NEWSLETTER October2020
IN THIS ISSUE • Note from the Regional Director • Scholarships • Financial Assistance Fund • Highlight This! • New Regional Leadership Team Spotlight • Volunteer Opportunities • Upcoming Region II Virtual Events • 2020 Regional Conference • Highlighted Regional Conference Testimonials
@ACUIRegionII
NOTE FROM THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR
[sound of Zoom call logging in] “Can you hear me? Am I muted? Hang on, let me share my screen with you.” I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve said those three sentences on loop for the last six months. I’m sure many of you have, too. It’s become a clear sign of the times - we are working remotely, sharing everything electronically, even hosting virtual events at a break-neck pace. Yet through all of this, the college union, whether fully open or not, has remained a symbol, a beacon of hope that our communities might one day be built in-person again. In such remarkable times, we look to these symbols for guidance and inspiration. And my friends, our region has plenty to be inspired by. Throughout this time, our Regional Leadership Team has worked hard to adapt our vision and programs to continue to serve your needs. Our Regional Conference Planning Team has shifted gears to produce a truly noteworthy Virtual Conference coming soon in November (have you registered yet, by the way?). Our ACUI Board of Trustees and Leadership Team have strategically focused on new priorities to continue providing value and resources to our members. Even within the ACUI logo itself, we find the meandros - a Greek symbol of enduring unity and friendship. What more could we ask for in these times? We’re not being naive here - we know the future months, even years, hold difficulties both expected and unexpected. But our institutions, our unions, have been through difficult times before, and we will continue to promote the values that both ACUI and our home institutions hold above all else: unconditional human worth, joy, learning, caring community, innovation, diversity, and integrity. Whether near or far, our communities benefit from our work, and we benefit from the community we have with one another. I hope for three things: that your semester persists successfully, that you are able to find normalcy in due time, and that I get to see your bright, shining faces at our Virtual Regional Conference this November. Okay, that’s all for now. Thanks for joining this call. See you soon! [waves to computer camera]
Dr. Rob Stagni
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
Scholarships are currently available for professionals looking to register for the Region II Virtual Conference on November 4-5. Up to 6 scholarships will be available and the scholarship application due date is October 26. Apply here before the deadline to be considered! https://acuiforms.wufoo.com/forms/2020-region-ii-scholarships/ Please contact Recognition Coordinator Cassidy Sansone at csansone@austin.utexas.edu with any questions.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUND Given the financial pressures higher education is facing as a result of the pandemic, ACUI created the Financial Assistance Fund to support campus community builders. Grants are available to those whose institutional funds are lessened due to the impact of the current pandemic, allowing students and professionals to participate in ACUI programs or access needed resources. To apply for funding or to give to this fund, view more on the website: https://www.acui.org/give/financial-assistance-fund
HIGHLIGHT THIS! Highlight This! Let’s take a moment to celebrate the programming at Rice University for Hispanic Heritage Month. All programs are open to the public. Guests can visit oma.rice.edu/hhm2020 for event descriptions and additional details on how to RSVP. We love to highlight the various events and activities our members are doing across the region! If you have something from your campus to highlight to the region, submit the form linked below! www.bit.ly/RIIHighlight
acui.org/regions/ii
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM!
The Region II Regional Leadership Team is excited to announce two new additions to the Regional Leadership Team and one returning volunteer. Region II welcomes Mike Facey who will serve as the Inclusivity Coordinator; Michael McKean who will serve as the 2022 Conference Chair; and Kat Romero who will begin her second term as Business Manager for the region. Mike Facey is a native New Yorker whose passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shows in his work as a higher education professional. He received his Master of Education degree from James Madison University and his Bachelor of Science degree from Radford University. Mike Facey currently serves as the assistant director of union and involvement services at Truman State University.
Michael McKean is the associate director of the Rayburn Student Center at Texas A & M Commerce. His experience lies in facilities management and operations. He currently serves as the leader of the Facilities and Operations Community of Practice. He has actively served in volunteer roles at ACUI since 2014. Michael McKean has extensive background in student union technology and served as the Technology Community of Practice Leader from 2015-18. Outside of work Michael McKean and his wife Kim spend plenty of time with their three dogs.
Kat Romero is a higher education professional at Texas State University and is currently in the graduate program for Student Affairs Higher Education. Kat Romero has a huge passion for both student affairs and ACUI, and considers ACUI her professional home and family. She encourages all to get involved with ACUI.
acui.org/regions/ii
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE REGIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM?
Region II currently has two open Regional Leadership Team positions. We are currently looking for dedicated individuals to serve as a Communications Coordinator and the Educational Programs Coordinator. For more information or to apply, visit our website at https://acui.org/regions/ii/regional-volunteer-opportunities.
SHORT-TERM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Are you interested in dipping your toe into ACUI volunteering? We have the perfect opportunities available! We have several short-term volunteer opportunities open which include reviewing award nominations, scholarship nominations, and conference submissions. If you are interested, please complete this form (https://acuiforms.wufoo.com/forms/m19q8me1064f86w/) to learn more!
