Internship experiences are highly valued by employers and students alike; however, a significant internship experience continues to be out of reach for many of our students due to financial constraints, international student status, lack of reliable transportation, or limitations stemming from a seen or unseen disability. Even without these hurdles, often students lack the confidence or work experience needed to pursue their dream internship opportunity. For many, an on-campus internship presents a much needed and attainable solution.
In the past 5 years, many colleges and universities have implemented on-campus internship programs in various forms to support their students’ career-readiness goals. As UL is Mason’s largest employer of student-wage and work-study employees, we are uniquely positioned to lead Mason’s efforts to convert existing opportunities into internships and develop new ways our students can benefit from an internship experience in our division.
Do you know who is attending your event? Do you know who is coming into your office? Do you know who responded to your survey? Are they representative of the greater population you are trying to serve? Are you missing information that exists in Banner? Does our Banner information leave out part of the story about the population you serve? Are your surveys too long? Are you asking too many questions? Do you use all of the information you collect about your students? Why do you ask the questions you ask? Which questions should you be asking? How do you justify the private information that you ask? In this session, we will discuss the resources that exist to assist you in your work to understand the populations you serve (and don’t serve). Join us as we change the way we ask for and use student demographic information. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of why, how, and what to ask!
In this session, the presenters will introduce the challenges that parenting students face in college access and completion, and introduce the dual generational model as an innovative approach to supporting parenting college students and their families. Presenters will provide case scenarios of parenting students with varying histories and needs that are applicable across post-secondary settings. Participants will discuss the scenarios, assessing their barriers to post-secondary access and attainment, identifying existing supports and resource gaps.
The presenters will challenge participants to consider student-parents as a distinct student population, and that Mason can do more to support our student-parents both inside and outside the classroom. Presenters will review strategies to build student social capital, establish peer-to-peer supports, and develop family-friendly student programming and resources. Additionally, presenters and participants will discuss the critical role of community-based supports and services, including benefits access, child care, and access to basic needs such as diapers and formula. The presenters will end the session by reviewing resources and replicable strategies and interventions to engage and support parenting students and their children that, in practice, have demonstrated strong, positive outcomes across measures of student success, retention and completion.
In a few weeks, UL Operations and Planning will launch its website. The site had to be easy to navigate, informative and accessible. The designers worked closely with ATI to make the site more accessible. Our first accessibility report showed a lot of work needed to be done. Henry Ford once said “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” While it may seem overwhelming, there are a few simple steps you can take to make the task easier.
In this session, you will learn why accessibility is important, review tips to help deliver inclusive design and discuss free tools to help identify and mitigate problem areas on your website.
As pathway programs gain popularity across the United States, Mason remains ahead of the game. This program opens with a basic description of a pathway program and the current trends across the US. Next, this program takes a closer look at INTO Mason, exploring the organizational layers of INTO and staffing at INTO Mason, the academic English and Pathway Programs INTO Mason offers, and common misconceptions about INTO Mason. Finally, this program discusses the transitions for students from non-degree at INTO Mason to degree status, suggesting how student affairs professionals can best serve these students before, during, and after this transition. Presenters will also open the floor for questions.
As the primary care on-campus healthcare providers for Mason students, Student Health Services seeks to be a campus partner in taking care of students’ wellbeing. Recognizing that mental health needs are growing in our students, we have sought innovative, evidence-based ways of addressing these needs within our clinic. Through grant funding, we initiated SBIRT (Screening and Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) and now a collaborative care model to support behavioral health within the primary care setting. By treating the physical and mental health of students holistically, we can have a significant impact on student success and retention.
We will present data supporting the effectiveness of collaborative care and how we plan to implement it at George Mason student health services. We will also talk about how you can help your students access mental health through Student Health Services, CAPS, and other campus resources.
National data shows that our off-campus students have a lower engagement rate and sense of belonging, but why? What does this mean for you as a practitioner? This session will explore national data, Mason data, and best practices to help your unit create a personalized plan to engage more off-campus students.
Are you stressed? We are too! Join the advocates in the Student Support and Advocacy Center for a session on workplace stress and self-care. This presentation is interactive and will give you several tools to take away for your work and your office. You will have the opportunity to take a self-care and stress inventory and to learn more about self-care as a daily and ongoing practice. We will briefly delve into mindfulness, boundary setting, and the use of affirmation. We will end with tip and resource sharing with each other because we recognize that only when we work together can we create a culture of healing, resiliency and well-being at Mason. Come join us for an hour of meaningful self-care and discovery.
