Student Organization Resource Fee Board, Free is serving a three-year term. It is the board’s responsibility to advise on making funding recommendations for the monetary resources generated by SORF to RSOs in support of their programs and activities. The fee – each U. of I. student pays $5.50 each semester – was reapproved for the next four years. The board also consists of six undergraduate students and two graduate students. Because of his job and his interaction with students, Free was recommended as a good resource.
He said he enjoys his position on the board because it provides him face-to-face interactions with students and allows him to hear about the amazing things going on throughout campus. The fee allows student organizations to enrich their own organization and the campus community, and helps those in RSOs travel to competitions and bring guest speakers to campus. All the events must be free to students.
Free and his family – including his mother, two uncles, two aunts and two cousins – are preparing for their fifth cruise in seven years. They will travel to Mexico, Belize and Honduras. The cruise leaves from New Orleans, which is the destination Free is most excited about visiting.
He recently celebrated his 44th birthday with friends and pizza.
“As long as you just have the right people around, you’re going to have a good time,” Free said. “The where is irrelevant.”