UPCOMING REGION II VIRTUAL EVENTS
Programming during COVID-19 Thursday, October 15, 3 p.m. CST https://iu.zoom.us/j/91510373108** State and campus regulations regarding in person gatherings have influenced the way programming is implemented. With the impact of COVID-19 not fading, we will discuss how campuses are adapting and “hosting” events/programs in alignment with health regulations. This virtual roundtable will feature perspectives from those that are hosting “in-person activities” and those that are focused on virtual to get the conversation started. We aim for colleagues to share ideas for what you are doing, what you need, and how you are continuing to keep students engaged. Student Staff Professional Development Roundtable Wednesday, October 21, 12 p.m. CST https://iu.zoom.us/j/91510373108** As we continue to work in adapted environments, let’s share ideas for continued professional development for our student staff. This is a virtual roundtable, so come prepared to share ideas for what you are doing, what you need, and how you are continuing to keep student staff engaged in this environment. **All of the upcoming virtual events will take place in the same zoom space. Check your email or message our social media accounts for the password.
2020 REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Registration The 2020 Region II Virtual Conference is November 4-5. Registration is now open for individuals or for institutional (unlimited) registration. To learn more about the benefits of attending a Regional Conference, see the testimonials on pages 8-9. Detailed instructions can be found on our website: https://www.acui.org/regions/ii/regional-conference Graphic Design Competition Registration for the 2020 Region II Graphic Design Competition is open! Student and professional graphic designers and marketers working in the region are encouraged to enter! This is a competition that recognizes the best work based on concept, design, content, and creativity. For more details, see our website https://www.acui.org/regions/ii/regional-conference Silent Auction Support Region II by donating an item(s) to our online Silent Auction! Looking for ideas on what to donate? Consider items that don’t need to be shipped such as e-gift cards or redeemable codes. For an item that needs to be shipped, please consider it as part of your donation to ship it to the winning bidder. Submit your donation by October 30. Funds raised from the Silent Auction will support the region’s scholarship fund. Link to donate item: https://acuiforms.wufoo.com/forms/region-ii-silent-auction-donation-form/ Showcase Your Space The ACUI Region II Conference Planning Team invites you to submit a video to showcase your facility for a virtual tour segment to be highlighted at the 2020 Virtual Conference November 4-5. Deadline is 5 p.m., October 23. Please fill out the entry form and upload your finished video here: https://acuiforms.wufoo.com/forms/region-ii-showcase-your-space-submissions/ More requirements and ideas can be found on our website: https://www.acui.org/regions/ii/regional-conference. If you have any questions, please reach out to Audrey Taggart-Kagdis at akagdis@k-state.edu. Virtual Career Center Check out the Virtual Career Center during the 2020 Region II Virtual Conference! The Career Center will be open to any person/institution that registers for the conference. ACUI Region II members will be serving as mentors at the Career Center. The mentors will be able to assist with resume reviews, interview tips, professional advice, and more!
acui.org/regions/ii
2020 REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Adapting and Thriving together – Team LBJSC The team at the LBJ Student Center, Texas State University is taking the opportunity to participate in the Regional Conference by purchasing an institutional registration and encouraging participation of all team members (student employees and graduate assistants included) who would like to attend. A small committee is working on pulling together the logistics to give this a real ‘conference’ feel while attending virtually. Staff and students will be able to join the sessions in a variety of ways but the opportunity to network with TXST colleagues, safely, in real life will be amazing! · Each attendee will register for the conference, per the guidance from ACUI on the institutional registration process · Meeting rooms will be used for each breakout session in order to allow Texas State attendees to “attend” their preferred sessions together. · Each meeting room will have a host facilitator to allow for follow up conversations. · We will also be providing beverages in the morning and lunch on the first day with a few snacks sprinkled in, too! Thank you Region II for providing this opportunity for our team to Adapt and Thrive together! Tracy Goodman Assistant Director, LBJ Student Center
HIGHLIGHTED REGIONAL CONFERENCE TESTIMONIALS Kate Fleming Manager II, Office of Reservations & Events University of Missouri Attending the Regional Conference gave me the opportunity to gain perspective from other schools. I do not come from a background of working in the Student Unions, so I only had a knowledge set that was just from my own campus experience nor did I know much about ACUI as an organization. I always find that the best experiences at conferences occur when you can talk with others from around the country who may or may not have the same questions/concerns or experiences that we come with from our campus. This conference afforded me and the team that attended the opportunity to not only meet our colleagues from around our region, but to come home and think about our own operations and find outside the box solutions based on the conversations we had with the other attendees.
acui.org/regions/ii
HIGHLIGHTED REGIONAL CONFERENCE TESTIMONIALS
Polly McNeel Assistant Director, Scheduling, Operations, Event Services Setzer Student Center, Student Engagement Lamar University Attending the Regional Conference has helped in so many ways. First, it allowed me to interact with my coworker on a whole new level. We had the opportunity to co-present, in doing this we spent a lot of time together and were able to get to know one another more. The conference has helped me in my role as an Assistant Director by giving me a broader perspective on our students and what issues they deal with an average day. I had the honor of taking two of our students with us and it was refreshing to see them take in all the sessions that the conference offered. It literally was like watching their minds broaden and expand. The sessions offered were so diverse and I took back with me ideas, strategies and goals for myself and the department. I cannot wait for the next conference! Register for the Virtual Regional Conference on our website! https://www.acui.org/regions/ii/regional-conference
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