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the Vermont Connection
…because you can never get too much HESA! Happy New Year TVCers! As promised, here is your extra Piece-A-HESA! This extra newsletter will keep you up to date with some of our happenings AND introduce you to some more of our current students in the University of Vermont’s Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration graduate program. Hope you enjoy it! Beth Walsh, Alumni/ae Public Relations Chair, Class of 2012 The Vermont Connection Journal
Liberating the Learner: Access and Privilege in Higher Education 33rd TVC Premiere!! Friday, February 24, 5:30 Silver Maple Ballroom, Davis Center
The Vermont Connection 2012 Conference Receptions Come and make some Vermont Connections! NASPA ~ Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday, March 13-7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Hyatt, Ellis West ACPA ~ Louisville, Kentucky Tuesday, March 27, 7:00-8:30, Hyatt Regency Louisville – Kentucky Oak Suite
2011/2012 TVC Executive Board Executive Editor: Kristin Lang, ’12, Managing Editor: Betsy Crouch, ’12, Content Editors: mae stephenson, ’12 and Jilliene Johnson, ’12, Alumni/ae Public Relations Chair: Beth Walsh, ’12, Membership Chair: Heather Lou, ’12, Social and Professional Development Chairs: Mathew Shepard, ’13 and Ashley Gunn, ’13, Staff Advisors: Tricia Rascon, ’06 and Nick Negrete’, ’06, Faculty Advisor: Deborah Hunter
THE VERMONT CONNECTION
FEBRUARY 2012
Ten things I have learned in my first year out of HESA 1. Stay genuine. Remember those nice comments we say to one another and our colleagues in e-mails? Some schools are not used to that sort of language. So, your heartfelt, “Thanks for all your hard work and expertise!” at the closing of the e-mail may well land you in a questionable position. I have been told that sort of language is considered “over the top” and might be perceived as sarcastic. In true HESA fashion, I challenged this idea and used it as an opportunity to have lunch with the offended party. E-mails can be ambiguous anyways, why not make a friend out of it? 2. People working in the same positions for years and years or at the same institution sometimes lose their enthusiasm…don’t let them begrudge you yours. 3. Social media can be awesome… or awful. Be super-careful with Twitter and Facebook. We all know Linkedin.com is for professionals, but the other two can be ambiguous. Reverse job search yourself at least once a month to be sure your security settings haven’t placed you in a bind. Be clear to yourself on whether your professional and personal identities online will be congruent (i.e., you use Facebook and Twitter professionally and personally) or if you stratify into different places and use security settings to protect this delineation. I personally use Facebook for personal use, Twitter for personal use and have a professional and a personal blog. Linkedin.com is obviously for professional use only. 4. Write your own position description. If it occurs to you that you are not at your ideal job, (and who IS right out of the program?) you can ALWAYS glean positive experiences from your position. Think critically about potential campus partners, initiatives needing partners and where there is a need you can fill. Don’t just assume that because you didn’t end up doing a, b and c right out of HESA that you are wasting your time. Lemons into lemonade my friends! You will be asked about this in future interviews (I think) and will be able to confidently speak of how deep your commitment to self-improvement and professional development was that you have been willing to think outside the box and really make an impact, whether you had permission to do so or not. 5. Don’t be afraid to draw boundaries where you need to. I had a situation go down where a colleague verbally attacked me for adhering to a non-traditional schedule, when his schedule was more 9-5-based. Am I deserving of this sort of attack? Nope. Is it even my business what his schedule is? I don’t think so. This is between him and his supervisor, just as my schedule is between me and mine…which is exactly what I told him when I called a meeting with him to clear the air. I will not be bullied or attacked at work, and neither should any of us be. I continue to work productively with this individual and am pleased to say he never tried that baloney with me again!
