NODA Region V: June 2015 Edition by Erin Sullivan

NODA Region V Newsletter

Spring /Summer 2015 Edition

Region V Coordinator Corner: Jon Sexton

REGION V Newsletter INSIDE:

Greetings Region V!

Interested in Getting Involved in NODA?—page

Regional Conference Note 2015 & 2016--page

2015 NODA Region Award Winners & Large Institution Network Updates--page

State Coordinator Highlights-page NODA 2015 Annual Conference -page Program Initiative Highlights -page NODA Region V Newsletter Updates & Save the Date -page

June 2, 2015

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Updates

I hope your summer is off to a great start and that programs are going well for those of you who have already kicked off orientation season. It’s a busy, but rewarding time of year as many of us begin to welcome new students and their families to campus to help acclimate them to their new environment. In terms of NODA business, it’s an exciting time in Region V! Erin Sullivan, our new Communications Coordinator, has done a great job jumping right into her role and putting together some exciting content for you in this new edition of the Region V Newsletter. We’ve experienced some change in the Region V Leadership team and have seen some promising new leaders join the group. We had a great regional conference a few months ago in Madison, WI and are looking forward to another outstanding regional next year in Iowa City, IA. We’ve partnered with the Association Office to update our regional banner and to add some exciting new design elements for our regional conference registration area beginning next year. In addition, we are working toward facilitating several State Drive-In Conferences next fall. In short, we look forward to some exciting region wide changes, developments, and opportunities in the near future! At this year’s regional, I mentioned that information will be coming out this summer regarding the opportunity to run for the Regional Coordinator position as I transition out of the role. I can’t put into words how valuable this experience has been in terms of the opportunity to work so closely with you all and to identify ways we could enhance benefits associated with membership and participation in Region V. If you have interest in running for the position and would like more information about the responsibilities associated with the two-year term, please don’t hesitate to contact me. With that said, I’ll end with a thanks for all the hard work you’ll do this summer to create an exciting and welcoming experience for your incoming students and their families on your respective campuses. The work you do is invaluable and establishes the foundation for an outstanding experience for new students. Again, have a great summer, and good luck with your programs! Sincerely, Jon Sexton Region V Coordinator REGIONAL LEADERSHIP: Regional Coordinator Communications Coordinator

Jon Sexton, Grinnell College Erin Sullivan, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Social Media Coordinator Cara DeHekker Wiebel, University of Iowa 2016 Regional Conference Host(s) Cordy Love, Southern Illinois University Cara DeHekker Wiebel, University of Iowa Adam White, Northern Illinois University Thank-you to all who serve in a NODA Leadership Role!

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Interested in Getting Involved in NODA? NODA Leadership Development Committee Nearly four years ago, the NODA Board of Directors approved the creation of a new Association committee structure that provides more opportunities for general association members to become involved in the work of the Association and ensure Association staff and appropriate board member involvement in committee work. The NODA Leadership Development Committee is one of eight working committees. This group consists of seven general association members (including the committee chair) plus one Association staff member. The committee members serve two-year terms and may serve up to two consecutive terms. Being a volunteer on a committee is an excellent way to get involved in NODA! The role of this committee is to work to mentor new professionals, assist in recruiting professionals for leadership positions, provide orientation for volunteers new to committees and assist in motivating and recognizing the NODA volunteer base. This committee would also assists with the "How to get involved" in NODA presentations at Annual and Regional conferences. Please check out our website here: http://noda.siteym.com/?page=Committees NODA Leadership and You Our committee also works with the NODA Leadership and You sessions at Annual and Regional Conferences. We oversee promoting the session, updating the presentation information and hosting the ‘Meet and Greet’ at the Annual Conference. This year our committee also contacted all professionals who attended their Regional ‘Leadership and You’ presentation to learn more about them and clarify any questions they had.

