Nights and Weekends

Formula for maintaining balance in Student Affairs

2010-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

With regional conferences (some some national ones as well) wrapping up for the semester, I noticed a common topic that is almost always covered and that is the concept of balance. This topic has become more of an interest as I rack up the years in this profession and as my life evolves from one that’s more me (single, a student, advisee/supervisee, a son, no bills yet, etc) to one that is more about those in my life (married, professional, advisor/supervisor, being a parent, lots of bills, etc).

I have attended sessions, read blogs/articles, research journals, and spoken with others on this topic. Here is what I have learned from all of it: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BALANCE.

Well, more like it is hard to learn from others how to apply their suggestions and the reason is that balance is an incredibly subjective topic. Everyone has different priorities in their lives and what one may deem a priority; I may disagree with and vice versa. However, there is one thing I have learned from all of the information squeezed into my brain. Balance is like a math formula:

Balance = Priorities + Requirements / Time + Choices

Priorities are the things you find important in your life. To me this includes your relationships, hobbies/interests, personal development, and the aspects of your job that you enjoy. Requirements are the aspects of your job/life that are not so much fun. To me that includes chores, parts of your job that you don’t enjoy, and other things that need to get done in which you don’t have much of a choice.

As for time – well, we know that there’s only so much time in a day, week, month, or year to accomplish our priorities and requirements. For example, I have 16 hours in the day to get stuff done since I try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.

Now here is the most important part of the formula – our choices. Our choices impact the entire formula, a ripple effect. Our choices will dictate how well we accomplish our priorities and requirements. It will dictate how much time we choose to spend on the priorities and requirements as well.

Based on my observations, a lot of student affairs professionals don’t follow this formula properly because of one aspect. They’re letting their requirements and priorities dictate their choices versus letting their choices dictate what their priorities and requirements are. Hence, we have a profession with lots of Student Affairs martyrs. We keep volunteering to do things or we’re voluntold to do things (as Joe Ginese discussed) and quite frankly, we don’t say “No” enough. It’s the nature of our profession – we’re the ones that are expected to do “more with less”, we’re the ones who were (and still are in many ways) an overachiever as undergrads who then carry that culture into the profession, and we’re the self-less people who care more about our students and will sacrifice ourselves because that’s how we roll.

So if you want to achieve balance, just follow this formula and put yourself first for a change. You’re physical and mental health is what you need to be the best student affairs professional you can be. Let me know what you think.

You got to know when to hold 'em...

2010-08-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away, know when to run."

~Kenny Rogers' The Gambler

As I embark on my last week of employment with my current institution, I’ve started to reflect a little more on my time here. I think I’ve learned some things about myself as well as a lesson in the importance of fitting in to the environment where you work.

Now, I don't think it was either my fault or my employer's fault for us being the way that we are. While I know I'm not old, I do know that my identity at this point will not evolve as dramatically as it may have when I was younger. My beliefs, thoughts, or base of knowledge will continue to evolve but I just don't see it changing my core.

When I arrived a little over a year ago here, my vision of what my experience would be like never really came into fruition for a variety of reasons - some of it has to do with me and some of it external situations and/or people. However, I quickly realized that things weren't what I expected. I tried to remain optimistic, but I knew this place was not for me. I started peeking at job postings but never applied to anything because I wanted to see if things would change, if I could possibly change – but it didn't happen. So finally, I decided to start looking with the intent of actually applying to postings that I believed would be better for me.

Life in some ways is like a game of cards (I'm a big fan of poker): You get dealt a hand and you have to try your best to win. Just because the hand dealt is poor, doesn't mean you will lose. However, you have to be able to recognize when there's just no way to win that hand and it's best to fold because there's another hand waiting to be dealt to you.

So, as in poker, make sure you maximize your winning hands (opportunities, resources, mentors, etc) but make sure you can recognize when you're in a losing situation and fold. Folding is part of the experience and if you do it right, you will still come out a winner in the end.

Review of NACA Huge Leadership Weekend

2010-06-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to attend NACA's Huge Leadership Weekend this year (June 3 - 6) and I think that it was a great experience. I was somewhat tentative about it since I was going on my own with no students soley for the professional track that is offered. Would I interact with the other professionals outside of our sessions?

The track was taught by Dr. Adam Peck, the Dean of Student Affairs at Stephen F Austin in Texas. For me, the sessions served as a reminder for the following things: why am I in this profession, what outcomes do I strive for in my areas of responsibility, and what best practices are out there?

