By Ashley Bergner, senior

Connie Reimer doesn’t spend much time in her office. This isn’t because she’s not working. Instead, she prefers to be out helping students and staff, doing what needs to be done.

Reimer has worked at Friends University for 14 years and is retiring in June. She serves as chair of the Religion and Humanities Division and director of the Writing/Resource Center. In addition, she coordinates the English department, teaches occasional classes and advises journalism students.

Reimer’s dedication, work ethic and strong personality are well known at Friends and have earned her the respect of her students and colleagues.

Though a petite 4-foot-10, she has a big presence.

“She’s a little dynamo in a small package, but she gets things done,” said Marcia Alter, the Writing/Resource Center professional staff supervisor. “She’s a champion for us. If we get in trouble or something goes wrong, she’s always there to back us up. She’s always willing to lend a hand or be there for people.”

Junior Esther Hoffman, a communications major with an emphasis in journalism and public relations, said Reimer is always watching out for her students and takes good care of them.

“When she makes a promise to you, she keeps it,” Hoffman said.

Although Reimer is retiring from Friends, she leaves a legacy that will influence the University for years to come.

Looking back

Reimer’s passion for journalism and writing started early.

“I always loved to write,” she said.

When she was in the eighth grade, her parents bought her a typewriter, and she began writing short stories. Her uncle had a friend who worked for the Kansas City Star and sent him some of Reimer’s stories.

Reimer said her first stories weren’t very good and were about subjects she couldn’t really connect with. But her uncle’s friend gave her a piece of advice that she still values – write what you know.

Reimer took that advice and put it to use during her time as a journalist. While she was in college, she spent her summers working as a reporter for the Arkansas City Daily Traveler.

In 1965 she graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a minor in political science and an education certificate.

She taught English and journalism classes at the high school in Chapman, where she also served as the yearbook and newspaper sponsor. She got married in 1966 and spent a brief time at the Manhattan Mercury – first working as police reporter and then running the paper’s feature page.

She took a break from her career while her three children were young. Then, when her youngest son was in kindergarten, she received a call from Garden City Community College. The school had a sudden vacancy in the journalism department and needed someone to teach classes. Reimer jumped in.

She started working on her master’s at K-State, but when she and her family moved to Coffeyville, she transferred to Pittsburg State University. She received a master’s degree in curriculum and development in 1984 and then taught English classes at Garden City for 12 years before accepting a position at Friends in 1996.

Leaving a legacy

Since coming to Friends, Reimer has been instrumental in starting the writing tutoring center on campus and the student online newspaper.

Reimer worked with Carol O’Hara, now the assistant director of the Writing/Resource Center, and Marcia Alter to start the center in 1997. Before that, O’Hara and Alter had been doing some writing tutoring in Casado Campus Center, but Reimer helped to formalize the program and find the program its own space in the Edmund Stanley Library.

The writing center – now known as the Writing/Resource Center – has thrived in the 13 years it has been open, moving to the Davis Administration Building in 2002 after it outgrew the space in the library. In 2008, the center’s services were expanded to include tutoring in other disciplines such as science, math and foreign languages.

“She’s done a really good job of meshing these two ideologies together,” O’Hara said of Reimer’s work to merge the two different types of tutoring.

Reimer also helped to develop the journalism part of the University’s communications program. Previously, the school did not have a program for students who were interested in reporting.

“It lacked that component, and it really needed it,” Reimer said.

She also helped start the Crimson Chronicle, the student online newspaper, in October 2003. It had been more than 10 years since Friends had had a campus newspaper, and Reimer thought that needed to change.

Jessica Koehn served as the first editor of the Crimson Chronicle and worked closely with Reimer. Koehn – who is now a public affairs specialist at Cox Communications and an adjunct instructor of speech at Friends – said Reimer believed that a campus newspaper would not only be valuable for the student body but also for communications/journalism students who could get valuable career experience while working for the paper.

Reimer was supportive of the first journalism students’ goals and ideas and motivated them to work hard to make their dreams happen.

“Without her support or backing, there wouldn’t be a Crimson Chronicle today,” Koehn said. “She really took that responsibility on her shoulders and led the way.”

Reimer has watched the journalism program grow, starting with three students and increasing to the 15 students enrolled in the program for fall 2010.

“I’m just really proud of that,” Reimer said.

She continues to be an advocate for the Crimson Chronicle and the journalism students.

Last fall, the Chronicle staff was having difficulties with its previous office. The office was cramped, and it was hard to control the temperature, student Esther Hoffman said.

“Our old room was so drafty. One day it would be freezing, and we’d be wearing coats. The next day it would be burning up.”

Reimer took notice and found the Chronicle a new office for the spring semester.

“She worked toward getting us a better place, and she got us a better place,” Hoffman said.

Looking forward

After she retires, Reimer plans to spend more time with her six grandchildren and work on scrapbooking projects. She also plans to travel with her husband and friends.

Stan Harstine, associate professor of religion, will take over as the chair of the Religion and Humanities Division, and Carol O’Hara will serve as the director of the Writing/Resource Center and coordinator for the English department.

“She has worked really hard to make (the transition) smooth,” O’Hara said. “We’re not going to be ill-equipped.”

Although Reimer has had a good experience at Friends, she thinks it is time to move on.

“I’ll miss the people, but I won’t miss the work,” she said with a laugh.

She is grateful for the support of the administration during her time at Friends – particularly their support for the Writing/Resource Center and the student newspaper. “We couldn’t do those things if they didn’t believe in them, too.

“I’ve been lucky to collaborate with really good people.”

Reimer will be missed – by the Writing/Resource Center staff, her co-workers in the Religion and Humanities Division and her students.

“Those shoes are going to be hard to fill,” Hoffman said. “She knows the ins and outs of the University.”

“Connie was an amazing professor and an amazing person,” Koehn said. “She left a positive impression on all her students – particularly this one.”