Mentorship Program In October of 2014, we launched the Mentorship Program which is designed to connect established professionals in the field of orientation, transition and retention (OTR) to NODA members who are interested in leadership opportunities and developing themselves further in their careers. To date, we have matched 70 mentors with a mentee. A mentee is anyone who is seeking mentorship in regards to NODA leadership or professional development. Generally, a mentee is a new professional. A NODA mentor is someone with 5+ years of professional OTR experience and at least one year of NODA involvement. We need more mentors as we have mentees we have not been able to match! If you are interested in being a mentor, please sign up. The mentorship program is a great way to connect with other NODA members and discuss personal and professional topics. Leadership Training Currently, the Leadership Development Committee is working on leadership and volunteer training. This involves defining what training is necessary to successfully hold a leadership or volunteer position within NODA. We will define various types of training, and how the training is conducted.

For more information please contact Liz Kurt at lvkurt@iastate.edu

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Regional Conference 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Note The 2015 Region V Conference in Madison, WI was a huge success! The theme of “Capital Ideas, Compelling Outcomes” was evident throughout the conference in the educational sessions, keynote speakers and social outings. Dr. Karla Carney-Hall from Illinois Wesleyan University addressed the professional and graduate student participants and was an overwhelming highlight according to conference evaluations. The undergraduate students were treated to PlayFair for their keynote experience, which received rave reviews. We would like to congratulate Caitlin Wozniak of Marquette University for her Regional Showcase Award winning program “How Loud is Your Quiet?” which will be presented at the National Conference in Denver, CO. Other award winners were: Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leader: Abbie Beadle (University of Iowa) and Abbey Young (University of Omaha-Nebraska); Outstanding Graduate Student: Sarah Duster (Iowa State University); Outstanding Orientation Professional: Kimberlie Moock (Eastern Illinois University) and Adult Learner Orientation (University of Nebraska-Omaha) took home the Regional Innovative Program Award. We would also like to give a special shout out to our undergraduate case study participants and winners!

Regional Conference 2016 Iowa City, Iowa Hello Region V! We are excited for 2016 Regional Conference in Iowa City, Iowa! Keep a look out for more information in the next Region V Newsletter. If you have questions, please let us know. Thanks, Adam White, Cara DeHekker Wiebel, and Cordy Love Region V Conference 2016 Co-Hosts

The feedback from participants was very positive. Highlights from the evaluations include: having the opportunity to network, enjoying the capital city atmosphere and the professional development opportunities through attending or presenting educational sessions. This was the final conference for Jon Sexton as our Region V Coordinator, who in true Jon fashion, took an epic “fivie” (selfie) photo with the participants during the Welcome session. Jon’s touching comments left a great impression on the crowd and his incredible leadership in the Region V Coordinator is greatly appreciated. 77% of participants agreed that the conference was a good value for their money! This was the first NODA conference for nearly half of our attendees! The participants provided great feedback for next year and we wish the best of luck to the very capable and exciting 2016 hosts! -Colin & Chris Region V Conference 2015 Co-Hosts

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Congratulations 2015 Region V Award Winners Innovative Program Award – University of Nebraska-Omaha (Adult Learner Orientation)

Outstanding Undergraduate Leader Award Abbey Young (University of Nebraska – Omaha) Abbie Beadle (University of Iowa)

Outstanding Graduate Award – Sarah Duster (Iowa State University)

Outstanding New Professional Award – Jenni Brost (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Outstanding Professional Award – Kimberlie Moock (Eastern Illinois University)

Congratulations to the Case Study Award Winners & Regional Showcase Award Winner

Large Institution Network Update The Large Institution Network is co-chaired by Alison Spannaus, Associate Director New Student and Carolina Parent Programs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Cimmeron O’Connor, Assistant Director Undergraduate Orientation Programs, Ohio University. The Large Institution Network’s goal is to connect orientation, transition, and retention professionals in order to discuss trends and issues specific to large institutions. Our network will offer online chats regarding using social media at orientation programs and welcome week festivities and sponsor several Annual Conference sessions that relate to specific issues large institutions face. We would love for you to get involved! If you are interested, please contact us at spannaus@email.unc.edu or taylorc2@ohio.edu. We would love for you to assist with an online chat, newsletter to our network, or feature your scholarship within our network. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about getting involved with NODA or the Large Institution Network. We wish you the best of luck with your summer and fall programs. ---Alison and Cimmeron Large Institution Network Co-Chairs

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State Coordinator Highlights: Minnesota State Coordinator: Updates coming soon.. Becky Kaarbo, Hamline University

Manitoba Province Coordinator: Vacant, contact Regional Coordinator if you’re interested.

