Get Involved at ACPA 2015! Convention Service Project, by Sarah Cantrell Perkins, 2011 alumna

Posted on March 3, 2015 by rcleahey

One year ago I was preparing to go to the ACPA Convention in Indianapolis. I had established with my supervisor that one of my goals was deeper involvement with ACPA; my task for the 2014 Convention was to identify specific positions that would be a good fit. During the Commission for Student Involvement (CSI) Open Meeting, I learned about the Convention Service Project Volunteer role and was immediately intrigued. Following that meeting, I had lunch with AJ and I shared my excitement with her, but also some concerns that come with putting your name in the mix for a new opportunity. As many of you can imagine, AJ was incredibly supportive and reflected to me how I could make this experience my own. I applied, was selected, and have been working over the past several months to coordinate the 2015 Convention Service Project. We’re in the final stretch and I’m reaching out to any and all Wolfpack -prospective and current students, faculty, and alumni – to join us and help us make the event a great success!

There are several ways you can participate:

Direct Service Project

Thursday, March 5 (8am-12:30pm). Participants will serve in teams with one of three Tampa Community partners: Feeding America Tampa Bay, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, and Tampa Heights Jr Civic Association.

Feeding America is the largest domestic hunger relief organization in the country, consisting of a network of more than 200 food banks. Feeding America Tampa Bay services a 10 county area in West Central Florida. Volunteers will sort through food donations, pack bags of groceries for those in need, stock and maintain the pantry/shopping area, and/or assist with any special projects.

Tampa Bay Beautification (founded in 1989) and Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful (founded in 1992) merged in 2012 to form Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. Building on the success of these two non-profits, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful continues to have a huge impact in the community. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is the local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Volunteers will participate in a local community clean up. *Note: ACPA volunteers on this project will walk to the neighborhood from the Convention Center.*

Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association is a community-based, resident driven organization that connects youth and families in the community; provides youth the opportunities to build leadership skills and civic involvement through mentoring, caring, and support; and secures resources to respond to identified needs. Volunteers will work at the community garden and a few will help at the community center as it prepares to open later in March.

Check-in will be in Marriott Lobby 2 of the Marriott Tampa Waterside hotel from 8:00 – 8:15am. Transportation to and from projects is provided.

Professional Dress Clothing Drive

On-going. Donate new or gently used professional clothing in bins located near the convention registration area through Saturday, March 7 at 12pm. Donations will benefit Dress for Success Tampa.

Convention Service Project 2.0: Maximizing One Day Service Projects

Sunday, March 8 (8:00am-9:00am, Convention Center Room 24). Sponsored by the Commission for Student Involvement, this session corresponds with the Convention Service Project and will spotlight the challenges and opportunities related to critical reflection and one day service projects. Through the use of guided reflection activities focused on the Convention Service Project and a facilitated discussion among session participants, this program will engage Convention Service Project participants more deeply and will share the Service Project with those who did not attend. Participants will share best practices with critical reflection through a discussion-based, activity-led format.

The ACPA Convention Service Project is a wonderful way to meet colleagues, support the Tampa community, and to engage in the NCSU HEA’s values of integration with the larger community. Help us put these values into action and register for the Convention Service Project today! I look forward to seeing you in Tampa and thanks, in advance, for your support!

Sarah Cantrell Perkins is a 2011 graduate of the Higher Education Administration master’s program. She serves as the Civic Engagement Coordinator at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can reach out to Sarah with any questions at sscantrell@gmail.com.

Two Campuses, One Experience, by Lizzy Heurich

Posted on November 19, 2014 by rcleahey

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, I cannot help but think about those things for which I am thankful. There are the obvious things that I am always grateful for, like my family, friends, and health. Then there are the less noticeable things in my life that I am thankful for, like the opportunity to experience work and life at two college campuses during my time in graduate school. Currently, I am a first-year master’s student in the Higher Education Administration program at NC State; I also hold a graduate assistantship at Duke University. At Duke, I am the Devils After Dark Coordinator for the East Campus Housing, Dining, and Residence Life office. I help to program weekend and late night activities for first-year students. North Carolina has many fine higher education institutions, and I am lucky to go to school and work at two of the most prominent universities in this state.

