Thompson - Week 5 - Post 6

I finally made it to sunny Florida where the crystal white beaches stretch for miles..........

 First of all, beachside is a very lose word to describe where I am. This school is nestled in a tiny town known as Saint Leo, FL. If I may add, Saint Leo is NOT known for it's white sand beaches. The size and terain is comparable to Bay Springs (Where I'm grew up). There are few thigns to do, but within a 15 minute drive there are all kinds of stuff. I won't get bored easily.

As far as the school is concerned, the university is called Saint Leo University (fitting, huh?) Similar to State, the people that work here are very inviting and have a family like demeanor. However, I will probably be able to meet all the students that are currently attending summer school. The division of Student Affairs is around the small as well. The professionals here wear many and diverse hats.  For instance, the director of housing is also the assistant baseball coach.  Saint Leo is indeed small school, but the professionals here have a huge desire to serve each student individually.  I will soon have a better understanding of what it means to be a student affairs professional at a smaller school by continuing to observe professional to student's interactions.  More importantly, I have never had aspirations to work at a smaller school , so seeing how this month plays out will be interesting.  

As far as my job is concerned, I'm currently being submerged into meetings to learn the names and roles of the people that work at Saint Leo.  I'm also assisting students with their orientation.  Needless to say, things are done completely different.  It's been interesting to see how they prepare students for their college experience.  Also, I am working on their LEAP program by helping my supervisor develop a syllabus for the class/program.  Lastly, I will be assisting in developing a policy manual for their newly created mascot. I know that may sound trivial, but policy is essential for a university to succeed. Since I don't have any experience in developing policy, it'll be an excellent opportunity for me to learn the ins and outs of policy development. My other duties will include me helping out with their division re-allignment and personally meeting with the students. We'll see how it all goes.

Right now, though, my second day on the job has come to an end. I'm thorougly enjoying meeting and getting to know new peope with similar intersts to myself.. Determining the campus client, understanding their mission, and figuring out whether I can see myself in an institution simialr to this is still to be decided, but I have a month to figure out my true opinion of this place and what I think of small institutions. I'll keep ya informed.  So far, though, its been a great experience.