Since the group was only around 21 folks, it was an intimate setting and I got the opportunity to talk to every person at least once about what they are doing and what trends they see on their campus.

Adam also implements some social media by creating a facebook group for us to join where we were encourged to post prior to HLW and to keep posting questions or ideas. I think I've convinced a couple of folks to start utilizing Twitter (make sure to say hi @arosemurphy).

Overall, I would highly recommend this. It's a pretty affordable, especially if you are within driving distance to it's location (it's only about 15 mins from my house). You'll get the chance to learn some ideas, reflect on your experiences, and network.

Year in Review

2010-06-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

This time last year, I was busy packing my items and saying my goodbyes to my friends & colleagues at the University of Arizona. It was very bittersweet for me because on one hand, I enjoyed living in Tucson & being a part of such a large institution with some great students and traditions. My wife & I had intended to settle down there and raise our daughter.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out as well planned. We were unable to close the home we had built, my family got caught in the crossfire of some shady search processes at UA, and I was no longer in a work environment that highlighted to my abilities which left me feeling very frustrated. Then economy gets really crazy with the promotion of Gov. Brewer - leaving the institution to cutting jobs, freeze hirings, and implement furloughs to name a few consequences.

So, we did a national job search with the great state of Texas offering us both opportunities for employment. I landed a job at a new institution which gave me the opportunity to build something from scratch - a rare opportunities for a student affairs professional. We hoped that down the road maybe there would be an opportunity for my wife to build the res life program once it got started. I was filled with so much excitement and optimism.

Now, as I close in on the one year mark at my job, it really has not been what I expected. Now, that doesn't mean it has been horrible but I've been frustrated plenty. I'd love to explore it some more but I don't think this is the time or place for such thoughts. With that said, I have a lot to be thankful for:

*I was able to get that home to settle in
*I've learned how to use social media (especially Twitter) to enhance my professional development
*I've had my most interactions with faculty since my days as a student
*I work with a student population that is incredibly greatful

So, for once, I'm stopping to smell the roses. As someone who seeks to constantly improve things around me, it is kinda hard to do.

Faking It in Student Affairs

2010-04-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

During my commute to work today, I finally got around to listing to the Freakonomics Blog's Podcast entitled "Faking It". I highly recommend listing to it.

Without giving too much away, the podcast talked about how people need to fake things in order to fit in with the rest of society (especially at work). One example given was how a couple fakes attending church in order to fit in with their work colleagues & neighbors - their perception is that because they live in the south (Atlanta to be specific), one is judged socially based on how many kids a married couple has (or wants) and what their religious preferences are.

This got me thinking about my place/role in society but especially at work. Due to the highly political nature of Higher Education and Student Affairs, "Faking It" is something that is done all of the time. I do it (poorly I must admit) as well as everyone I work with and work for. In order to advance in this field, you need to fake it with your students, faculty, peers, and your supervisor(s). We volunteer our time to professional associations and pretend to like the people we're working with although we barely know them (that doesn't mean I dislike them. In reality, I don't know what to think).

This "faking it" skill is something that I need to personally work a lot on. I'm a person who is very much a "straight shooter" and is very honest with what I think. That does not mean I am rude, but if you're looking for someone to give you an honest opinion, I'm the person you want to chat with. However, I wonder if my inability to be a more effective "faker" will ultimately lead me not attaining my ultimate professional goal before I retire, which is to the a VP of Student Affairs. In order to get there, I'm going to need to make friends with a lot of folks that I wouldn't (or don't) enjoy spending time with. I think this is kind of sad in a way, but an absolute necessity.

I find it amazing when I go to a meeting with people who feel comfortable being honest with me & watch them pretend to love interacting with a particular person(s) yet the moment they leave, they let out their true feelings (verbally or non-verbally). Me, I have bad body language so, you can tell through my non-verbals what I really think regardless of what I say.

A question for you, reader: What percentage of your day do you spend "faking it"?

My Quest for the Prefect Name

2010-04-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

One of the luxuries of working at a new institution is that I get to play a central role in developing the identity for my "office". While I believe that it is important to first create a mission, vision, goals, & outcomes; that process has me wondering if I should my office be called campus activities or should it go by a different name?

My thought right now is that I definitely need to move away from "campus activates". Since I'm charged with developing the leadership development, student organizations, and programming experiences; I think "campus activities" does not does not cover the full scope of what I do.

