Madeline Norris, formerly Haslam, longtime aide to the registrar, left Central Hall for the last time as an employee last week, after 16 years of service to Hillsdale College.
“I appreciate the genuine desire that she had to help our students. Not just, ‘Here’s your transcript,’ but ‘What else can we do? How else can we make your day better?’” Registrar Douglas McArthur said.
Norris said she would miss all the students who came to visit her in the registrar’s office.
“I absolutely loved working in the registrar’s office,” she said in an email. “My son and daughter were in their late teens when I started working there, and so the students reminded me of them when they did go off to school themselves.”
Norris first worked for the college’s institutional advancement department. However, most students, staff, and faculty knew her from the registrar’s office.
“When you walk into the office or even call, Madeline was likely the person who you were going to speak with,” McArthur said. “She was the initial face and voice that students encountered for a little more than five years. Madeline did a lot to set a positive tone in here for all of us.”
Many students only had a brief encounter with Norris during a trip to the registrar’s office, but tend to remember her as the smile behind the desk in Central Hall’s basement.
“She is my favorite person at Central Hall because she always seemed so helpful and happy,” sophomore Hannah Wolff said.
Norris’ coworkers also testified to this aspect of her personality.
“Madeline is a very green person. She wanted to recycle everything and is also very health-conscious. She bakes a lot of gluten-free things for her family — who she is very devoted to — and loves natural food,” McArthur said.
During her time at the office, Norris was well-known for bringing brownies and other baked goods to share with colleagues, according to friend and coworker switchboard operator Susan Marsh.
“Madeline is such a very kind individual, always willing to help people and brighten their day,” Marsh said.
Norris spent most of her time helping students who expressed concerns about their transcripts, needed help with their class schedule, or had general questions about their academic requirements.
“She is a great person to have behind the desk and was always that soothing presence to talk to — especially on registration day,” junior Caroline Grace Brothers said.
At times Norris felt so touched by these brief encounters with students that she would be teary after they left.
“She’s very empathetic and carried what other people felt. She used to actually tear up sometimes when students were having a bad day because she couldn’t help but share in their sadness,” McArthur said.
In addition, Norris had a way of making students feel comfortable in an otherwise stressful situation.
“I just remember her being really helpful with everything,” junior Kathleen McGraw said. “She never resented us asking a lot of questions, and I never felt like I was there at the wrong time.”
According to Norris, the best part of her day was working with students and she wishes all of them the best in their future endeavors.
“Madeline was very good at what she did, but she’s also just a very good person,” McArthur said.
Norris was recently married and moved to Holland, Mich. earlier this week.
“She is very funny and always brought a wry sense of humor to her work,” McArthur said. “In fact, she looked for humor in just about everything and was kind enough to always look on the bright side of things. She was our giggler, and I will miss her infectious laughter.”
