Welcome to the 2017 ASSC! Welcome to Athabasca, Alberta - home of ASSC 2017. I hope you are as excited to be here as we are to welcome you to Athabasca and to your host for ASSC 2017 - Athabasca University! We have some fantastic activities planned for you over the next two-and-a-half days. Lots of opportunities for sharing, networking, researching, learning, laughing and lets not forget FUN. Athabasca University is GOING THE DISTANCE. Session presenters this week have you all matching your peanut butter to your jelly, sampling lollipops, building bridges, getting physical, and even hugging your blankie ... wait, what did you say? You will find this and more at ASSC 2017. Of course there's the fun ... and speaking of fun we have FANTASTIC things for you to do. From nature walks around the beautiful AU grounds, to a guided tour of historic Athabasca, to painting and ... wait for it .... the chocolate experience! We are even going to take you on a little visit to Hawaii. And because the food here is so fantastic we've thrown in some yoga for those who feel the need for a good stretch before the real fun begins at the Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening and the much anticipated Theme Night Banquet on Thursday evening. We have gone local talent wherever possible for ASSC 2017 so our food services are provided by a local caterer (Elsa's), entertainment by local artists including Andy Delorme, the SwingKats (they'll get ya swinging) and Harper Valley DJ. Karen Thompson, ASSC On-site Chair
Message from the editors
Chris Dodd
Jocelyn Smith
The ASScKicker team would like to extend you a warm welcome to the 2017 Alberta Services for Students Conference! This year’s theme is “Going the Distance” which aptly describes both the endurance of this conference (which is in it’s 34th year!) and this newsletter that reports on it. As the voice of ASSC delegates, we are proud to be officially in our 19th year of publication. As this conference has moved among campuses across Alberta, our teams have followed them and captured the memories and camaraderie in print to allow conference attendees to reflect back on these events fondly. You can be part of this tradition yourself and help us by submitting your own content. To submit your comments, pictures, quotes, email chris.dodd@ualberta.ca. As well, we welcome contributions in person, so look for esteemed ASScKickers Chris Dodd and Jocelyn Smith to submit your content. In addition to print copies, the Kicker will also be posted on ASSC’s Facebook page. We thank you for “going the distance”, literally, to be here for this conference. We promise that it will be worth every kilometer you’ve travelled and more. We know that you return back home feeling refreshed, energized, and inspired by these 3days of sharing and fun.
Overheard along Highway 2 ...
Full moon + ASSC delegates = Crazy (Crazy fun, that is)
After a 4-year absence, the ASSC primo interpreting team, Pam and Diane, are back in black!
Apparently, Anna-Lisa from U of C was subjected to two
conks on the head during the bus journey. Other riders are anxiously awaiting word of the third.
When you look at all the Athabasca volunteers in orange and blue, it’s easy to know which team they are rooting for today. Apparently, Lorrie was almost
forgotten on the very same bus she had organized. Fortunately they remembered her, because she brought Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Passport devotees, there is only ONE attendee from the U of A this year. Can you find him??
Volume 19, Issue 1 CJ
Today’s Opening Keynote Speaker: Hon. Marlin
Schmidt Please join the Honorable Marlin Schmidt, Minister, Advanced Education at 9 AM in the Multiplex (upstairs of where you are now) for the opening keynote. Minister Schmidt will be exploring with us how we can inform, train, educate, and contribute to student engagement and success in our educational institutions across Alberta.
Introducing ASSC’s New Award For many years, ASSC celebrated the achievements of Alberta’s postsecondary student service professionals with a trio of three awards. These are the Service Award, the Outstanding New Professional and the Contribution to Student Services Award. While the awards have not changed over the years, their names have and they have each gained an association with a long-standing pioneer in student services, Dean Stetson, Marion Vosahlo, and Russ Guthrie respectively. While ASSC is firmly rooted in traditions, such as that of the legend of the walking stick and the Kicker newsletter, it is open to new ideas to improve upon the conference and to enrich and celebrate its participants. The “ASSC Spirit Award” is a recent example of this, founded in 2013 at Lakeland College, which is dedicated to recognizing attendees with best ASSC spirit.
While the “Spirit Award” is traditionally given to a group, the other awards given by the conference are intended primarily for individuals. ASSC delegates have spoken up, along with members of the Provincial Planning Committee, about the need for an award that recognizes the hard working teams. Hence, starting this year, ASSC will be handing out the brand new “ASSC Team Award” to its first recipients. This will allow ASSC to now recognize amazing groups that did not fit into the existing ASSC awards criteria. The new award is awarded to groups of 5 or more who have collectively demonstrated effective provision of student services through teamwork. The team will have enhanced their student services in some way, such as improvements for programs, development of innovative services, and team building. Join us tonight for the Awards Banquet to witness this new addition to ASSC’s traditions and to celebrate its first recipients!
Plenty of new smiling faces this year!
No butts about it — this is the Athabasca welcoming committee!
Tonight’s Events ... Get decked out in your finest duds, as tonight is ASSC’s Awards Banquet! Get ready to shine and celebrate the accomplishments of those extraordinarily talented people who work in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. Not to forget, there will be awards (just two awarded this year) which will honour contributions of exceptional service: The brand new ASSC Team Award (see above) celebrates the most effective team in student services. It is awarded to a team consisting of five or more members, collectively demonstrating effective provision of student services through teamwork. The Russ Guthrie Contribution to Student Services Award celebrates outstanding services to students in the areas of program development, leadership, and innovation. Tomorrow — As this conference goes the distance, tomorrow brings new tidings — and more FUN! Get set for ASSC’s infamous Theme Night! How will ASSC’ers dress up and interpret this year’s theme? No one knows! And that’s where the fun comes in. Get ready for a crazy night where anything goes as ASSC celebrates the BEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR as only it knows how!
Fun Sessions (4-5 PM) Today’s fun sessions are sure to get you revved up or blissed down. We’ve got guided walking tours of the AU's Muskeg Creek Trails, a guided riverfront historic walk, and also Passion, History & Chemistry of Chocolate (which is exactly what it sounds like!), along with “Underwater Hawaii”, which promises to take you on a discovery of volcanic origins, fish, mammals and some invertebrates photographed in the ocean. If you are interested in any of these sessions, meet at the main entrance to ARC at 3:45 PM.
Announcements
Do you tweet? Follow @ASSC_conference and hashtag #assc2017 for the latest conference updates. Don’t forget to tag your own tweets to let others know Also check out the Facebook page at Facebook.com/Albertassc Session Cancellation: Models for Engaging with Disability Communities ASSC Bus! Arrangements are being looked into for bus transportation for the banquets for tonight and tomorrow. Check for updates via the bulletin board (see below). WiFi: This year’s WiFi is more dynamic than usual and varies by building. Look for the signs or ask for an AU volunteer for assistance. Bulletin board: For “old skool” up-to-the-minute information, check out the conference bulletin board located at the main floor of the Academic Research Centre (ARC).
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A fresh load of ASSC’ers!