Many people don’t get to know Ellen Fairchild until they start having problems with leases, landlords and roommates; not the best of circumstances.

Fairchild has served as coordinator of the Adult Learner and Commuter Student programs for more than 11 years, which incorporate the Off-Campus Center and Adult Student Information Office.

Fairchild’s department also provides services like a housing listing for people seeking roommates or rental units, an annual housing fair, career counseling for adults and programming.

She and her staff talk to people in the residence halls about moving off campus and the costs of doing so.

They also work as cheerleaders for adult students, helping them succeed at Iowa State.

Fairchild’s history with ISU reaches back to her undergraduate days. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1976, worked here as a merit employee, earned her master’s degree at ISU in 1987 and decided to stay in the area.

Fairchild said she decided to stay here because ISU provided her with work opportunities.

With a degree in elementary education, at the time “to find a job, I would have had to move to Australia, and I wasn’t prepared to do that,” Fairchild said. She wanted to stay close to her family, she said.

She admits she occasionally gets tired of ISU, and said if she could move anywhere, she would like to go to Sacramento, Calif., to be closer to her best friend.

Though Fairchild grew up on a farm and loves country living, she said she enjoys visiting big cities.

She said her favorite area on campus is central campus, with the beauty of the Campanile, Curtiss Hall and Catt Hall.