*** 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 !