With that said, this has not been easy. I've asked on Twitter for some ideas & have gotten some great feedback from folks but there's one problem: coming up with an awesome acronym. One thing that I think I am learning through this process is the importance of language selection, especially in marketing. I think we student affairs professional get caught up in our jargon a lot which can stray us from who we're trying to serve in the first place. I've also come to realize that I don't like using "student" because

So, here's what I like so far:

Campus Leadership, Involvement, and Programs
Campus Activities and Leadership Programs
Campus Life

Like any of 'em? Have an idea, let me know.

Are Student Organizations Micromanaged?

2010-03-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago Jeff Lail (@jefflail on Twitter) posted a great question on Twitter:

"Why does the way student orgs are handled in higher ed SO administratively regulated? Can't we let this be a little more organic?"

I responsed quickly to Jeff & shared with him my gut feeling on the topic but now that I have had some time to reflect on it, I thought I'd dive a little but deeper.

Reason #1: Fear
Fear might be a strong word but based on my experiences, some adminsistrators worry that student organizations will get out of hand without proper regulations in place. So, implementing rules, policies, regulations, etc is a way of being proactive. Protecting them from themselves since we know best.

Reason #2: CYA
If something were to happen & public opinion is not happy, the institution can say "Well, we do have these regulations. We do workshops, trainings, etc. So, don't blame us. We tried to educate them".

Reason #3: Senior & Season SA Professionals are "Helicopters" themselves!
Oh yes, I just went there. If you step back & think about it, some (but not all) of our senior & seasoned student affair professionals might be helicopter parents themselves are are just treating students the way the treat their own children. Their intent is well meant but there is some negative impact.

Got any other possible reasons? I'd love to hear them

Working at a new institution series: Post #1

2010-03-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

So, the description of my blog mentions that I am working at a new institution and that I will write blog entries reflecting on my experience.

To be honest, I have been kind of avoiding the topic because while I like where I work and I get to work with some great students, it's been very frustrating as well. I'm a natural pessimist and I'm worried that I might come off as too negative and that in turn would impact my image that my employer has of me.

But, it's time to stop being a wuss and just dive in to this topic. So, I thought I'd back track and bring y'all up to speed on what I've been doing and then talk about what I am currently doing in any posts that I do.

I started working here on July 1 and I've been charged to develop a campus activities office. My supervisor is our SSAO (Senior Student Affairs Officer) and she was the first person hired almost 2 yrs ago followed by a career services person, an admin assistant, a mental health counselor/student disability specialist, and then me. Since then, there's been a student disability specalist added 'cause it was waaay to much work for our mental health counselor to balance both roles.

Prior to starting the position, I assumed that I would just run with the ball per say and start developing events, work with student orgs, and create leadership development workshops. I'd be autonomous and life would be great. My supervisor mentioned that she had already proposed a budget for my area complete with a salary to hire a second person within the year as well as see my title go from a coordinator to a director.

Over the past 9 months, I've been successful in planning some small & large-scale events, created a handbook for student organizations that is constantly being updated as new topics are addressed, done some leadership workshops that were not very well attended, and have even done some advising for our new Student Government. I do not have a budget, I have to get all of my expenditures approved by my supervisor & her supervisor (our provost), and my title has not changed.

I think the biggest & constant source of frustration for me is the micromanaging that takes place where I work. Since we're so small (around 2500 - which is roughly double from last year) our senior leadership has the opportunity to be keep more of an eye on folks like me & they sure take advantage of it. Also, the organizational structure is set up that you have to go up the chain of command to get approval to do things (especially if you're wanting to spend money). I really like my autonomy so that's a big reason why I am frustrated a lot, that has nothing to do with my employer.

One thing that I am stuggling with is trying to be "innovative". I am not necessarily sure all the time what's innovative (I tend to use this word when utilizing technology) and I wonder if I am trying to move too fast when I don't have anything to compare that was done in the past. So, I have this dillemma: What should come first - 1) creating things that are common at other institutions or 2) trying to figure out are the best practices out there that are tend setting or 3) use my experiences as a foundation of what to do here.

Having been a student affairs nomad (I've worked or interned at 4 types of institutions in a variety of roles) and I like to thing that I have a good variety of experience from different perspectives. So, in a way, I must admit that I kind of have this sense of entitlement since most of the staff at this institution have minimal higher ed experience with the exception of my supervisor.

