With boxes stacked to the ceiling and an endless line of well-wishers at the door, Jennifer Jones-Hall began packing the memories of three and a half years of work with UA Greek Life.

Jones-Hall, assistant director of student programs, will officially leave Friday to become the new assistant dean at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind.

She said it will be hard to leave the students she has come to know at the UA.

"I will miss Homecoming the most," she said. "I love to see all of the students that I first started with. It is fun to watch them graduate and grow up."

Greek Rush and Greek awards are two of her other favorite events, she said.

"Greek awards are one of those inspiring moments when you see those who deserve recognition receive it," she said. "Sometimes you get these 90-year-old women receiving awards for a lifetime of dedication. You get to hear what Greek Life used to be like an d how much it means to people years after school."

Before joining the University of Arizona in 1993, Jones-Hall was the Arizona State University fraternity adviser for a year and then the sorority adviser for another year. She currently oversees the operations of Greek Life, which includes the Interfrater nity Council, the Panhellenic Association, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Order of Omega and the Greek Judicial Board.

After getting married in July, Jones-Hall said she started to get an itch for a change.

"I suddenly had that awe-inspiring moment to have the big house and to settle down." she said. "I knew it was time to look for a new experience."

Jones-Hall began looking in the Chronicle of Higher Education for new opportunities.

"I was very selective," she said. "I wanted to get back home closer to my family in Michigan. I really wanted to end up in Chicago."

After seeing an ad for the assistant dean at Valparaiso, Jones-Hall submitted a resume and was given a phone interview.

"After the phone interview I got a call back from Valparaiso," she said. "They wanted me to fly out immediately, all expenses paid, for another interview. I knew I had a good shot at that point."

After a full-day interview in Indiana, Jones-Hall was told over the phone that she got the job. Valparaiso University, home to about 3,000 students, is 35 miles from Chicago.

Jones-Hall, who leaves for Indiana next weekend, said she is only taking her two cats, a television and some clothes with her. Her husband will move everything else when he joins her in January.

Julie Poore, coordinator of Greek Life programs, along with Dan Maxwell, director of the Department of Student Programs, will be taking over Jones-Hall's responsibilities.

"This is a good opportunity for her," Poore said. "She deserves it 100 percent."

Maxwell said Jones-Hall has made a great impact on the Greek community.

"She is going to be greatly missed," he said, "probably more than she knows."

Maxwell said her departure is going to have a large impact on the department until a suitable replacement can be found.

The search for Jones-Hall's replacement began with an ad in the Oct. 18 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition to Jones-Hall's job, the department is actively seeking a second Greek Life programs coordinator as a new staff position.

Maxwell said that screening committees for applicants have already been appointed. These committees will start reviewing applications Nov. 1.

He said the department hopes to have new people in by Jan. 6.

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