MCPA Support Staff Conference – Welcome and Keynote

*** Please NOTE that these are MY words and notes – I am Live Blogging so pardon the typos/errors and sometimes my opinions!

Welcome and KEYNOTE – MCPA Support Staff Conference: Reinforcing Our Foundations

Full house, which is great – A Shoutout to the colleges – who is here!

  • Howard CC definitely the MOST
  • American University
  • Bowie State
  • Coppin State
  • Frostberg State University
  • Goucher
  • Hartford CC
  • Harrisburg CC
  • JMU
  • JHU
  • Loyola University
  • St Mary’s College of MD
  • SU
  • UMBC
  • U Delaware
  • UM College Park
  • Washington College

Keynote Speaker: Douglas Gwynn – Director of the Office of Res Life & Housing at Morgan State – more than 20 years experience in Student Affairs.

  • Everyone is important to the organization – not just the top of the ladder but EVERYONE
  • The Science and Art of a Foundation
  • “Every strong empire has a solid foundation on which it stands: a science and art in which particular individuals design and maneuver or otherwise it will fall.” MCPA 2014
  • We are the facilitators balancing the physical needs and the needs of society
  • 1937 – first time that language suggested treating students as individuals and teaching the Whole Student – the inclusion of what we do in Student Affairs and its impact on society
  • 1890 – Harvard – the start of Student Affairs – “Dean of Students”
  • 1987 – Seven principles for good practice in under graduate education – “We can pursue a course that engages us in the central mission of our institutions or retreat to the margins in the hope that we will avoid the inconvenience of change (Chickering & Garrison 1987) – Improve the undergraduate experience – Time frame? AIDS / women’s rights / Gay rights
  • 1994 – the Student Learning Imperative: Implications for Student Affairs – Student learning imperative: self-esteem and confidence – currently we are dealing with a greater lack of self-esteem then we ever had. You have to value and respect yourself before others can value and resect you. Cross departmental
  • 1997 – Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs – Values evident across the history of student affairs work include an acceptance and appreciation of individual differences
  • Historical events of importance
  • 1930 – Great Depression – many White Males could no longer afford those ivy league schools – went to state schools
  • 1939 – World War II – came back from the war – more men AND WOMEN came to college
  • 1940/54 – Segregation / Civil Rights – Student Affairs facilitated the adjustment in the changes of the landscape of colleges and universities –
  • 1960s – Gender Segregation – women demanding rights, their own housing – platform for social change
  • 1970s – Gay Rights / LGBTQQA – inclusion in the institution – gain services

How do we reinforce our Foundation?

  • Embrace our Heritage
  • Care
  • Don’t Get Tired – if you reach one student you Change a generation –
  • Take Your Place at the Table – There is not a function at a university where someone from Student Affairs should NOT be present and participating – sit on committees / get involved in recruitment / Admissions can’t tell our story like WE Tell our story / “Go to the Picnic”
  • Where you can Get In – GET IN – any committee – get in and “do what we do”

Remember the Past – Ownership of the Present !

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