The one skill that I have had to utilize the most (successfully or unsuccessfully) is patience. I don't consider that to be a strength of mine so I'm glad that I am being challenged to develop this skill and getting lots of practice.

Are Religious Student Orgs At State Institutions Entitled To Funding?

2010-03-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was reading the Sunday newpaper when something on the cover of Parade Magazine caught my eye. "Can Campus Religious Groups Exclude Non-Believers?" was on the right hand corner of the magazine. Curious, I decided to find & read this article.

The article (you can read it here), talks about the fight between the student organization Christian Legal Society and the University of California Hastings College of the Law. CLS was denied recognition due to the fact that CLS violated their nondiscrimination policy. The institution's stance is summed up with this quote:

“Religious groups on campus have a choice,” says Ethan Schulman, a lawyer representing the school. “If they want to be eligible to receive public funds and access to facilities, they cannot discriminate in selecting members and officers. If they wish to discriminate, they can continue to meet, but without the benefit of public funds and support.”

Just to put any biases out there, I'm not a religious person so I approach this issue from that angle. I think it's great that this law school is holding it's ground if that's what they think it right.

When I was at the University of Arizona, it was interpreted differently. They took the stance that religious organizations were entitled to facilities as well as funding. However, the funding could not be used for proselytizing. I thought this stance was fine: I was fine that we gave equal access to all organizations regardless of their beliefs. However, after seeing religious organizations request club funding, it was really hard to interpret what was or was not proselytizing. After all, the majority of these groups were about religious/spirtitual development & actively recruited new members.

Now, I am at a new institution that has just started a lot of it's campus life opportunities and one of those being funding for student organizations. They haven't started their first meeting yet (it's a couple of weeks away) but what precedent will we be taking on this matter? I know what my bosses will say (see what everyone else does) but I'd like for us to just make our own choice and stick with it. Besides, haven't we always said "just because everyone else does it, doesn't mean it's good" to each other?

I'm personally on the fence with the funding part. I'm okay with them having rooms to meet and access to other areas to recruit because while I don't agree with them on a moral level, it is not my right as a rule maker to say that one organization is okay while the other is not - that doesn't mean that if they do anything that I find to be against our policies, they won't be held accoutable. Then there's the whole "free speech zone" topic but that's a bridge I'll cross when I need to (students here don't seem to be interested in protesting or other activities that require the use one a free speech zone - yet at least).

If I had to make a choice right now, I would say that they shouldn't have access to funds. As a state institution, there must remain some separation between us and religious affiliated student orgs. Right now, there is only one religous organization on campus and I must admit that I really don't know what they do. I should get on that.

What are others doing? I'd love to hear how peers approach this.

Ole Miss students vote yes for new mascot

2010-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

I was checking out one of my favorite web sites, ESPN, and I noticed that the University of Mississippi (aka Ole Miss) students have decided to officially retire Colonel Reb, Ole Miss' inactive mastcot that looks like umm...an ol' school southern gentlemen? Here's a pic of the colonel:

The colonel has been inactive for several years as Ole Miss tries to move away from what some view as lingering ties to a confederate past (IMHO - yup, the colonel does). Student Koriann Porter started the petition initiative that led to the vote conducted by the institution's Associated Students. Although the campus has over 18,000 students, only 3,366 voted. There will be a committee formed to develop a new mascot.

I personally think that it is great that this student-led initiative has taken place to personify their school spirit in a less offensive manner. I am curious how much support she recieved (if any) from staff or faculty on campus. You can read the ESPN article here. There's also a good article from MSNBC that you can find here.

Source: ESPN.com

What are Student Affairs Conferences doing to be Sustainable?

2010-02-18T08:29:00.000-08:00

While I know Student Affairs professional organizations and the conferences they host have embraced the idea of sustainability, I decided to check out several web sites to see what they are doing this year. So, here's what I was able to find:

NASPA - The conference web site had a section about sustainability but did not go into details about what they are specifically. I know from experience that they started handing out the popular reusable totes & had recycling bins all over the place. They do offer some tips. Grade: C. The tips are nice but there could be more info.

ACPA - Their section is similar to NASPA's in that they don't talk about what they're doing for the conference and provide some tips to attendees. In addition, they encourage people to donate to the ACPA foundation. Grade: C+. They do have a little more info than NASPA.

