Lion Voices | StudentsAugust 08, 2025

Home Among the Halls: Joe England

Written By: Ian Silvester

Resident Director Joe England calls living in a dorm life-changing and a choice he believes students will not regret. 

Though at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, living in the dorms – the Lion’s Den – isn’t a requirement for incoming students, England certainly encourages it.  

“Some of my best memories were made there,” he said, recalling his own time at Arkansas Tech University, where he lived in the dorms as a student and eventually became a resident assistant (RA).  

England said he hopes students who choose to live in the Lion’s Den at UAFS have a similar experience. He said it all starts with being close to all UAFS has to offer. 

“Living on campus not only lets you meet other students who are having similar experiences to you, it helps you connect to campus more as well. There are a metric ton of events that happen on campus every day … if it’s a five-minute walk versus a 10- to 15-minute drive, it’s a lot easier to go to that event, and on-campus events are some of the best times you’ll have on campus,” England said. 

England fondly spoke of his time at ATU, where he earned two bachelor's degrees in creative writing and English and a master’s degree in college student personnel. He attributed much of his fond memories to his time living in the dorms and working as an RA. 

He described numerous times when he would walk out of his room only to find people from all over the world huddled together talking about life, family, current topics, or school. All of it, he said, created a place where he felt at home away from home. 

It’s a feeling England strives to recreate for all students who call the Lion’s Den home. 

From monthly events hosted by RAs to sharing a taste of the familiar with home-cooked meals in one of the two kitchenettes, England likened life in the Lion’s Den to one big family. 

“Oftentimes, when I leave my office at night, there are students cooking or baking,” he said. “It’s always nice to see how the communal areas bring people together and help build that sense of community.” 

England has been at the center of fostering togetherness at the Lion’s Den since the summer of 2021. UAFS has provided him with more experience than he could have ever imagined, he said. 

“Working in student affairs, you typically have daily opportunities to get to know and impact student lives,” England said. “My apartment is directly below student suites, so it helps build that understanding that the time spent and potential impact that you can have with students never stops.”

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