Learning to say "thank you" was, for most of us, a part of growing up. Well, it turns out that gratitude has more far-reaching effects than simple politeness.
In this session, we will present and discuss some of the research on gratitude, specifically the ways that gratitude can strengthen job satisfaction, job performance, and general wellbeing.
The presenters will offer examples of findings that demonstrate the effects of gratitude, and then we will engage in a conversation about our experience with gratitude, the potential to expand the scope of gratitude in our lives, and the possible benefits of doing so.
Come ready to participate. Too often we find ourselves promoting the hook with an unsustainable promise, in turn creating a perceived experience. While keeping up with trends is important, authentic brands should support the interest of its audience and align with its culture.
We will present the idea around Brand Week; an initiative that looks to engage with campus community members to gather insight on the Mason experience that can inform future marketing and branding strategy. Using the Liberating Structures database, we will guide participants through a series of brainstorming activities that will contribute to the ideas of this initiative.
What do student affairs, Tibetan Buddhism, and neuroscience have in common? They all ask nuanced questions about empathy, compassion and their corresponding fatigue. In this session, we will examine how empathy and compassion are related to our work as student affairs professionals, trace their potential to intensify burnout in the fields of education and human development, and explore some of the remedies that recent research can offer.
Okay, Higher Ed Professionals, it’s time to get in FORMation! Creating online forms has made collecting and managing student information a lot easier. We gather a wide variety of information from our students every day. However, we need to consider the essential elements of creating better forms and avoiding form overload. What types of forms do you create? What information are you looking to collect through the creation of online forms? What existing information do you already have about your students? Prove to us you have what it takes to shape and secure the front lines of form design.
Successful note-takers demonstrate consistent transcription fluency, strong working memory, and the ability to identify important content with speed and accuracy. Students with disabilities and functional limitations in any one of these areas will most likely experience challenges in recording effective lecture notes compared to their non-disabled peers. To ensure appropriate access, universities often provide accommodations to students with disabilities to assist in obtaining copies of lecture notes. At Mason, this is often done by identifying or providing a volunteer note-taker or access to copies of professors’ lecture slides. Research suggests that note-taking services may be minimally effective for content retention and recall compared to having students engage in their own note-taking processes.
Participants will be asked to consider how Disability Services at Mason can best support students with note-taking accommodations to increase ownership in their learning and independence in the college setting. After covering background information related to the cognitive efforts involved in note-taking and the ways in which they can be impacted by specific disabilities, we will create a space for conversation and discussion regarding a new initiative from Disability Services in an effort to best meet the needs of students who access assistance in obtaining lecture notes.
As Amazon heads east to Arlington, VA and Mason plans for large-scale strategic expansion in the hi-tech arena, this session will explore implications of public-private partnerships (P3) in higher education. Mason has already placed great attention on connecting to employers, workforce, and emerging fields; the entrance of Amazon presents a unique opportunity for Mason to now lead the P3 arena on a new front: student affairs. Presenters will provide an overview of the topic, highlight current work in this space, and will introduce both opportunities and risks of public-private partnerships in academia. Participants will be asked to engage in an innovative thought process and discussion around the link between P3 and student affairs, with consideration to needs, resources, and the work of Mason’s University Life division.
Over the fall 2018 semester the Aquia & Shenandoah Residence Life team expressed an interest in reframing our approach professional development in our weekly staff meeting. So instead of purchasing a collective book, we listened to the podcast, "Radical Candor -how not to hate the boss you have or be the boss you hate," based on the book Radical Candor. Through listening to the podcast our team engaged in dynamic conversations regarding supervision, self-awareness, and the applicability of the topics presented. Each member of the team has been able to make meaning of the podcast based upon their individual work experiences, resulting in a high level of engagement and applicability. It was an AWESOME experience!
In this session we will be sharing our experiences, engaging participants in the conversation of professional development, and discussing how this framework can be replicated in innovating your approach to professional development.
We have all heard rumblings of the Student Experience Redesign and may have different understandings of that process and the effort to re-imagine the New Student Experience. From the point of acceptance through the first-year of the Mason experience, there is a coordinated effort to intentionally support students throughout this pivotal stage of their journey, and provide necessary resources and programming at critical times. There have been a number of identified areas of focus through the Student Experience Redesign, including the expansion of the existing Preamble program and the creation of a new extended-orientation program, called Quill Camp. Come learn about key updates and initiatives related to the Student Experience Redesign Initiation sub-committee, as well as brainstorm new initiatives and opportunities to support students and families throughout the first year.
