Benson- Week 3- MUW Office of Leadership and Service

So far in my practicum experience at MUW I have had many great opportunities.  One of the most exciting events that has taken place during my time at MUW includes going on a campus tour.  My tour guide, Amanda Shelton, was one of the sweetest, most informative people that I have met during my practicum. Amanda actually attended college at MUW and now works as an Admissions Counselor.  She was overflowing with information about the rich history of MUW, which was a good thing, because I want to soak up every ounce of information that I can!  Amanda told me many stories about the buildings, landmarks, and future possibilities for the campus in historic downtown Columbus, MS.  The best story she told was the legend of the clock tower.  The clock tower is a piece of MUW history that goes back over one hundred years.  The story says that during the civil war, an injured soldier came to the hospital on the campus of MUW and fell in love with a nurse that was working there.  The girl nursed the soldier back to health, and he had to go back and fight in the war, but before he left the two young lovers promised each other that they would be married upon his return.... the man never returned.  The clock tower is at the top of Callaway Hall, and the legend tells us that after the young girl found out her soldier was never to return, she went up to the clock tower and threw herself to the ground.  They say that Callaway Hall is still haunted to this day!
The only problem to this story is the fact that the clock tower was not built until years after the civil war was over, but this still makes for a pretty good story!

The campus tour gave me a much better perspective of MUW as a whole, and knowing where the buildings are located and what each building is for will help tremendously during orientation.  I am sure I will get at least one question pertaining to which building is which.  Maybe I should write myself a few reminders on a bright colored Post-it note so that I don't give anyone any false information!  Hope everybody has a great week!

 Post-it Note Artwork (:

Kinard-Practicum Week 3- University of Alabama

    This week my supervisor, Dr. Wahnee Sherman, and I spoke over email several times.  I sent a list of the professionals I hope to meet with, and we worked out the details of my moving in and starting.  I am very excited. The people I will have an opportunity to meet are going to teach me a lot.  I also found out I might be able to sit in on some judicial hearings.  Everything about my practicum experience has me anticipating next month.  I feel that my supervisor understands the value of experience.  I think she wants this to be equal parts learning experience for me and helping the Community Service Center with her.  I appreciate that.
    I also found out where I will be living, Bryce Lawn apartments.  I will post a video showing everyone one around soon. When I post it, notece the differences between residence halls, and the lay out of the campus.  For example, the quad has a wooded area on one side and a very open clear space on the other.  In the open area, students toss Frisbees and footballs. In the wooded area, students sit and read or study.  I was told when I toured the campus that it represented the types of students who went to Alabama.  They can have fun and excel in the classroom.
    I have been impressed with how accommodating and hospitable UA has been already.  I am even getting access to the fitness center while I am there, so I will see what that is like as well.  This accommodation and generosity speaks to the value they put on those who work and study there.  It also speaks to how student affairs should operate, always an advocate for students.  I know I am going to grow a great deal from this experience.  I can't wait to get there and get started.

Holtzman-Week 3: CSA & Early Start

Activities:
-Update and organize a resource binder
-Particpate in the orientation fair 

Reflection:
This was a busy week, and still I found my self taking work home to do over the weekend so I could hand it in this week.  I enjoyed my time this week because learned so much about the office and Colvard Student Union (Union) operations!   I worked on a resource binder this week, and in doing so I navigated both the Dean of Student  and the Unions web pages to find information about large events on campus and contact information.  I thought long and hard and pondered a few things about what a student would need when planning an event at MSU.

Early Start is coming together and today will be one of our final meetings prior to the students moving in. There are only eight days left before the students move in and Early Start is rolling. I am getting really excited for this program series for incoming students to get orientated and connected to the university and each other in their own Early Start cohort. Some things that I plan to achceive is to help the students navigate through MSU during their first month at MSU.  Also I plan learn more about MSU since personally I did not have the opportunity to attend an orientation, I want to take time and learn more about the traditions/pride about MSU from a student prospective because I learned the quick version as an incoming employee.

Some of the class might notice that I don't write things down in a planner/ homework book when I make to do/reminder lists.  I remember everything (it sounds unbelievable I know) but after I write it down I do not forget nor do I refer back to it for days or weeks.  I have a LONG to do list on a virtual post-it note in my brain.  I have used this method for many years and it has served me well.  I have only goofed on an event six times in the past seven years (entire college career).  Calendars are pricy and every time I think about purchasing one and color coding and mapping out my day, week, and month something always changes, and or I leave it at home or work and don't have it with me when I would need to write something down....so I just don't, I "just post-it" and then I "just do it" as the Nike slogan states.

I am really excited for the rest of my practicum to unfold, and to learn so much more about campus life than I thought that I would....

That is all that I have for you this week! 


