Courtney James is the director of student involvement at DePaul and oversees a number of events, including the annual Ugly Sweater Party and Tree Lighting Ceremony. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
From working through the logistics of moving the 2019 Ugly Sweater Party indoors or answering questions from a student organization about an upcoming event, no two days look the same for Courtney James. As the director of student involvement at DePaul, her vibrant schedule keeps her on her toes. On a quiet day, she’s meeting with at least five different individuals or groups about a myriad of projects, events and student organizations. She works to ensure campus involvement is lively
and functioning for the many students of DePaul.
“I oversee the core functions of campus activities, student organizations, the eSports program and fraternity and sorority life,” James says. “We also oversee Welcome Week, Fest, the Tree Lighting Ceremony and Midnight Breakfast.”
James joined DePaul in 2015 as assistant director in the Office of Student Involvement after working five years in campus activities for the University of Central Oklahoma. Drawn to DePaul by the values of the Vincentian mission and by the previous director of student involvement who was her undergraduate advisor at Augustana College, James found herself enamored with the challenges of student involvement on an urban campus.
Students ended 2019 Welcome Week with a Ferris wheel, slides and other fun activities at First Friday Fun, and event organized by Courtney James and her team. (DePaul University/Randall Spriggs)
“A lot of people assume we can’t do certain things because of our urban campus,” James says. “But this year we put a Ferris wheel in the parking lot between the church and the Student Center to culminate Welcome Week. To be able to put a Ferris wheel on campus and see the fun students had with it was one of my most memorable experiences yet. From the DePaul campus, you could see the whole skyline of Chicago.”
In addition to the Ferris wheel, James is plucking away at a list of other new, larger events and feats.
“We’re incorporating larger programs to make traditions unique to DePaul,” James says. “We want students to create memories on campus in hopes they can reflect on these experiences years down the road.”
These events include the Ugly Sweater Party and the Midnight Breakfast.
“Last year, 500 people showed up in the first five minutes of the Ugly Sweater Party,” James says. “This year, we had 1,700 students, and 500 faculty and staff by the end of the party. More than 750 people attended the Tree Lighting Ceremony. We’re thrilled with the growth we’re seeing from year to year.”
Implementing events that build a sense of community and tradition is at the forefront of James’ work. She recognizes the role OSI has in the experiences of the students at DePaul and hopes that she can continue to grow her mission and service to the campus community.
“I had a professor who told me we in campus involvement ‘are in the business of changing lives,’” James says. “I truly believe this. What we put together shapes and molds students for a lifetime. Whether through our events or campus organizations, these experiences are where students can find their life-long friends and the opportunity to try new things. To support students in this way in such significant times in their lives is why I continue to do what I do.”