Illinois State Coordinator Update: I am excited to be your new Illinois State Coordinator! Thus, I am still in the process of gathering information from Cordy (the previous state coordinator). Therefore, I will be sending out more information in the next newsletter about all of the exciting updates for Illinois. --Adam White, Illinois State Coordinator Northern Illinois University

Iowa State Coordinator Updates coming soon… Ashley Lang, Wartburg College

Nebraska State Coordinator Updates coming soon… Jenni Brost, University of NebraskaLincoln

-This could be you!

North Dakota Coordinator: Updates coming soon.. Kristi Okerlund, University of North Dakota

South Dakota Coordinator: Updates coming soon… Maggie Miller, Augustana College

Wisconsin State Coordinator Highlight: Greetings from the Wisconsin State Coordinator! I’ve served in this role for three years and it’s been a joy to serve the professionals in “The Cheese State”. We hosted this year’s Regional conference in Madison, which brought over 200 professionals, graduate and undergraduate students to our state. Early March can be a tricky time in Wisconsin, but we were blessed with some great weather! It’s been especially turbulent in the state of Wisconsin with regards to higher education. Schools in the UW System are faced with a potential large budget cut for 2015-17 to make up for the state deficit. It’s a time of protest, change and governance as each UW campus rallies to make difficult decisions and think critically about how to reduce spending. I am looking for a host school for our annual state drive-in conference, which typically takes place in late November or early December. Anyone interested in hosting should contact me directly so we can begin to plan for the 2015 drive-in. I am also updating the list of statewide professionals in the Orientation, Transition and Retention areas; so if you’d like to be on my email list, or have replaced someone within the last year, please let me know. --Colin Daly, Wisconsin State Coordinator University of Wisconsin=-Milwaukee

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NODA 2015 Annual Conference Greetings, NODA Region V, from your 2015 Annual Conference Program Committee! The Annual Conference Program Committee has been hard at work for the past two years on designing and implementing a high-quality educational and professional development experience for you, the members of our association, that will serve as a premier networking and learning opportunity; we are excited to meet each and every one of you for this experience – the 2015 Annual Conference on October 24-27 in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado! The 2015 Annual Conference will be an opportunity to Elevate, Innovate, and Rejuvenate with our orientation, transition & retention friends & colleagues from across the nation and beyond! Featured speakers, panels, and educational sessions will challenge you (as an individual) and us (as a profession) on how we are elevating our programs and the conversation surrounding orientation, transition & retention in the larger landscapes of student affairs and higher education.  Educational session workshops promise to top-notch as our members submitted a record number of educational session proposals in the history of the association!  Featured speaker Dr. George Kuh will provide conference participants with an opportunity to reflect on the role of orientation, transition & retention initiatives play in student success. Denver is continuing to invest in its innovation profile making it consistently one of the most noted innovative cities across the nation. Your 2015 Annual Conference Program Committee has embraced innovation as one of our core focuses for this conference experience. You will have the opportunity to explore how you can continue to innovate your OTR programs by taking them to the next level!  Each regional innovative program of the year will be featured in an educational session block for members to learn more of the in-depths about these innovative practices.  An inter-association Transition Summit will be held during the conference for all participants. This conference will feature representatives from student affairs peer associations discussing how OTR professionals can & should collaborate with their functional peers on campuses to design & implement high-impact transition experiences. Participating associations will include the following: o ACPA: College Student Educators International o Association of College Unions International (ACUI) o Association of College & University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) o Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) o NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education o NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation o NODA: The Association for Orientation, Transition & Retention in Higher Education The 2015 Annual Conference will be an opportunity for you to reflect & celebrate on your accomplishments over the past year & rejuvenate your energy & enthusiasm with your OTR friends & colleagues for this next OTR season!  The traditional opening banquet will be replaced with an Opening Night Experience at an off-site venue, the Denver Center for Performing Arts, allowing you the opportunity to network & re-connect with old friends & new colleagues!  Panels throughout the conference will provide participants with professional development skills to assist us in navigating our next steps including the Career Advancement Panel & the Women in Leadership Panel. Plus a few more surprises along the way! Poster session submissions are currently available, conference registration opens in June & conference on-site volunteers (the backbone of a successful conference experience) will be recruited in August. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! I look forward to seeing you in Denver in October! Sincerely, Brett L. Bruner, M.S. NODA 2015 Annual Conference Program Chair Director of First Year Experience | Fort Hays State University