Back in August, I did not feel as thankful to be having two separate experiences. First off, I am fairly directionally-challenged. Not only did I have to learn how to get around two different campuses and cities, I had to learn how to get from home to work to school to back home. On the way to my first graduate school class, I got quite lost on NC State’s campus and ended up running down Hillsborough Street so I would not be too late. I also had trouble learning the traditions, quirks, and colloquial language of each campus. Students at Duke would talk to me about house benches, SLGs, or eating at ABP. At NC State, peers were talking about Packapalooza and the Free Expression Tunnel. Needless to say, I was struggling to adapt to campus culture and traditions as well as a new work environment and course load.

Fast forward a few months and things are quite different. Although it took a transition period of a month or two, I finally began to feel like I belonged on both campuses. At work, I felt more established as a member of the team. I mastered my weekly routine of planning, promoting, and running programs. Twenty-five miles down the road, I was beginning to form friendships with people in my cohort. I felt more comfortable participating in class, and I was getting to know the professors in the department. I was becoming more aware of campus-specific acronyms and traditions. NC State and Duke finally felt like home.

In the beginning, it felt like I was juggling two campus experiences at once. Now, I embrace the fact that I get to be involved on two college campuses and integrate those experiences with my personal and professional goals. I get to see how the theories we learn in class play out on two college campuses. I get to build relationships and connections at two prominent universities. I get to root for two football teams!

Lizzy Heurich is a first year master’s student in the Higher Education Administration program. She is currently serving as the Devils After Dark Coordinator for East Campus Housing, Dining, and Residential Life at Duke University. She is also the Associate Vice President for Engagement for the Higher Education Association at NC State.

Words of Wisdom from a Second Year, by Gabriel Solomon

Posted on October 2, 2013 by rcleahey

I’d like to take some time to offer some helpful advice to our current 1^st year M.Ed cohort from the perspective of a 2^nd year. 1^st years, by this time you’re almost halfway through with your first semester! I know I speak for everyone when I say that things will get much easier after the first semester. The following are just a couple of tips I learned from my 1^st year, some of which I wish I had realized sooner.

Remember to MAKE time for yourself!

Make time for yourself at least once a week in order to help yourself get through the stressful demands of school and your assistantship. Encourage yourself to find new hobbies, discover local getaways, and spend time with friends and family. Work will ALWAYS be there! You never know what other experiences you could be missing out on. Remember, many opportunities will come your way, however recognize that it’s ok to say no.

Invest in your professional development

The whole reason you’re in grad school is to become a student affairs professional. A great way to promote your professional development is by being an active and involved member of HEA! We provide several opportunities throughout the course of the year such as inviting guest speakers, holding seminars, and offer professional development funds.

Attend conferences in your area(s) of interest. Conferences offer valuable opportunities to connect with influential individuals in the field, and to advance your knowledge of best practices. Try to be strategic about the conferences that you attend. For example, if you choose to attend a local or regional conference your first year, consider attending a national conference your second year to maximize networking connections and knowledge of practices around the country.

Start early, stay organized

The first few weeks of the semester offer you a chance to get adjusted to the rigors of graduate school. Depending on your undergraduate focus, graduate school may present you with a different set of academic challenges.

Make a calendar and mark down all your assignment due dates. I find this to be one of the easiest ways to start, and stay organized. Be sure to set reminders into your calendar at least a week in advance of a due date to keep assignments fresh on your mind so they don’t sneak up on you.

By now you should have already written your first paper and had it critiqued for formatting APA errors. Make the necessary corrections and then use this paper as a template for starting future APA styled assignments. That way, you won’t need to worry about trying to figure out how the title, heading, and references should be styled.

Begin to create a word bank of “buzz words” that you can use in future assignments. This can be extremely helpful during those late night writing sessions when you develop a case of writer’s block. I usually add a couple words to my bank after co-authoring a group assignment. Here are just a few popular words in my word bank: enrich, advocate, support, foster, and perception.

That’s all for now! I hope that you all find these tips helpful!