Meetings & Activities
Charles Clency – UNC Greensboro
Course content includes information about the role of the organization adviser in the various meetings (general and executive board) as well as the role during events, programs, and other activities that the organization is responsible for. Case studies allow for group discussion about the different ways that advisers can participate in these activities.
Track: ART-CORE
Social Justice 101
Jeremy Brown – UNC Wilmington
As our understanding of social justice and issues of multiculturalism become more complex, the topics related to both areas continue to stand out. Social Justice 101 will help graduate students and new housing professionals address the challenges of infusing social justice and multiculturalism into their campus work and programming efforts with students. Social Justice 101 will also help graduate students and new housing professionals assess learning outcomes of social justice and multiculturalism programs in their own individual areas. Looking at the intersection of theory and practice in social justice, there will also be a focus on identity through various interactive activities. Additionally, the opportunity will be available to network with other students who are committed to social justice and multiculturalism. The program will also help new professionals to self-reflect and develop understanding of each other.
Track: Graduates
Office of Academic Initiatives: Maximizing Your Success
Kevin Metcalf – Western Carolina University
The Office of Academic Initiatives at Western Carolina University is part of the Department of Residential Living dedicated to helping residential students maximize their success in and out of the classroom. In order to achieve this mission, the staff in Academic Initiatives monitor student’s progress, develop mentoring relationships with students, form strategic partnerships with academic affairs, and sponsor a variety of programs and initiatives designed to support student success.
Participants will learn more about the role in which the Office of Academic Initiatives plays in regards to strategic retention at Western Carolina University. With the help of four Graduate Success Coordinators, one Residential Case Manager, and one Assistant Director for Academic Initiatives; we together take a “case management” approach to student success-looking for indicators of students who are struggling. Through various academic and student affair initiatives, such as the structure of our Living-Learning Communities, the Office of Academic Initiatives strives to overall improve the student experience and promote academic success.
Turning Talk Into Tangible Data
Maggie Gillespie & Chris Gregory – UNC Greensboro
Sometimes the best life lessons come from the most unexpected places. In some cases, the best assessment data can too. In part, to quantify the numerous connections Residence Life student staff members make on a daily basis, UNCG introduced a radically re-designed programmatic model which focuses less on programs and more on one-to-one interactions. Since 2011, CONNECTIONS has been used as a visual tool for professional staff members to gain better insight into these one-to-one conversations. We know our student staff members are talking to residents; we want to know what they’re talking about. Through an on-line process, interactions are recorded and used throughout the year to identify trends, provide insight to individual students, improve student staff training and enhance the overall residential student experience. Needless to say, the assessment tool has proven to provide extremely useful, method-changing data resulting in more productive approaches to our work. Participants in this session will learn about the tool’s conception, implementation and utilization. With a “work smarter, not harder” mindset, presenters will provide the various ways this tool can be utilized on respective campuses.
Residence Life, We Do It: Assisting transfer students/community college graduates to become engaged in student life at the 4 year institution
Brent Lewis, Shawn Odom, &Javance Sinclair – NC Central University
Although, student affairs professionals have conducted research surrounding students transitioning into the four year institution, little research has been done about how housing professionals assist with the transition of these students and engage them in student life. In this study, the experience of transfer students in such a setting will be examined through focus groups, governed by directive questioning surrounding the overall experience. The findings may suggest that though students often had an initial fear of the unknown when moving from the community college to the university level, the experience is largely positive and beneficial to the growth and development process of the student. Housing professionals often provide transfer students effective programming, student engagement within the residence halls. These individuals also value building relationships with diverse populations. Some of the students that attended community colleges were based upon age, affordability, access, and opportunity. Implications and conclusions for university administrators, housing professionals, and other campus leaders partnered with student life will be discussed.