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6. Negotiate your salary and/or benefits (within reason). Very few of us are making big bucks out of HESA. I salute those of you who are. But face the dragon and do not be afraid to talk about money with the HR personnel you are working with after receiving an offer or with the office hiring manager themselves. If you don’t ask, it is money, or benefits on the table that you are letting slip away. I AGONIZED about this last May. Don’t. I asked all my mentors, some of whom gave me conflicting info, and I checked the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be sure I knew what an average salary in the region and at the type of institution where I was being offered the job was. Then I decided to make a counter offer, and asked for precisely what I felt I earned. The next day, I was thrilled to learn they had accepted my counter offer and that I would be making 1,000.00 more per year, simply by asking. Remember also: all future raises are based on a percentage of this amount, so it will determine your next raise amounts if your institution is in a position to give them and/or you are offered one on merit. 7. Remember Solidarity. If you, like me, choose to work at an institution where there are little supports for social justice educators (or…it is simply not UVM, both fair concerns by the way!), don’t hesitate to reach out. If your college is in a consortium or there are UVM-ers nearby, or you can arrange weekly Skype dates—do it. There is nothing worse than feeling alienated, and you don’t have to. I would be shocked if The Vermont Connection won’t support you. This is WHY we had a cohort experience, is it not? Two years ago, I was lucky to have lunch at the national NASPA conference with the Dean of students from Virginia Tech, who had handled the campus crisis and subsequent tragedy. “What got you through?” I asked him, over salads in the hotel cafeteria. “My colleagues” he answered quickly and without reservation. I’d like to think we can all stand by one another in our work. 8. Decorate your office. People may think it’s weird if the culture is not big into this, but if it is your thing go for it. I’ll never forget the curious expressions on my co-workers’ faces when I drove to work one day and lugged in two plastic bins worth of affirmations and art to help make my space feel more welcoming. Students love hanging out in my office too, they say it is very homey, and that makes me happy. 9. Sublet. Even your living room is up for grabs (unless you’re in res life…womp womp…). It can help you make a cool sum of extra cash each month and it has helped me meet new people in my city. Just run it by your landlord. 10. Take your money seriously: save for retirement and get your debt in order. I remember heading to the library after scowling at my first measly paychecks, and realizing I wasn’t going to living the high life like I had hoped. I took out two books, (DON’T LAUGH!) “The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke” and “The Nine Steps To Financial Freedom” to help me prioritize credit card debt, car loans and student loans in addition to savings and retirement. If, like me, your parents are not much help and you need some guidance, these books were fantastic. Also, do not be afraid to bug your HR professionals until you completely and fully understand your benefits package. Just buy her a coffee or something to say thank you after you ask to have her explain what the heck the difference is between Roth and Traditional IRAs for the 673rd time! Happy job hunting, and remember to remain reflective throughout the entire process. You may have some insights that can be helpful to the eager HESAs behind you, just as our mentors have been to us. Leah Charpentier, HESA ‘11
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RECENT PRESENTATIONS National Association of Multicultural Educators International Conference, Chicago, IL, 11/2011 Teaching Social Justice Issues Using Film Clips Presenters: Amanda Flores, HESA ’11, Salomon Rodezno, HESA ’11, Sherwood Smith Long Island Council of Student Personnel Administrators Conference, St. John’s University, 2/17,2012 Challenging Binaries: Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Presenter: Cait Bjellquist, HESA ‘11 Puget Sound Colloquium, Seattle, WA, February 16, 2012 Keynote Address: The Journey to Becoming a Multiculturally Competent Students Affairs Organization Presenter: Lacretia J. Flash UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS NODA Region IX conference, March 2-4, Burlington, VT Session