FEATURE

 

Weatherford College is a staple of the Weatherford community, and Doug Jefferson is a staple of WC.

With 35 years of service and as a former Coyote himself, Jefferson has become the face of the college to thousands of students, past and present. He first arrived taking summer classes while on a football scholarship at Stephen F. Austin, and after earning his bachelor’s degree there, he reverse transferred to WC and finished his associate degree as well. In the fall of 1990, a job posting for housing supervisor caught his eye, and he’s been here ever since.

Today, Jefferson serves as the dean of student life and development, a title that provides limited insight into his truly robust list of duties. Under his umbrella of administration, Jefferson oversees student housing for the 391 residents of Vickie and Jerry Durant Hall and Coyote Village, the Coyote Care Clinic, student clubs and organizations, the full calendar of student life events and the WC spirit groups.

And he will tell you, without hesitation, that none of it feels like work.

It doesn’t feel like work when he’s at Walgreens buying sweats for a student at 11 at night because the pipes in their dorm burst during a freeze. It doesn’t feel like work when he takes a student to the emergency room and waits with them until their parents can arrive. It doesn’t feel like work when he transports a student in a mental health crisis to a facility in Fort Worth or even as far away as Wichita Falls, so they can get the help they need.

None of it feels like work because this job is Jefferson’s calling.

“My job is a lot of different things. It starts at 7 in the morning when I get up and can go all the way to 12 at night,” he said. “But I love it. It’s my calling, my mission. This is my ministry.”

Jefferson’s approach to his work is rooted in the faith‑filled home where he grew up. His father, Curtis Jefferson, was the founding pastor of New Hope Baptist Church. After his passing, Jefferson and his brother took over leadership of the congregation.

Growing up in a household strongly rooted in its faith, Jefferson learned to not only take care of himself but also his brothers and sisters, both biological and those in Christ. And most importantly, follow the golden rule.

“I’m glad they taught us that,” he said, “because I see so many people downgrading and embarrassing and insulting each other, and it’s so important that we lift each other up.”

It’s with those lessons that Jefferson approaches his job. Whether he’s counseling a student or disciplining them, he leads with patience rather than intimidation.

“I don’t have to scream and yell to get the desired results, and the students learn from that,” he said. “You want them to learn boundaries, responsibility and how to deal with their emotions.”

Jefferson, who also has a master’s degree in counseling from Tarleton State University, not only oversees the Coyote Care Clinic, but also assists full‑time counselor Amy Schwartz‑Jarett on the mental‑health side of the clinic, serving a caseload of more than 200 students per month.

“If they can see that you are truly concerned about them, the response is so much better,” he said. “When they leave my office smiling, that’s when I know there was a connection.”

Outside the counseling office, most people see Jefferson’s job as being fun with students at campus events like cookouts and casino nights. At one point in his career, Jefferson took WC’s competitive cheerleading squad to Daytona Beach, Florida, where they took the national title in 2007.

“You know, taking 30 cheerleaders to Daytona’s not a fun job,” he said, laughing. “Well, it is fun, but it’s a stressful job getting them to the airport and being responsible for them in the hotel.”

The squad discontinued its competitive side in 2014, but Jefferson still directs the group and can be seen and heard on the sidelines at basketball games, cheering on his “DubC.”

After 35 years, Jefferson’s vision for WC is simple. He wants it to remain a place where the faculty and staff genuinely care about the students, no matter how much the college grows.

“WC gave me a chance to grow in education, in thought process, in spirit, and in God,” Jefferson said, “and also showed me how to care for my fellow man and to always love because that’s what Christ did.”