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Program Initiative Highlights: Mission Possible Mission Possible was designed and implemented for UW-Milwaukee’s 2014 Fall Welcome. As a transition program, it addressed many of the challenges our new students face as with new collegiate expectations. Mission Possible served as a complementary program to the Common Read within Panther Academic Welcome Day (PAWD). PAWD is designed to be students’ first academic experience as a new student at UWM. Mission Possible provided an introduction to college training in the format of a two-hour interactive classroom experience. The feedback and outcomes for the Mission Possible program were overwhelmingly positive. When comparing PAWD (including Mission Possible) attendees to nonattendees we can make positive connections regarding this program. For example: •Attendees ended the Fall 2014 semester with higher overall GPAs •Attendees were more likely to enroll for the Spring 2015 semester in a timely fashion (84% were enrolled by early January compared to 75% of non-attendees). •The percentage of attendees on academic probation following the first semester compared to non-attendees was significantly less. •The Fall Transition Survey within Mapworks reveals that students rated topics covered within Mission Possible as items they remember from PAWD. Specifically, time management, using resources, and communication with professors and study skills ranked highly. --Colin Daly, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Initiative or Campaign The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's International Student Trips Program is a new initiative through New Student Enrollment that provides international students an opportunity to get to know the people and places of the Great Plains. So far, NSE has planned and hosted three trips, with its fourth coming soon. For the first event, 15 students from four countries visited a pumpkin patch near Avoca, Neb., where a UNL extension educator taught them about Nebraska agriculture. Then, in a nearby town, the high school’s multicultural club hosted the group for a barbecue and football game. On the second trip, NSE took 62 students from seven countries to Omaha to visit the city's historic district and the famous Henry Doorly Zoo. In February 56 students from 11 countries went skiing and snowboarding at a ski area in southwest Iowa. The trips program gives international students the unique chance to see new sights in a safe and cost-effective manner. Given the initiative’s popularity, NSE plans to expand the program in Fall 2015. --Teresa Lostroh, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

NODA Newsletter Updates: Hello NODA Region V, I am so excited to be your new Communications Coordinator! Hope you are starting off your summer with a great start. I have updated the NODA Region V Newsletter, and I want your feedback to find out what you would like to see. Here are a couple of ideas to include in the future:  Best Practices/ Trends Article Submissions  Welcome New Professionals to the Region  Graduate Student Page: Spotlight, Tips for Internships and Pursuing a Career in Student Affairs in Orientation  Undergraduate Student Spotlights  Words of Wisdom from Professionals to New Professionals  Etc. I look forward to hearing your feedback in the survey below of what you would like to see or not see in the future NODA Newsletters. https://illinois.edu/sb/sec/7911732 If you would like to submit for our next newsletter send me an email at esulli@illinois.edu by August 25 th. --Erin Sullivan, Communications Coordinator University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Please submit or post pictures of your staff and summer programs to our NODA Region V Facebook or Twitter! #NODARegionV

SAVE THE DATE NODAC 2015-----------------------October 24th -27th, 2015 NODA Regional 2016-------------------April 1st-3rd , 2016 Newsletters Summer/Fall Edition----------------September 1st, 2015 Fall/Winter Edition-------------------December 1st, 2015 More Dates to Come in the Future!