Title: Authentic Communication: Building Relationships with Restorative Practices Presenters: Mathew Shepard, HESA ’13, and Laura Birdsall, HESA ‘13 Session Title: How Orientation Can Help you Score a Job After College! Presenter: Betsy Crouch, HESA ‘12 Blackboard Jungle, University of Vermont, March 29-30, 2012 Panel Presentation: Research and Scholarship for Social Change Presenter: Lacretia J. Flash NASPA Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ, March 10-14, 2012 The Multiculturally Competent Student Affairs Organization Presenters: Lacretia J. Flash and mae stephenson, HESA ‘12 Purposeful Sharing Forum: Combining Two Callings: The Artist and the Administrator Presenter: Lacretia J. Flash ACPA Annual Conference, Louisville, KY, March 24-28, 2012 The Multiculturally Competent Student Affairs Organization Presenter: Lacretia J. Flash Mixing It Up: Supporting Multiracial Students in Racial Affinity Groups Presenters: Heather Lou, HESA ’12, and Adam Ortiz, HESA ‘10 4
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Also, the ACPA Multiracial Network would love to invite HESA students and alumni/ae to our open business meetings and coffee break socials: MRN Coffee Breaks! Dates: Sunday, March 25th at 3:00pm AND Tuesday, March 27th at 11:00am Location: TBA MRN Block Social Date: Monday, March 26th Time: 9:30-10:15pm Location: Hyatt Regency Louisville- Shawnee Park Suite MRN Open Business Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 27th Time: 2:15-3:45pm Location: Gault House- Wilkinson For more information, please contact Heather C. Lou, Multiracial Network Incoming Chair (HESA '12) at HLou@uvm.edu or tweet MRN at @acpa_MRN. See you all at Convention! AWARDS NASPA Region I-Richard F. Stevens Outstanding Graduate Student Award for the state of Vermont, 2011, Jilliene Johnson, HESA ‘12 NASPA Region I-Outstanding Mid-Level Professional, 2012, Nick Negrete, HESA ‘06 ACPA Outstanding Mentor to Graduate and New Professionals, 2012, Nick Negrete, HESA, ‘06 ACPA's Commission for Professional Preparation, Nevitt Sanvord Award, Rosemary Perez, HESA ‘01 NASPA Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award, “Figuring it Out: A Grounded Theory of College to Post-College Transition”, Kirsten Freeman Fox, HESA ‘00 Intermountain Association of College and University Residence Halls, Advisor of the Year, Hanna Lozon, HESA ‘08 PUBLICATIONS "It's All About Fugu: Discussing Spirituality & Religion on Campus" ACPA's online Developments journal for Winter 2011 (Volume 9: Issue 4). Part IV of a series called "Working on our Inner Lives: Meaning-Making in Colleges and Universities." Laura C. Engelken, HESA '96
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Leaving UVM I want to thank the HESA family for six of the best years possible. My professional experiences at UVM and with HESA have been some of the most enriching of my life. At the end of the 2011-2012 academic year I will leave the Green Mountains for the Smokey Mountains. I have accepted a faculty position in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (Higher Education Administration/College Student Personnel) at the University of Tennessee and will begin there Fall 2012. I want to thank everyone for all the “connections� I have made. I will always be a part of The Vermont Connection! Dorian TVC's Production Week got off to a quick and productive start! Both cohorts, and some local alum pitched in and reviewed each article for its final touches. As a part of production week, each article goes through eight different "reads" such as grammar, APA, tone, and many more. In order to get through a weekend like this, we often bring our volunteers food and candy to keep the energy high and the atmosphere fun and comforting. This weekend was no different from previous Production Weekends where we had 1214 articles to go through eight different times. Tricia and I appreciated everyone's ability to get through each article efficiently and their willingness to go above and beyond in order to ensure a successful 33rd volume of The Vermont Connection! Thank you to all who assisted in this weekend of hard work, and thank you to the authors who contributed to this year's journal. A very special thank you to the Women's Center at UVM for serving as the site for this year's event. Keep an eye our for this masterpiece at NASPA and ACPA, and online! Nick Negrete & Tricia Rascon TVC Co-Advisors, HESA '06 6
THE VERMONT CONNECTION
FEBRUARY 2012 Betsy Crouch, HESA ‘12
Meet HESA…
Where are you from? I am from Charleston, SC (hometown) and Atlanta, GA (home before HESA).