ACUHO-I - Like the previous two, they don't really discuss what they're doing. They do provide two links about sustainability in Austin & sustainable measures the convention center has taken. C-. Interesting links but that's about it.

NACA - This one has already happened but they had zero infomation. Grade: F. No info.

ACUI - Like NACA, they have nothing either. Grade: F. No info also.

Now, I know all of these conferences are going to have session about sustainability & have even started committees (groups, communities, they all use different language) to discuss & promote sustainability. But my grades are based on just infomation provided. I think all of these organizations should do at least the following some of which is being done already:

Have tips on how to be more sustainable.
Provide minimal materials to attendees. Do we really need a big conference book?
Provide innovative resources for attendees that are also more eco-friendly. Hello ACPA Mingle Stick, goodbye a bunch of business cards.
Use as a many materials as possible that are sustainable within the conference.

Standard Operating Procedures

2010-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of working at a new institution is that I get to create University Rules & Standard Operation Procedures (I know your jealous). Right now, I'm working on the one regarding Student Travel. I researched all of my fellow Texas A&M peers as well a couple of additional institutions. One thing that I noticed is that the most recent editions were published more than five years ago, if not more. Which leads me to this question: How often should things like SOP's be revised?

The reason why I ask if because any SOP involving students should be updated regularly but what's considered "best practice" in regards to this? To use travel as an example, there are so many variables (travel safety standards, politicial climates domestically & abroad, or modes of transportation) that are constantly changing as well as our students. What might have worked ten years ago may not apply to the current demographics of the student body.

I personally think an institution should not go more than 5 years with out doing a review. What do you think?

Tips for Student Affairs Grads Job Searching - Part 2

2010-02-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some tips for those job searching which focused on what to do prior to getting the the conference (you can click here for that post). So, now lets talk about what to do while you are there.

1) Attend an orientation session. I must admit I didn't do this myself but in my defense, I did volunteer at placement the year before so I felt very comfortable already with the environment & process. The orientation sessions are designed to help you be aware of all the resources & procedures you'll be able to utilize.

2) Be careful of what you say & where you say it. If your at placement & someone asks how everything is going, make sure you are very careful what you say - especially when it is something negative. You never know how might be walking by. The spotlight is going to be on you 24-7.

3) Make sure you schedule breaks during the day. You should always leave at least a 1/2 hr between interview incase an interview is running late (which happens a lot) which then makes you late to your next interview. Its also great for processing your interview, check your mailbox, & write thank you cards while the experience is still fresh in your head. Also, you're going to need time to eat, grad a drink, and/or use the restroom.

4) Have snacks, mints, & a bottle of water. If you can't seem to find time to eat, having snacks will help out (you don't want your stomach grumbling during the interview, right?). Mints will help you to have fresh breath at all times (and provide some calories to keep you going). Water with help with your throat stay refreshed since you'll be talking quite a bit.

5) Make friends in the waiting room. It is a great way to network with colleagues and find out information about employers (if the person is friendly & willing to share). Out of grad school, my waiting area was very friendly & I think it helped us to releaze some of the anxiety we were feeling since we were able to chat & have fun.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or send me a tweet - you can find me @pereirap80. You can see lots of great comments & article links on the #saplacement via twitter.

Tips for Student Affairs Grads Job Searching

2010-01-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but I find job searching to be interesting and kind of fun. Since The Placement Exchange & ACPA's conference are right around the corner, I thought I'd share some tips based on my experiences as an interviewer & a two time interviewee. I'm going to break this down into a couple of installments starting with what to do prior to a job fair (if you're going to one)

1) Ask for feedback. You should look to your colleagues, mentor(s), & supervisor(s) for feedback on cover letters, resumes, what to wear, etc. I found that there are lots of people who are willing to share their experiences with others.

2) Be honest with yourself. By now, you should be determining what type of positions you're interested in, what your geographic scope it, & what you can offer to an employer.

Also, you should be thinking about questions that you would like to ask employers and make sure to ask thought provoking questions in addition to the generic ones that everyone asks. The questions you ask can leave a positive impact on employers.

3) Practice, practice, & more practice. One thing that I thought was extremely helpful was that my grad school set up mock interviewer for graduating students. The room was set up like the job fairs so that we could become familiar with the settings. We had to submit 3 jobs we were interested in & alumni created questions to interview us. Each job was with a different alum which helped to see different styles & a broader scope of questions.

If your grad school doesn't offer this, I recommend asking some folks your trust to do some mock interviews with.