Thanks!
Kimone

Banks-Week 3-LSU Residential Life

Where has the month of June gone? I feel like I have not even seen the last three weeks. I have been so busy that it really just hit me that my life is about to change. :) I am sooooooooo excited. I have spent this last week reflecting on what the next month of my life will be like. There have been so many staff members in SA at MSU that have come up and talk to me about the new experience. I have received so much support from my MSU family that it is unbelievable. It reminds me that I have another strong support system outside of my family and friends. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how I think I will adjust. I know that I want to see how I like living and working in a big city. I am from a big city, but being on my own, where I do not know anyone, will be a different experience. I have thought about what will be important to me...I want to make sure that I can go back to my learning contract and name the specific things I want to accomplish from my goals. I also want to grow personally. I would like to find a temporary place to worship and see what the city has to offer. I think the timing of my practicum experience is great because it is preparing me for the journey I will begin in August...JOB HUNTING :) 

So with all of this said (see below)    

Post it notes get me through my day and I use them for positive motivation..."MSU to LSU #Newlife" 

Have a great week! 

Dejanae 

Collins-Week 3-Office of Student Life at MUW

Reflection Questions:

1. What have I been involved in this week?
2. What am I learning about myself as a person/professional?
3. What am I learning about Student Activities?

Reflection:

This week I spent time on the campus of MUW. I was thankful for having enough time to actually spend in the office. We didn't have a whole lot going on in Student Activities this week, and I found myself setting up shop in the student worker's office. I didn't really like this because I did not feel connected with anyone. Surrounded by post-it notes, sorority paraphernalia, and event posters, I found myself becoming bored with my tasks and craving personal interaction. After an entire morning of sitting in that office alone, I vowed to not spend my time like that. I had no direct contact with anyone, and was glued to my task of contacting artisans for the Craft Sale during Welcome Week. 

Student Programming Board Members that my supervisor advises during the school year

While I was not in the office, Katie spent time preparing bags for the Recruitments Counselors. I am learning from her that at a small college, professionals take on various roles and responsibilities. At a large campus, professionals can allocate various tasks to student workers or graduate assistants, but when you only have one student worker at your beck and call, sometimes you have to do things yourself if you want them to be done in a timely manner. I am going to make it a point to let Katie know that I am on campus to help her and learn from her. It is my belief that she has gotten so used to doing things on her own that she is not yet used to having an extra set of hands to help her. I have learned this past week that it is paramount that if I want to gain experience I have to go out and find it. I have been so used to sitting in my office as a graduate assistant and having tasks assigned to me without going to find them that I have become somewhat complacent with that routine.

The cute bags that Katie ordered for Recruitment. Notice that the t-shirt design/Disney theme is used throughout.

Binder containing information for recruitment 2012!

With this mindset intact, I spent the next day out of the office. I walked around campus and finally decided that I needed to familiarize myself with MUW. I walked across the street to Eudora Welty Hall, home of the Admissions Office, and asked for a campus tour. To my delight, my colleague and classmate, Megan Thomas, was available to tour me. We hopped into a golf cart and began the fun journey. Even though I have spent numerous hours on the MUW website, it was a totally different experience to see and learn about the history first-hand. Because I am a blog fanatic, I documented the entire experience via my iPhone 4S camera. I won't take up too much space, but will highlight a few of my favorite spots on the MUW campus. Enjoy!

The famous clock tower. This building was an infirmary during the Civil War and legend has it that a woman nursed a wounded soldier back to health. She fell in love with him, but he left her never to return again. The rumor is that she hung herself in the clock tower and still haunts the building to this day. CREEPY.

The Kissing Rock. About 12 feet inside the gate to campus is the point where men had to end their dates since the campus was not co-ed. This rock is a monument to the many "good night kisses" that were left on the cheeks of the women at the W. SO SWEET.

My personal favorite tradition: the original front gate.  The superstition behind the gate is that if a woman walks through the gate backward they will avoid becoming an "old maid", but if they walk through it normally, they are doomed to a life alone. Naturally, I avoided the curse and walked through backwards.

I really enjoyed my campus tour. It was a beautiful day to explore, and Megan did a fantastic job teaching me about the history and traditions embedded into the MUW culture. She also gave me great insight into social clubs. I appreciated her time and information, and was happy to get out of the office for the morning. This week was a challenge for me. I have never worked with Student Activities before. I knew that it would be an interesting experience since it is the summertime. Students are scarce and there are no real events going on besides Orientation. Summer is not exactly primetime for student affairs professionals aside from planning for the next year. That is exactly what I have been made aware of this week as I have been on campus. I have to adapt to the time of year. I am on campus to help plan for the next year, and I should remain porous during this experience. I need to learn to ask questions about the planning process and expose myself to the "behind the scenes" work done by professionals in our field.

Hope everyone has a great week!