Want to get in touch with any of the current HESA students or respond to their questions? Email beth.walsh@uvm.edu.
What was your undergrad major and what institution? I was a Business major at University of Virginia. Why did you choose UVM/HESA? I wanted to attend a highly regarded program that offered a variety of practical experiences to complement the academic experience. Plus I wanted to attend an institution that was very different from my undergrad institution. UVM/HESA seemed like the right fit!
Kim Stabile, HESA 2012 Where are you from? I grew up in the Boston area. What was your undergrad major and what institution? I studied Psychology and Theatre Production at Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
Where is your assistantship? My assistantship is in New Student Orientation.
Why did you choose UVM/HESA? I was looking for a program closer to home (after undergrad in Wisconsin and two years working in Colorado), and applied to UVM without really knowing its reputation. Once I got on campus my gut reaction yelled “This is the place!”—later I found out I had been accepted to a school in the very top tier of Student Affairs programs…I’m actually glad I didn’t know before, because I might been too nervous at interviews to make a good impression!
Where is your practicum? My current practicum is in Career Services. Who are your supervisors in each? My supervisors are Tricia Rascon (Orientation) and Pamela Gardner (Career Services). What do you love about UVM/HESA? I love the opportunities HESA provides to work in several different offices, interact with many different practitioners, and have input in important meetings and decisions. I also enjoy the theory/practice balance that HESA maintains!
Where is your assistantship? I work for ResLife and am the Graduate Coordinator for Marketing, Publications, and Assessment/Office Manager for Jeanne Mance Hall. Where is your practicum? Fall semester I worked in the Center for Student Ethics and Standards, and I love it! I’m staying on (very) part time for Spring semester.
What are your challenges? My biggest challenge is being so far away from all of the people that I care about. I also find it challenging to juggle so many competing priorities thanks to all of the different “hats” that we wear as HESA students. Oh, and the cold weather is definitely not easy for me!
Who are your supervisors in each? My assistantship supervisor is Carol Ploof, and my CSES supervisor is Kim Martin. What do you love about UVM/HESA? I love the fact that I have had opportunities to learn and explore any track within Student Affairs that I wanted to.
What is your focus in Student Affairs? I am pretty open-minded and have a variety of ideas on where I would like to focus my career. I’m interested in the career counseling and academic advising fields, but I’m also interested in positions that focus on the business side of student affairs (budget managers, auxiliary services, etc.).
What are your challenges? My challenge is definitely saying “no.” What is your focus in Student Affairs? I love working with students in crisis, at risk, who have had conduct incidents, etc. That’s an area I would like to pursue after graduation—either in a student conduct setting or a Dean of Students office.
What do you do in your free time? I spend most of my free time catching up with friends and family (and traveling to go see them when I can!). In 2011, it seemed like I spent most of my time traveling to weddings—six in one year! I also enjoy indulging in “bad” TV whenever I can, running, reading, and baking (although I don’t have as much time for those activities as I would like).
What do you do in your free time? Now that I live closer to home, I like to go home and spend time with my family—especially my new baby nephew Noah! What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice author or book? I really like “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen.
What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice author or book? I really enjoyed Beverly Tatum’s “Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” because it presented social justice and racial issues in an accessible way while still being extremely thoughtprovoking and informative.
What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice quote? “Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” Cornel West What is your favorite non-HESA book? That’s tough, but I’ll say “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer for now.
What is your favorite non-HESA book? My all-time favorite is Pride and Prejudice, but my guilty pleasure is any chick lit (aka the modernday Pride and Prejudice!).
What is your favorite movie? The one that comes to mind right now is “Life is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella).” Where do you hope to be in 5 years? I hope to be doing something fulfilling with my life. That’s the best thing I can possibly hope for!
