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Message from the Vice Provost & Dean
It is hard to believe (the first ever!) fall break has already come and gone. Yet, I keep reflecting upon the Division of Student Affairs Fall Kickoff meeting which occurred in late August. In addition to our usual camaraderie, welcome to new colleagues, divisional updates, and inspiring remarks from the President and the Executive Vice President and Provost, we participated in diversity training facilitated by our colleague, Relando Thompkins-Jones. My reflections about Fall Kickoff have revolved around how important this topic is for our common humanity, how far we have to go to achieve our commitments, and how important you are to making progress.
Earlier this summer we affirmed our Mission of “…inclusive programs, services, and facilities.” And, we declared our Core Values require us to “create socially diverse and just environments, challenge marginalizing policies and practices, and develop our own cultural competence.” There are so many good reasons for these commitments.
Years of relevant research shows that diversity enhances learning, strengthens decision making, incubates innovative environments, and contributes to more enjoyable organizational culture. Additionally, for student affairs at least, we also embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion because all students are our responsibility, our purpose, our commitment, and our community. Their journeys, their needs, and their aspirations, are our privilege to support.
This university of ours is a beacon of possibility. And, we keep making progress while we grapple with our realities. In November, GVSU will administer our sixth Climate Survey to help us learn more about how we can create a more equitable, just, inclusive, and communal university. My hope is that each of us will use what we learned at Fall Kickoff, individually complete the survey when it is distributed, and encourage our colleagues and students to do the same. Please consider scheduling time for staff, student employees, advisory boards, and others to share their perspectives. This is one way we can all contribute to this university goal. Together we can continually create the university we strive to be.
-Loren
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| As of September 2019, the department of Campus Recreation will be known as the department of Recreation & Wellness. This distinction better showcases the strong commitment to student wellness that the department represents, and it better reflects the work over the years within the department. The name change is more reflective of professional standards, national practice, university plans, and previous institutional history.
Most recently, the following changes have been made to support this name change:
· Creation of a new student wellness website
· Implementation of the 8 dimensions of wellness model
· Hiring of Student Health Promotions Coordinator
· Collective efforts to identify and implement strategies to improve student well-being
Recreation & Wellness' mission is to enhance and engage the GVSU community by providing inclusive and diverse opportunities that inspire participation, promote health and well-being, and encourage student development and success.
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New Staff Welcome Series
The Division of Student Affairs New Staff Welcome Series is an informal means for new division colleagues to meet each other, ask questions, provide advice, and socialize. The group meets monthly at various locations across campus and engages over coffee or tea and a general topic of conversation. Most recently the participants discussed personal wellness and were treated to a demonstration of the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) at the Mary Idema Pew Library prior to participating in the Walk with the President. If you are a new full or part time professional staff member (AP or PSS) in the division and would like to participate, please join the group for their next gathering on Friday, November 8 at 9:00 a.m. where they will discuss GVSU structure on the second floor of the Lynn M. Blue Connection. Please contact Kristen Evans (evanskr@gvsu.edu) for more information.
New Staff Resource:
For many new staff, keeping up with and learning GV lingo, can be overwhelming. Check out the handy Acronym Decoder on the CLAS website to help unlock GV acronyms!
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Let's Educate: Alcohol (& other drugs) Campus Education Services (ACES)
By Latrece McDaniel, Assistant Director
Alcohol and Other Drug Services
College is often considered the best time of a person’s life. College is also where many students engage in alcohol and drug use. Some for the first time and some with little information about substance use. According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment, 72.6% of GVSU students drank alcohol in the last 30 days prior to the survey. 53.4% of GVSU students who drank indicated having a negative experience while drinking. These experiences included doing something they regretted, forgetting where they were or what they did, and having unprotected sex. Additionally, alcohol and drug use can have significant impacts on students’ academic success. Alcohol and drug use can impact motivation, cognition, memory, and concentration. Substance use is associated with lower GPAs for students who use compared to non-substance users. Those who use both alcohol and marijuana have an average GPA of 2.66 (Meda, et al, 2017). Often times, students are unaware of the impacts of their substance use on their educational performance or do not attribute concerns to their substance use. College is a crucial time for students to be educated on the impacts and implications of alcohol and drug use.
The Alcohol (and other drugs) Campus Education Services (ACES) Office has the mission of engaging and challenging students to make healthy life-long decisions regarding alcohol and other drugs and is housed within the University Counseling Center. ACES aims to educate students on being safe, smart, and responsible as it relates to choices around drugs and alcohol. ACES provides a variety of workshops, programs and services for students to assist in navigating the myths and pressures of alcohol and drug consumptions. Daily recovery meetings are offered on campus and include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Self-Management And Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery, and Adult Children of Alcoholics. Additional supports are available to students including substance abuse counseling, recovery coaching, consultation, and community referrals. Students, faculty, and staff can find more information about services on the ACES website.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to partner with ACES in the mission to improve the well-being of GVSU students and assist them in making wise decisions regarding alcohol and other drugs. Please visit the new Faculty/Staff website. Here you will find resources on how to connect students to services and support students who may have concerns related to alcohol and/or drug use. For more information, please visit the ACES website or call (616)331-2537.
Meda, S. A., Gueorguieva, R. V., Pittman, B., Rosen, R. R., Aslanzadeh, F., Tennen, H., … Pearlson, G. D. (2017). Longitudinal influence of alcohol and marijuana use on academic performance in college students. Plos One, 12(3). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172213
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Meet the Division: Ryan Neloms, Event ServicesTitle: Assistant Director of Event Services
Position Description: Manage operations of the Kirkhof and Cook DeWitt Center, Media Liaison for large campus events (Laker Experience Days, Spring Concert, Relay for Life, etc.), Co-Advisor for Campus Activities Board
Additional Involvement: Co-Advisor for Black Male Scholars, Conduct Coordinator, and Foster Laker Success Mentor
Share something about yourself that others may not know:
I am a Master's level Social Worker, and I am a licensed limo driver.
What do you enjoy doing outside of your work at GV?
Outside of work I love attending concerts of all genres especially Hip Hop/Reggaeton. I am also a huge foodie who is always down to try new cuisines and restaurants. On Tuesdays you can catch me at Celebration Cinema viewing the latest movie.
What is your favorite or funniest college memory, either as a student or as staff?
One of my funniest college memories is as a staff member running our Spring Concert when Alltimelow performed and I didn't recognize one of the band members and made him go through security. He pointed to me and said, "I am right there on your all access badge."
What do you love about helping college students?
What I love most about helping students is being able to make their college experience enjoyable and memorable. In my capacity I have been fortunate to help so many students through various channels. Knowing that I am a resource and my presence alone can ease students makes working at GV the best job in the world.
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Important Information & Events
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Division of Student Affairs
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