-Brooke Collins

Bailey - Week 3 - EMCC

Activities:

• Organized an excel spreadsheet for an upcoming meeting
• Visited Financial Aid and interviewed Gypsy Gray 
• Visited Veteran Affairs and interviewed Sandie Hearron
• Interviewed Marilyn Maddox
• Interviewed Patricia

Reflection:

     I must say, this was an interesting week. It was not filled with as much as the two prior weeks, but it was filled with moments that challenged me. The challenges helped me learn more about myself and student affairs. First, on Tuesday I was asked to review the notes we recorded during a meeting two weeks ago and organize a list or diagram summarizing the notes. This list or diagram would be used in our next committee meeting, scheduled for Thursday, to help members remember the topics that were discussed and help give everyone a visual. I decided to organize an Excel spreadsheet so that each element would be easy to see and read. As I looked at the notes, I had a hard time remembering certain things that were listed. Since this task took me so long due to having to remember so much, I learned that I need to take better notes during the meetings...notes that I can read and remember everything that is spoken or decided. I finally finished the spreadsheet and my supervisor was very pleased with the end product, even though the meeting was canceled for Thursday.
    As I have mentioned earlier, I am working on creating a faculty handbook that will be used as a quick reference during advising. This can't just happen. I have made an outline of what I believe should go in the handbook so now I am visiting with different people to get their opinions about what to add or eliminate. So, Thursday and Friday were filled with interviews associated with this handbook. Thursday, I spoke with a lady in Financial Aid and a lady in Veteran Affairs. I had a very nice discussion with Gypsy from Financial Aid but my conversation with Sandie in Veteran Affairs was definitely an eye opener. My graduate assistantship is in Athletic Academics. My population of students, student-athletes, are very similar to veterans who are in school. Even though I didn't completely understand everything Sandie was talking about, she was helping me understand veterans better. By the time I left her office, I felt very patriotic and a little sad that schools don't do more than they do for veterans. This group of students are significant and do not get the recognition and appreciation they deserve. It was disheartening to hear of teachers who are sometimes hesitant to help a veteran out with making assignments up. As many colleges are gearing up to host more veterans, this interview definitely helped me think about this group of students and the needs in which they have. Both interviews were a surprise on Thursday. I was expecting to attend a retention meeting, but it was canceled. This was challenge number 2. My supervisor told me as soon as I walked in that I was going to be interviewing the previous two women. I did not have time to properly prepare interview questions, as I have always learned. I had to simply sit in the office, ask questions, and spin questions off of statements that were made. There was no way for me to be prepared for these interviews in advance. I had no idea I was interviewing but this is just another example of the joys of working at a community college. You never really know what you will be doing from day to day.
    By Friday, I had prepared a few post-it notes of questions to ask in the event I was to interview again. Indeed, Friday, I interviewed two more ladies. These ladies work within the counseling center. Each interview was enlightening and developmental as each one helped me to think student affairs or higher education. Each interview also helped me learn different aspects of community college life that I was currently not aware of.
    This next week, who knows what is in store?

Cory

Cravens – Week 3 – MSU Housing and Residential Life

Activities:

-       Orientation Tours

-       MVNU2MSU Preparation

-       RD/RA Training Preparation

Reflection:

            Another week of Practicum is in the books and I cannot believe this experience is going by so fast.  This week in housing felt like a transition to me.  I’m starting to feel comfortable in my practicum role.  I’m getting to know the staff better and I feel more comfortable asking questions and giving my opinion.  With that comes the urge for more responsibility.  For me this is the difficult part of the practicum experience.  We are all tourist in our host department, spending a finite amount of time learning and participating in the office culture. This means we are limited in the amount of responsibility we can receive because some responsibilities exceed the length of our stay.  The positive side is learning the exciting professional opportunities waiting for us after graduation and the opportunity to soak up all the knowledge we can during the practicum experience.

            I was able to soak up quite a bit of knowledge in housing during the past week.  I attended both housing tour sessions this week, acting as a driver for visiting families.  I enjoyed having one on one contact with families as we scooted around campus to the residence hall.  Interacting closely with families is both exciting and scary because you never know what they are going to ask.  Calvin and I also went on a pricing mission for (and you can’t make this stuff up) post-it notes.  Not just any post-it notes, but neon, super sticky post-it notes for MVNU2MSU. Trips with Calvin are always a fun and informative way to learn about housing and gain valuable professional advise.  Calvin is generation with his time and honest with his thoughts and opinions.  As I move into my professional career, I hope to interact with colleagues and students with the same honesty.

Alexander- Week 3- Florida Gulf Coast University

Activities:
- Communicated with supervisor on last minute logistics
- personal reflection

Reflection:
Hey guys! I can't tell you all how anxious I am to dive in and get to work. Reading everyone's posts makes me even more excited to get down to Florida. One of the things I did this week was communicate with my supervisor on some last minute logistics. She informed me that she was getting everything lined up for me and that we would use this upcoming week to discuss details. She assured me that I would have a busy July filled with lots of great experience! I was excited to hear this news and nervous all at the same time. Will I fulfill the  expectations set for me? Will I be good enough? What if I mess up? I've just been having lots of thoughts floating around. I know that this experience will be a great one and one to remember.