In the spring of 2018, the presenters created Student Success groups for the Honors College. The idea around success group meetings were established to support the increasing number of students within the Honors College. The Director of Student Success found that she was meeting with many students of concern who were facing some of the same obstacles. The goal of the meetings was to bring students together to share their experiences and lessons learned while also planning toward their futures. The initial group meetings were projected to take place in the fall of 2018.
In this session, the presenters will briefly discuss the creation of a possible new idea/practice: (Student Success Groups) by reviewing a draft of the framework and curriculum. This will also include an examination of peer-reviewed literature on what researchers refer to as academic enhancement groups. The presenters will remain transparent by addressing obstacles faced in the fall 2018 semester while trying to execute the groups. Lastly, audience members will focus on specific questions related to working with groups, privacy limitations and how "success groups" could possibly create a sense of belonging and hope amongst low-GPA students.
With state funding for higher education continuing to decline, there is increased pressure for institutions to close the funding gap with philanthropic support. As we consider the growing importance of philanthropy in higher education, a shift must occur where philanthropy is no longer defined simply as “giving money”, but instead is considered an act of generosity to transform the wellbeing of others. This paradigm shift illustrates the need for higher education to make systematic changes to how it approaches philanthropy (Ruffalo, 2017).
This session will provide a broad overview of philanthropy at Mason and will incorporate interactive elements throughout that will allow attendees to reflect on the role they can play in building a culture of philanthropy and a legacy of giving at their institution. Whether you are just starting to think about philanthropy and how it relates to your unit or you have current practices in place to raise funds, this session is intended for anyone interested in expanding their thoughts and engaging in dialogue around philanthropy.
Disability Services actively serves over 5% of the Mason student population at any given time and that number continues to grow. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 26% of the US adult population currently lives with a disability. As Mason targets total student enrollment to exceed 40,000+ students within the next 5 years—coupled with a greater focus to increase access for all students through initiatives like ADVANCE—it will become increasingly important for all members of the Mason community to deliver programming, educational opportunities, and campus-wide events that adhere to principles of Universal Design (UD). While examples of UD are more readily evident and present in our everyday lives as physical elements (e.g., automatic/sliding doors, curb cuts), there are practices that we can all incorporate into our services, policies, procedures, outreach, and instruction that enhance accessibility.
Come learn about Disability Services and disability-related trends at Mason and across the nation more broadly. Participants will be provided with information about Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning. Participants will be asked to apply UD and UDL principles to their own specific services, offices, or programs with a chance to report back to the larger group.
Living Learning Communities (LLCs) at Mason have focused for years on innovative high impact practices through a co-curricular lens - and we would love to share some of those with you! Learn from our experiences in building partnerships and how they have helped us create some incredible experiences and living environments for our students. LLC staff will share the background and impact of some distinct examples of initiatives created over the years - from makerspaces in our halls to unique faculty engagement excursions! Let us share our lessons in collaboration and planning and engage in a dialogue around the creation of these initiatives built to enhance the student experience outside of the classroom.
The name of the game is Innovation here at Mason! Future success depends on uncovering new ways of doing things to increase opportunities for our students. This begins with expanding our view, widening our peripheral vision and seeing how we utilize what we already have in new and innovative ways.
Join us for an interactive session that explores how two units within separate divisions came together to elevate the student experience by reconsidering approaches to their programs. This session will also offer the opportunity for participants to engage in an activity to develop their own list of potential opportunities and work through an idea that they may have brewing.
It is estimated that 40% of first year students at Mason are the first in their families to attend college. Mirroring national trends within higher education, these numbers are expected to climb in the coming years. How do we meet the needs of this student population? Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education + LGBTQ Resources has developed several programs and initiatives to address and advocate for our student’s needs. During this interactive session, participants will learn about these research-based initiatives, as well as the impact these programs have had on student success and retention. These include the continuation of the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP), the establishment of the first generation peer mentoring program, and the re-establishment of a learning living community specifically for first generation students, among others. In addition, we will also discuss the challenges faced in the implementation of these programs, as well as challenges faced reaching our commuter first generation students. The session will include an opportunity for participants to ask questions and provide feedback. We will close this session by discussing ways we as a Mason community can continue to support our students.