4) Do as much prep work as possible. I like pre-scheduling interviews with employers (if they offer the option). I don't think you should set up all your interviews prior to you get there but if there's a job that sounds awesome to you, go for it. Also, if you do pre-schedule space them out so that you have time between interviews to process & relax before takling another.

I would also make all your resumes/cover letters to distribute, your "notes for employers", & info about employers (mission, goals, etc.) ahead of time. The job fairs can be intense, long, & time consuming. The more you can do ahead of time, the less you need to worry about while you're at the fair.

Got any questions? You can ask me on twitter (@pereirap80) or leave a comment & I'll respond to you.

Some suggestions from a former live-in professional

2010-01-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

With job placement season right around the corner, I thought I'd share some tips for those that are looking at or remaining in live-on positions.

While I work in campus activities currently, I was a residence hall director for 5 years (which includes grad school). So, here's some thoughts from my experiences:

1) Save money!! Odds are when you move off campus, you will be taking a significant financial hit that will not be able to compensate for all the non-salary perks (goodbye free rent, utilities, cable, internet, no commute, etc). One area that I underestimated when I purchased a home was all of the furniture I would need, supplies to maintain my lawn, ladders & tools for repairs, etc.

2) It's not a bad idea to buy furniture pieces if your employer lets you or other items. I think most employers don't care if you have your own furniture since they can probably use it elsewhere. My wife & I didn't do this but I had colleagues that did and I always thought it was a good idea - we just decided to wait. We did however upgrade our car to a more family-friendly one once my wife got pregnant.

3) Make sure you fully explore the community you live in. During my last year in Tucson, I moved off campus and it forced me to become more aware (& thankful) of the entire city. We took lots of trips to the zoo, botanical gardens, various parks, learned about cool restaurants (such as this great Mom & pop Hawaiian restaurant), & much more. When I lived on campus, my scope was probably only a 10 mile radius with the exception of trendy places.

4) Set boundaries. I think this one is more for hall directors. It is very hard to set them when you live & work in the same environment. Your accessible 24-7 (which is part of the job) and have a more flexible schedule. I found myself willing to put in longer and/or later hours when I was single or had a day when I was bored. Instead of catching a movie off campus or something, I'd work on something in my office. It's important to have a presence in your hall but don't feel bad to go off-campus more frequently.

I've know some peers to set boundaries that I thought were too extreme such as screening phone calls. I think it is important that staff and students know what is acceptable after-hours interactions and the only way they will know is to have conversations with them about it.

I want my web site to look like this

2010-01-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I went to do a google search for Swift Kick (creators of Red Rover & other items) and came across this Swift-Kick which is Kent State University's Stark Campus online student portal. I think it hits the nail on the head in terms of creating an online portal that is useful for students but also talks their language. I've noticed that Higher Ed as a whole is not good at speaking students' language and so did they:

SWIFT KICK began life as the first-year and new student outreach program for Kent State University's Stark Campus, but it has become so much more. This is the cyber-world home of the Student Services team. It is a place that we've built because we've found that the traditional, preachy sort of communication that is typical of universities and schools just doesn't resonate with the students. We came to this brilliant conclusion when we stopped looking at the world through the eyes of a Student Services office and started looking at it through the eyes of an actual person.

As luck would have it, most of us are actual people, so it was relatively easy. We reasoned: If we don't like to listen to the dull, monotonous sounds of a 40-something teacher-type talking about going to class and studying the material, why would anyone else? Therefore we will be using this site and program to talk to you the way we talk to each other - like real people living in a real world filled with all the real world things that can both cause distractions and light a fire under each of us. Have a problem, question or suggestions? You can use this site to contact us as well as eachother. Swift Kick is open 24 / 7!

We hope you realize that each of us have been there and done that. We have all been to school in the modern higher education system. We have all rolled into class late or slept through a lecture. We know what it's like. The difference is we know how to avoid these things. We have graduated. We can help you graduate, too.

Great job folks. I hope it's okay if I take some ideas

What purpose do collegiate athletics serve?

2009-12-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Norman Chad, writer for the Washington Post or probably more famously known to ESPN viewers as 1/2 of the World Series of Poker commentating team, had a column titled "It should be schools of thought, not football".

In the article he praises Northeastern University for disbanding it's football team and wishes that his alma mater (University of Maryland) would do the same.