One of the tasks that I will have is helping with the Campus Recreation portion of orientation. Being a part of an orientation at another university will be a very different experience for me. The fact that I will be "selling" another university to new students is almost mind-blowing to me. I'll let you guys know my real reaction after my first time having to say, "FGCU has a state-of-the-art recreation center!" I think that my southern hospitality will be a great addition to the campus rec team. As a professional, I believe that I will bring new and fresh ideas, as well as a new perspective. I think the beauty of being from such a totally different environment will only add to my total experience at FGCU.


In closing, my anxiety levels are through the roof right now anticipating this trip to FGCU. I've been stressing myself out thinking about all the possibilities, both good and bad. I hope to get an idea of what its like to work with a more diverse population and also an in-depth look at the professional world of Student Affairs! In preparation for my trip, I started my Inspirational wall of Post-It notes a couple of weeks ago. These notes are my personal affirmations that have motivated me to keep going and to ease some of my anxieties about going to Florida. Hope you enjoy!

LeAnn

Clark- Week 3-University of South Carolina

Well in less than a week I will be leaving my comfort zone, Mississippi State University
and moving to the University of South Carolina for one month. I have lived in Starkville now for almost seven years and have lived in Mississippi for 24. This Friday that all will change. I will be moving in with a family of FIVE, yes FIVE! My host family has three children so growing up in a quiet house, this will be a fun change of pace for me!
I would be lying if I said I was not terrified about this move though. I have always be comfortable in Starkville and at Mississippi State, and now, the thought of a new place gives me goose bumps (half good and half bad ha!)

Although not all of the feelings I have are scary ones, I could not be more thrilled to be working in an office that makes transition easier and more fun for students. The University of South Carolina has on their Engagement website, The Sophomore Initiative Site (TSI), a link to videos of students talking about how they feel as sophomores. These students have a variety of different feelings and experiences that they share in this video. These sophomore students speak about being nervous, but looking forward to knowing where more places and things are on campus, how they want to make a difference, wanting to meet more friends. Well what a coincidence, ME TOO! I have mentioned before, I really love the transition phase of student life, this is mainly because I went through transition and was unaware of it in college, as most college students are oblivious to what is going on in the different phases. I am very interested in learning the strategies and theories that USC uses as they focus on sophomore students. I truly believe that ALL students (not just freshmen and sophomores) go through transition. I am excited to also think about during this experience how I can take what I learn in the office and tweak it to use with students of all classifications.
EVERY student deserves a chance at succeeding and I am committed to making sure that I am an advocate for the underdogs of higher education, because this is a group that is not over overlooked, but ignored. Each and every student deserves to find their niche. I want to do my best to make sure that happens.

Service-Learning and Peer Leadership are two ways that the Office of Student Engagement encourages students to get involved which I hope my experience at MSU will help in my service to those groups. 
I look forward to being able to not only learn about transition in the next four weeks, but experiencing it.
The road to our dreams is not always easy, I know mine has not been, but I am so proud to say that I have worked hard to be able to go on this journey not only to USC and to experience new people and places in Columbia, but the experience to meet and share my life with this SA cohort. I truly believe that without the 11 of you that have stuck by my side, my family and friends, this would not be a reality today for me. So THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Carpe Diem!

Sellers - Week 3 The University of Alabama

It was another great experience at The University of Alabama. I am beginning to feel at home (for a short time) on the Tuscaloosa campus. Below are few pictures of my apartment. It is kind of bare but really nice!

Kitchen

Den

Activities:
-Help organize materials for Move-In
-Contact student and community organizations in order to inform them about Move-In 2012
-Attend an academic partner meeting
-Toured some of the housing facilities
-Toured additional SA offices on campus

Reflection:
My experience at The University of Alabama has continued to not only help me learn more about their campus but also about myself as a professional. I have been working on developing the Volunteer list for Move-In 2012 and have greatly enjoyed getting to know the many different people that are invovled with the process. They even gave me some nifty UA stuff to use while I work. My favorite would have the be the Move-In post-it-notes from previous years. (See picture below)
I have encountered some great opportunities over the last few days. I have now come to realize that I am very blessed at MSU with the relationships that I have built over the last few years. At MSU I know who to call if I need something accomplished. Being new on a campus does not lend itself to the same abilities. I have to do a lot of searching in order to find the person who does what I might need help with. This, however, has been a good exercise. It has reminded me just how important these relationships are and how professionals need to make them in order to accomplish things for students.

Post-It-Note from Move-In 2010

Godspeed -

Thomas S.

