Director of the John Foster III Center for Belonging and Community
- M.Ed., University of South Carolina
- B.A., University of South Carolina
Ms. Darlene Bess Small is the Director of the John Foster III Center for Belonging and Community at Coker University (formerly Coker College). She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and her Master’s in Education from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. Before coming to Coker in 1997, Ms. Small was a Career Counselor at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She has over twenty years of experience in Student Affairs and Academic Support in higher education. In her long career at Coker, she has been Assistant Dean and Director of Engaged Learning, which included Career Development and Internships, Study Abroad, and International Student Programs, as well as Community Service Programs. Before moving to the Foster Center, she served as Assistant Dean and Director of Trans4mations, a 4-year graduation requirement. While under her leadership in those areas, the college broadened and enhanced educational travel programs to include Study Away USA and expanded experiential opportunities through service programs such as 9/11 Day of Service and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. In addition to her daily responsibilities, she chaired the Trans4mations Steering Committee that implemented the first “DC Experience/Cobras in the Capital,” a common travel experience for the freshman class. In her current position, Ms. Small oversees the daily operations of the John Foster III Center for Belonging and Community. The director works with faculty and staff colleagues to provide training and programming centered around belonging education, organizes initiatives, helps to advise student organizations, provides Safe Zone training, and encourages and helps to facilitate conversations to achieve the Center’s Missio,n which is, “to create an inclusive campus where everyone feels welcome, safe and respected.” In the community, Ms. Small has participated in the Leadership Hartsville Class of 2019 and was a member of the Hartsville Unit Boys and Girls Club board for two years, where she served as secretary. She is a member of St. John United Methodist Church, Oates Community, Lamar, SC.