Where do you hope to be in 5 years? I hope to be living in the South (most likely Atlanta), starting a family with my partner, and working in a role that allows me to make a daily positive impact on students and their college experiences.
A question that you have for alum is… How do you feel you are using your HESA degree now that you are a professional in Student Affairs, Higher Education, or a non-higher ed field?
A question that you have for alum is…what successful strategies do you have for balancing your student affairs career with your family life?
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Beth Walsh, HESA 2012
Ashley Gunn, HESA 2013 Where are you from? Sunrise, Florida
Where are you from? St. Albans, Vermont
What was your undergrad major and what institution? English/ Organizational Leadership in Nonprofits – University of Florida
What was your undergrad major and what institution? Sociology, UVM Why did you choose UVM/HESA? Once I finally figured out that a college campus is my natural work environment AND that there is a graduate program for that (!) HESA was the natural choice for me. Where is your assistantship? I don’t have an assistantship. I am a part-time student and work in the Psychiatry Department at UVM. Where is your practicum? This semester I am working with Holly Wilkinson in Career Services. I have done one at the Dean of Students Office with Lacretia Johnson-Flash and one at the Community College of Vermont with Marianne Dimascio and Amy Stuart What do you love about UVM/HESA? My wonderful classmates and our extended family in The Vermont Connection. What are your challenges? Too much to read, too little time. What is your focus in Student Affairs? Academic Advising and Career Advising. What do you do in your free time? What little free time I have is spent with Daisy, my sweet mini-Aussi, and my family. What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice author or book? Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice quote? “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” ~ Edmund Burke, “Equality is when everyone has a pair of shoes. Equity is when everyone has a pair of shoes that fit.” ~ Vernon Wall, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
Why did you choose UVM/HESA? I choose UVM because of the strong academic component and the focus on social justice. Everyone here is also very supportive. Where is your assistantship? I work as the Leadership Assistant in Living and Learning Where is your practicum? Last semester I work with Student-Athlete Services in the UVM Department of Athletic. This semester I am working in Career Services. Who are your supervisors in each? Winnie Paz-Amor/Joe Gervais/MaryBeth Barritt What do you love about UVM/HESA? I love every single person, how purposeful our education is and the gorgeous views on the way to campus. What are your challenges? It’s difficult to feel stretched so thin, while wanting to feel accomplished. Between my job, internship, classes and additional involvement it can be difficult to keep things organized. It’s a great ride, it is just really fast and bumpy, lol. What is your focus in Student Affairs? I don’t know if I have a focus yet. I am interested in working on campus crisis management, new student and family programs, service-learning pedagogy and access/equity programs. What do you do in your free time? I watch Disney movies and kids movies from the 90s. I also like to eat Ben and Jerry’s pints. I’m trying to eat every flavor before I finish my graduate program. What is your favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice author or book? I am interested in leadership development programs and one of my favorite books is ‘Lives of Moral Leadership’ phenomenal.
What is your favorite non-HESA book? The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy
What is your current favorite Student Affairs or Social Justice quote? ‘No one raindrop thinks it is responsible for the flood.’ It reminds me that we all have roles to play in creating injustice and we need to take personal responsibility in making things right. It is usually easier to criticize and judge others for their actions. However, it is the little things we do everyday that create the social injustices in our world.
What is your favorite movie? The Fall, French Kiss, The Princess Bride, Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump
What is your favorite non-HESA book? All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren. I’ve read it at least 6 times, amazing book!
Where do you hope to be in 5 years? I hope to be in a college or university in Vermont, supporting students, working for social justice and cultural pluralism, and enjoying my family.
What is your favorite movie? I am Sam. Hands down, every day all day.
A question that you have for alum is…What is your best job interview tip?
Where do you hope to be in 5 years? Happy and living in a beautiful place in the country with my fulfilling job. A question that you have for alum is… If you could do your HESA experience over again, what would you do differently?
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