Carter- Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life Week 3

Post-It-Notes would have been really handy this week at orientation while I was manning the Miss MSU booth.  There were times when I had to leave the booth to participate in the Campus Life information sessions.  This week I felt more comfortable sharing information with students and parents about the Office of Fraternity Life.  I also had opportunities to advise students, but also learn from the students.  I must say I have learned more about the Panhellenic recruitment process than the IFC and NPHC's recruitment processes.  However, I have been helping the NPC ladies pass out their handouts to incoming students and parents.  I did get a chance to talk to the NPHC president about some of the background of NPHC and Step Shows.  I really want to attend a Step Show.  The president said that he has started preparations for their Homecoming show, which will be the Friday before the Homecoming game.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to go due to other events, but maybe I can see a video of previous years.

This week I also had the opportunity to participate in the Union Staff meeting.  It was neat to hear some of the day to day issues and events that occur.  In my graduate assistantship, I hear more academics, but being a part of this meeting I was able to hear and learn more about student affairs.  I hope to attend more of these meetings.

I guess something that was surprising to me this week, was at the Miss MSU Trunk Show, I was acknowledged in helping Miss MSU prepare for the Miss Mississippi Pageant that begins on Sunday, June 24.  Of course, everyone within the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life was mentioned by name as well, but it still caught me off guard that I was included also.  It's the little things in life, like receiving my name tag and a thank you, that really count and can make the day better.

Newsome- Office of Admissions and Scholarships/Student Recruitment- Week 3

Activities:

Orientation activities I participated in this week.

Reflection:

As you can see in the Post-it Note above, I had the opportunity to participate in important facets of orientation sessions this week.  I first want to state how grateful I am for the Orientation Staff as they contributed their assistance throughout my practicum experience.  Everyone has been kind and encouraging which makes me eager to learn more and positive that I can go to others when I need help.  

I shadowed Dejanae this week as she walked me through different aspects entailed in her job description.  Words cannot express how impressed I am with the amount of hard work and dedication that is involved with the multiple orientation sessions and preparation procedures.  My hat goes off to Dejanae, Brooke, and other staff members as they continue to assist students in making the great choice of enrolling at MSU.    

Welcome to OUR State new Bulldogs!!!

Part of my job this week was to filter students and parents in and out of the information center if they had questions about major selection and/or housing assignments.  I was amazed at the amount of information I retained from my shadowing experience last week.  Although I had to refer a few questions to experienced staff members, I was confident while interacting with individuals and providing assistance and suggestions when I could.  I learned that I am highly capable of providing informative assistance to others which will definitely prepare my future as a Student Affairs professional.  

Duty site #1 in front of the Information Center (2nd floor of Union).  

I was also involved with registration and dismissal procedures for orientation sessions.  During these times, I was responsible for making sure parents and students were where they needed to be as they completed the final procedures of the orientation process.  Working in this area, I interacted with a diverse population of parents and students and learned effective ways to help make their experience as smooth as possible.  I interacted with unique personalities and had heard valuable feedback which has been truly enlightening for me since this is my first experience attending and participating with MSU Orientation Sessions. 

Duty site #2 in Lee Hall for registration and dismissal procedures.

I learned a lot from the orientation staff but I also learned a great deal from the parents and students.  I am pleased with the amount of progress I have made thus far, but I know there is always room for improvement.  I am eager to participate in next week's orientation sessions and continuing my educational development in student affairs. 

Until then, stay positive and be encouraged!

- Ashley

Sellers - Week 2 The University of Alabama

I was very excited to start my practicum last week at the University of Alabama.

Activities:

- Worked with staff on their Move-In procedures

- Had lunch with my site supervisor and other administrators

- Attended an operations meeting and was able to contribute!

- Began calling potential volunteers on behalf of the University

- Helped faciliate the check-out of a football camp.

Reflection:

Wow, it has been so cool to start my experience at the University of Alabama. I have only been there for three days but I already am finding my way around campus and getting a feel for the culture. I have really enjoyed my experience thus far. I am all moved in to my RA suite in Lakeside East. I am very fortunate to be able to live on campus and have such a nice room! There are some camps that are in my building so it is nice to see people around.

It has been fun to meet a lot of new people. Everyone is extremely nice and very helpful. I have been able to meet most of the administrators within the department and they all have had very nice things to say about MSU and our program. I quickly learned that housing is going through some transitions and I am excited to be a part of those conversations. Over the course of my short time at UA, there have been two "Ah ha" moments so far. One being in the operations meeting when I was able to contribute to the discussion. It hit me that I was playing a small part in helping decide things for a campus almost two hours away from my apartment! It was strange to think about but also very exciting. My second "Ah ha" moment came when I placed my first call to a Move-In volunteer and started the conversation with... "Hi, this is Thomas Sellers with The University of Alabama." CRAZY! I know. For some this might not seem like a big deal but I have spent my last six years at MSU so this was a very interesting experience for me! I am very excited about the future. I am working with great people and in a great environment.

Godspeed -

Thomas S. 