"College football has absolutely nothing to do with college -- this is unofficially the 783rd time I've said this. It is a business in which athletes posing as students wear school colors for the sake of alumni gratification and TV money. "

Pretty strong feelings about collegiate athletics, especially football.

Today, ESPN reported that Michigan State University was suspending 8 players for their involvement in a fight that took place in one of MSU's residence halls. The incident took place on 11/22 during an event sponsored by Iota Phi Theta fraternity - which happened to have a fight at another sponsored event the previous night at a club near the campus.

These two incidents made me wonder what purpose athletics really offer higher education. As a Higher Ed Professional with an undergrad degree in Sports Management (I also did a couple of internships & jobs in sports), here's my attempt at coming up with some pros & cons.

Pro: School Spirit & Pride - Athletics is the perfect venue to encourage school pride. People are competitive and love to brag that their school is better than someone else’s. This happens already – it’s called the US News & World Report’s College Rankings. How about Playboy's party rankings? (Not that I'd like a school I work at to be on that).

Con: Allocation of resources - Sports are not cheap. There are so many costs associated with maintaining an athletic program: coaches, admin staff, trainers, uniforms, facilities, travel, marketing, & last but not least scholarships (if applicable - i.e. D-III schools don't give out athletic scholarships).

Pros: Provides a opportunity for an education that otherwise might now happen for some student athletes. These students then go on to contribute in a variety of professions that don't involve sports.

Cons: Think millennials are entitled? Try interacting with student-athletes that are either a) the star player, b) play a high-profile sport (i.e. football & basketball), or c) both? I'm generalizing but based on my experiences (I used to work at a Pac-10 school for 4 years) they can be challenging.

Some more ideas come to mind but I'd love to hear what others think.

Characteristics of Colleges With High Transfer-Success Rates

2009-11-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education came out with a report titled "Bridging the Gaps to Success: Promising Practices for Promoting Transfer Among Low-Income and First-Generation Students". The report highlights several Texas schools which is helpful for me since I work in San Antonio.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education,

The report found that the colleges shared three main characteristics: structured academic pathways that aptly prepare students to enroll at four-year colleges, a student-centered culture that emphasizes personal attention, and culturally sensitive leaders who understand the backgrounds of their students.

As a student affairs professional working at an institution that currently only accepts transfer students, I believe it is important to emphasize these characteristics. TAMU-SA is a predominately Latino/a, Female, & low-socioeconomic status population. I try my best to understand their culture & provide personalized attention to them.

With that said, I'm pretty sure that I was taught in grad school that these three characteristics are vital for any student to attain success. So, in a way, this report seems like common knowledge amongst student affairs professionals like myself. However, I don't believe that we are always able to do this with limited resources (staffing, budgets, etc.).

I'd love to hear some thought on how others do this or don't.

Why can't athletes play nice?

2009-10-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

If you're a big sports nut like myself, you may have noticed that there has been several disiplinary issues with intercollegiate athletes recently. Some get more press than others but all are really concerning.

First, there's the incident from University of Oregon involved their star running back who lost his cool and went "Artest" after the game was over. There's been lots of coverage about that so let's move along.

Yesterday, ESPN reported that an arrest warrent was issued for University of Texas football player Kenny Vaccaro. According to the article, the victim claims that "Vaccaro and his friends were throwing basketballs at him." The vicitim then threw a basketball back at Vaccaro, hitting him in the head. Vaccaro then responded by punching him in the face. This all took place at a gymnasium on campus.

UT Head Coach Mac Brown stated in a release, "We're aware of the situation with Kenny Vaccaro," Brown said. "We've talked to Kenny and his family, and pending the completion of the legal process, we'll do what's best for the university, Kenny and the team. One thing we have really prided ourselves on in our program is our family atmosphere, and this will be handled within our family."

It'll be interesting to see what the outcome is of this incident. Whether it is fair or not, student athletes (especially ones at elite programs like UT) are going to be in the spotlight a lot more than the average student. Students need to understand this and should act in a responsible manner. However, this is also a great learning opportunity for this student as well as his teammates. Based on my experiences of having previously worked at a Pac-10 school, some student athletes believe that they are either above the law or the only authority figure they listen to is their coaches. These athletes should be expected to listen to all authority figures and reprimanded when they do not do so.

Another person who needs to be talked to is the victim. If his story is true, he needs to be held accountable as well for his actions. He could have easily taken the high road and reported the player's behavior to the proper authorities.

Source: ESPN.com