Alexander- Week 2- Florida Gulf Coast University

Activities:
- Explored FGCU orientation website
- Explored FGCU Campus Recreation website
- Familiarized myself with names and faces (professional staff)
- Began finalizing travel plans

Reflection:
This week has been filled with tons of reading and researching. One of my goals for this practicum is to become more familiar with the orientation process and the role Campus Recreation plays in it. I reviewed the FGCU orientation website and learned a lot about the activities and break-out sessions that will be offered. I also ran across the number of orientation sessions FGCU offers for first-time freshmen: 17!! The month of July alone, I will have the opportunity to be apart of 7 sessions. This was a bit overwhelming to discover, but I know the experience will be rewarding. 

As I browsed around the FGCU Campus Recreation website, I learned that they have adopted a new tagline that aids in their commitment to developing students by creating opportunities for participation in healthy activities.

I think this statement says a lot about their program and what it stands for. I can not wait to jump in and be apart of this department. I have to admit that my anxiety levels are starting to rise as my departure date nears. I know that this will be a great learning experience for me and I have to make the best of it!

Until next time,

LeAnn

Holtzman-week 2: Center for Student Activites & Early Start

Activities:
-Finished up labeling fans for orientation: re-branding the office.  There are still a lot of key ring pouches that need to be stuffed that I will be working on this week.
-Last week I worked on a wrap up report part of the end of the year assessment to illustrate the number of events and attendance per event from this previous year. 
-This week Friday I will be helping out the office with Orientation, that will be an early morning but I am excited to partake in the event.

Reflection:
Last week was great! I took a little bit of time and walked around Orientation since I have never attended and would soon be helping out with it.  I really liked the idea of Orientation, it was busy but still I was able to see and stop by all the offices.   As far as the assessment goes, I worked really hard on it and am happy that I had the opportunity to do so because it helped me understand the office and their mission a lot more. Jackie mentioned how much she liked what I wrote and that was a really great compliment to get. To have acceptance from a practitioner that I look up to made me feel like I was valued.  I really enjoyed how all of us sat down and went through it line by line to enhance it, Jackie emailed it out to all of us for final revisions.

Something I really like about this position and office is that everyone here brings unique value to the work table and atmosphere.  I appreciate the open arm welcome and trust to accomplish a task, I very much appreciate autonomy and am glad that I have so much of it here.  Furthermore, I love the open door and working relationship with Jackie (and everyone else) because it makes me feel apart of the team. 

I am really looking forward to the busy time that lies ahead with Early Start! The Kick off is July 4th and after that is a month full of programing and engagement with first-year students to get them connected to the campus (my dream job).  On a side note, I got really excited about the job posting I found for our resume/cover letter assignment   because it was a First Year Experience (FYE) position open at a school in WI,the job that I want post grad.  I hope that there is a similar job posting in January/March of next year :D


Thanks everyone!

Kimone

Clark Week Two- USC

 

What have I been involved in this week? Contact with my supervisor Kim and reading through the University of South Carolina's website so I can be familiar with their Division of Student Affairs structure.

What I am learning about myself and as a Student Affairs professional?
I have already learned so much this summer. I am learning not only great knowledge that will carry me through tough situations in Student Affairs, but how to maintain my sanity, which historically I don't think I have done a great job doing. (This is just a side note in the midst of my practicum learning :))
As you all know, in a little over two weeks I will be moving to the University of South Carolina to work in the Office of Student Enhancement. This week I had contact with my supervisor Kim about really getting the ball rolling while I am in Starkville. She is sending me articles and information to read about some topics they are looking to implement this fall. I am really looking forward to feeling more engaged although not being physically there yet. Kim did inform me last week that they began to remodeling their website and it should be done by the end of the month! There has been a bit of restructuring that has happened in their office, (which I know a lot about after this last semester!) so I am glad that I will get to experience some of that as well.  

What I am learning about this future area?
As I mentioned in class last Tuesday, I am FASCINATED with transition and development. The Office of Student Engagement houses the program, the Sophomore Initiative, http://www.housing.sc.edu/tsi/, which helps sophomore students transition and become or stay engaged oncampus. I have really enjoyed looking over this site and can not wait to experience and learn more about this program first hand when I get to USC. Mississippi State currently does not have a program like this. I look forward to coming back in the fall and sharing this with you all and other Student Affairs professionals on campus!  

Benson- Week 2- MUW Office of Leadership and Service

Activities:
- Attended mock interview for Miss Mississippi pageant contestant
- Met with different employees of different departments within the division of Student Life at MUW
- Worked on Orientation Leader presentation

Reflection:
Going into my second week at MUW, I was a little bit nervous because I knew that my supervisor, Jess, was not going to be there.  I learned last week that everyone in the Office of Student Life is extremely welcoming and friendly, but I did not realize how welcoming they would be without Jess there to guide me along!  I met with different people in the Office of Student Life throughout the week, and each individual person taught me so much about their jobs, their roles at MUW, and about the excitement of working in student affairs.  I know I say this all the time, but I keep getting more and more excited!

I first talked with Dr. Phillip "Flapp" Cockrell, the Director of Student Life at MUW.  He has one of the most positive outlooks on life of anyone I have ever met.  He sent me his resume before our meeting, and it literally took me three hours to finish reading through it- he is so accomplished!  The best piece of advice that Flapp gave to  me was this: Don't limit yourself to one piece of student affairs... Learn as much as you can during your practicum and internship, but more importantly, keep learning throughout your career- Each piece of student affairs works together, and as long as we keep learning and building on what we already know, there is no telling what we can do.  This advice will stay with me for a lifetime.  

I also got to talk with Katie Robinson and Sirena Parker.  Katie and Sirena are both products of Dr. Heiselt, and they gave me some very good advice, also.  Katie (who is also Brooke's supervisor) is the Coordinator of Student Activities at MUW.  She talked with me about the many clubs she sponsors.  Her advice was to not limit myself to a big university.  She had always figured that she would stay at State and work here forever.  Instead, she finds herself wearing many hats at MUW and loving every minute of it!  Sirena is a doctoral student in student affairs at MSU right now.  She is the Director of Community Living at the W.  Sirena is very open and honest about her personal life as well as her professional life.  By being so open, I learned so much about her, and I now know that I can go to her for anything I need during my time at MUW as well as if I need anything after I am finished.  Sirena's advice was to learn from my mistakes.  This advice seems simple, but it is important for us to remember on a daily basis.   


My conversations with these three individuals this week were amazing, and I will never forget them.  I'll leave y'all with some pictures of these fine people just in case y'all run into them and ever need any advice!

 

(From left to right: Dr. Phillip "Flapp" Cockrell, Katie Robinson, Sirena Parker)

Hope y'all have a GREAT week!

Kinard Week Two

Activities:
Worked ICC Freshmen Orientations Tues-Friday in Fulton and Tupelo
Began researching practitioners at UA to shadow

Reflection:
This week I spent most of my time at ICC.  Although this location is not officially my practicum site, I volunteered this week to get some more experience and network.  I had the best time ever!! You know you are doing the job you love when your week feels like a vacation.  I love ICC as most know, and getting to be back in the mix again was alot of fun.  It also allowed me to meet some new members of the ICC family. 

This week during orientation, I helped the student orienation leaders educate the incoming freshmen about ICC and college in general.  I also got to do some advising and scheduling with them.  I worked with Mrs. Allyson Cummings and academic advisor and Indian Delegation recruitment team advisor.  She is a fabulous practitioner who inspired my love for student affairs in the first place.  It was a pleasure to work with her again. 

Orientation went differently at ICC this year than when I was a student there.  First of all the students were divided among orientation leaders in groups of 12 or so with two orienation leaders and an advisor.  The parents were immediatly seperated from their students and sent to a parent orienation.  They did not see their student again until the end of the day.  I am sure this made some parents and students uneasy, however it made the day run unbelievalbly smooth.  I also think the students were better off for it.

The advisor in the orienation sessions had access to the students ACT scores and their major.  The orienation leaders played games and icebreakers with the students and presented to them information about their rights, ICC, tips for success, financial aide, books, buildings, classes, etc.  The advisor then made out a sheet for the students laying out what classes they should take their first semester. The students where then taken on a short tour of campus before arriving at a computer lab to make our their schedules.  A short video was shown describing how to use the website and how to register for classes.  Then the advisor and the orientation leaders helped the students make out their schedules.  It went very smoothly!  I thought the new process was much better than the first.

(Some videos used at orienation will be coming soon)

Now in regards to UA.  I will be emailing my supervisor with a list of practitioners I would like to meet and shadow while I am on campus in July.  She will also be sending me a list of activities for me to perform before arriving in July. 

Bailey-Week 2-EMCC Counseling and Distance Learning Center

Activities:

• Attended Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit committee meeting.
• Spoke with Brenda Wilson; She talked to me about her work with remediation, students with disabilities, and her assistance with helping students find resources to stay in school.
• Brainstormed faculty handbook ideas
• Constructed outline for handbook
• Attended teleconference

Reflection:
    I attended my first committee meeting last week. It was long but fun because I was able to see brainstorming in a professional and developmental manner. The process was very attentive to detail. This week, the meeting seemed to still be swimming in the problems. It was interesting to see them divide up the tasks because they divided based on who had the best connection to resources to get information.
    It was a pleasure speaking with Brenda Wilson. She is a counselor in the Center. She helped me understand remediation because that's an area in which she works. She mainly works with remediation concerning the technical programs. She also works with Students with Disabilities by sending out letters to faculty, notifying them of students who need accommodations. She emphasized that need and also explained to me that she assists with finding resources for students to help them stay in school, whether it is some type of scholarship, funding issue, or tutoring service. I enjoyed sitting in and observing the teleconference. The rest of the week was spent on the new faculty handbook. As part of a project with the Retention Committee, EMCC is planning to organize a new faculty orientation. The committee has proposed to give the new faculty a notebook, organized with vital information they may need to successfully advise students, since many of the teachers serve as advisers to students after their first semester. The thought behind the notebook is that this will be a resource that helps all faculty stay on track and updated. It will create a unified campus between Scooba and Mayhew, which hopefully will be reflected during advising, thus helping students with any situation that may arise. I will be the one organizing this notebook, which will also be created in a file that is accessible in a folder on the intranet.
    Finally, it was proposed to me this week to possibly serve as a voting member on the new branding and marketing campaign committee. I am honored to be given this opportunity because it will give me experience with helping a college research successful marketing slogans and campaigns that we can implement at EMCC. I think this is something EMCC needs for effective recruitment...they need a brand...something that stays with enrolled students, prospective students, and alumni when they hear it.

Collins-Week 2- Office of Student Life at MUW

Activities

• Set a work schedule for the month of June
• Become familiar with the MUW website
• Brainstorm ideas for Welcome Week 2012--"Private I" theme

Reflection


This was one busy week. I have to admit that I spent most of the entire week adapting to our new Orientation schedule here at MSU. Because my graduate assistantship requires my utmost attention and cooperation during Orientation season, I allowed myself to be consumed in the happenings of the week here on campus. Now, this is not to say that I didn't spend any time towards my Practicum, but I am looking forward to next week because I have set a schedule of hours at the W's campus.

Pre-orientation staff meeting. Khaki'd up and ready to go!

Katie, my supervisor, was appreciative of the fact that I took the time to work in some office hours in the month of June. Before this class started, I wasn't sure that I would be able to be on campus at MUW during the month of June at all, but everything fell into place. My boss, Dan Coleman, decided to split our staff into two teams in an effort to help us avoid fatigue and burnout during Orientation season. I landed on the "night shift" staff. This means that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I do not have to report to work until 1:00 pm. I was overjoyed when I received this news because now I am able to begin collecting hours at the W during the morning. I am so ready to delve right in and have personal contact with students, faculty, and staff members.

During this week, I did take advantage of the down time that I did have by looking through the MUW website. As I mentioned last week, I was taken aback at the amount of offices on the campus, but even more taken aback when I realized that every office/department contains 1-10 people. I am loving the small campus feel. I have never spent time on a small campus, but I am definitely open to the idea of being employed on a small campus. If you want to see what I mean by the number of offices click here. You'll see what I mean. The list is long, but five offices could be found on the same floor in one building.

I have been made aware from my conversations with MUW students that the alumni base is very strong. I found it really interesting that a list of famous alumni is found on the W's website. This campus is rich in history and traditions and they portray their love for this university in every aspect of their campus, right down to the website. Interested in famous alumni? Click here.

Eudora Welty-MUW alumnus

I begin my new work week tomorrow, and I am so excited to have a presence in the Office of Student Life beginning at 9:00 am. Everyone in the office is super friendly and open to having interns available. They all work together but represent different entities of campus. It is such a different dynamic, but one that is intoxicating to someone like me who has spent her entire college career on a campus where offices are located across campus from each other. Where staff members at the W can yell out of their offices for one another, I have to call or email in hopes of maybe getting a response. I think I am really going to enjoy being exposed to the interpersonal relationships in the Office of Student Life. There seems to be a lot of love within the office. I have learned a lesson in time management and balancing everyday responsibilities this week. I am thankful for this opportunity to spend my newly acquired free time enhancing my student affairs experience.

Until next week,

Brooke

Cravens- Week 2- MSU Housing and Residential Life

     It was an interesting week in housing.  With orientation starting, the assignments office was preparing for an onslaught of parents and students with questions and concerns.  Lunches were catered in, and hours were extended to accommodate the heavy traffic flow.  I was nervous to go into work.  In my mind, I could see the line of parents out the door, and me with very little knowledge to find them answers.  As I rounded the corner to the assignments office on Tuesday, I braced myself for the worst.  Then, something interesting happened; there was no line of parents, no sign of students, and the office was quiet as a mouse. I feel this is going to be typical of student affairs work in general; expect the unexpected.  I also feel the lack of parents and students with questions speak to the efficiency of the assignments office.  The staff and students in assignments work hard to accommodate the students as best they can and take time to answer all questions clearly and honestly. 

     Through residential life, I did have the opportunity to interact with orientation attendees.  On Thursday, I was able to observe and take part in the housing tours.  This was a great experience.  I was able to spend a lot of time with undergraduates working in housing and observe their interactions with each other and campus visitors.  Then, I was able to greet families and escort them back to the model room.  I truly enjoyed taking part in this experience.  I liked speaking with the families and learning about their experience on campus during orientation.  It was so fun to see a mix of the excitement and apprehension as they prepare to start their college experiences.  Some students would have moved in that night and others seemed unsure about beginning the process.  I enjoyed being a friendly face for both groups and hope I gave them a positive experience while on the MSU campus.