Brandi Blake currently serves as the Assistant Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education and LGBTQ Resources at George Mason University. Her primary role is to support Black and African Heritage Students through programming, advising, support and advocacy. Additional... Read More →
Vanessa Correa currently serves as Associate Director for First Generation Initiatives in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) + LGBTQ Resources at George Mason University. Within this role, she serves as the program director for the Student Transition... Read More →
Growing demand for mental health services and rising rates of suicidal risk in college students continue to be a challenge for universities. Participants will be exposed to research on contributing factors, the ways in which mental health trends present differently in diverse groups of students, and the emerging best practice of taking a university-wide public health approach to the prevention of suicide and serious substance abuse. We will present information about our grant-funded, four-year partnership with the Jed Foundation through the Jed Campus initiative that is designed to support our efforts in developing an effective public health approach to prevention at Mason. Data from our recent administration to students of the Healthy Minds Study will be presented along with discussion of our current prevention-related programs, practices, and policies. We will share the strategic plan recommendations we received from the JED Foundation for improving our university-wide prevention approach. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in small group discussions and activities designed to both increase awareness and knowledge of the issues, and to identify opportunities for engagement in this new Mason initiative.
Staff Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services
Dr. Gloria is a licensed clinical psychologist in Virginia. She completed her doctoral degree in counseling psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed an APA-accredited doctoral internship at the University of Texas at Austin where she worked at the Counseling... Read More →
Executive Director, Counseling and Psychological Services
Dr. Rachel Wernicke is a former Army officer and a licensed clinical psychologist, currently serving as Executive Director in Counseling and Psychological Services and Interim Associate Dean in University Life. She completed her doctoral degree in psychology at American University... Read More →
This presentation discusses the research funded by the National Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention's Catalyst Grant, exploring the varying ways in which transfer students develop a sense of belonging. By exploring transfer student sense of belonging after the first semester, the preliminary findings of the study provide rich data to better assess learning outcomes associated for transitional programming targeted towards transfer students. Participants will learn how the preliminary results of the study deepen knowledge around how this timing affect a student's ability to successfully transition to a new campus environment.
George Mason University has set a Strategic Initiative of producing thousands of Career Ready Graduates over the next several years. International Students choose George Mason University programs with an eye to employment in the United States after they graduate. Many employers are fearful of hiring international students in this changing immigration landscape, students need to be educated on their employment benefits and how/when to deploy them, and departmental silos must be overcome in order to successfully guide a student from arrival, through employment while studying, and employment after they graduate.
This workshop will highlight the success of University Career Services and OIPS in creating a positive experience for students and employers by working hand-in-hand to address obstacles for students and employers and create a path for Career Ready graduates.
There are opportunities for collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs units to better support student learning and retention. Often, those opportunities go untapped or unnoticed. As Mason Professionals who made recent transitions from academic to UL units, we intend for our session to spark a conversation and build bridges between colleagues to enhance the student experience. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of some of the challenges in academic units, ways to include faculty or academic staff into campus initiatives, and how to integrate our student learning outcomes with academic and career goals.
Assistant Director for International Programs, Office of International Programs and Services
Brandon Quiles has been at Mason for 3 and a half years. He currently serves as the Assistant Director for International Programs where he collaborates in the development, implementation and evaluation of campus life internationalization efforts. Brandon is also a current doctoral... Read More →
Assistant Director of Orientation and New Student Programs, New Student and Family Programs
Cameron Shaw joined Mason Nation in 2011. As Assistant Director for Orientation and New Student Programs, she supports the experience of new Mason undergraduates, executing communication and logistic support for orientations and other first-year programs. Cameron is also a doctoral... Read More →
At University Career Services (UCS), we recognize that many Mason students are completing their degrees online, and may be unable to use our services and resources during traditional office hours. By considering online learners’ goals and lifestyle factors, along with Mason’s strategic goal to have 100,000 career-ready graduates by 2024, UCS is striving to make our services and resources more accessible based upon the unique needs of our distance-learning student population. We will discuss some of the changes UCS have made based on student feedback, along with some of the challenges and triumphs of the process. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own victories, questions and concerns. We will include time to workshop some of these questions and concerns.
Graduate and professional students comprise almost one third of the student population at Mason and remain a key focus for advancing Mason’s goals for research, enrollment, and student success. In Spring 2018, Graduate Student Life, in collaboration with our partners, conducted the first-ever assessment of graduate and professional students in order to better understand their needs and to find opportunities for promoting their success. Join us at this session to discover insights into the graduate and professional student experience at Mason and to engage with data with colleagues to identify ways to better serve this population.
NAVIGATE through an immersive experience of coordinated student outreach, information sharing, and dynamic analytics. The session will demonstrate features of a dynamic platform for departments to explore incorporation. You will be taken on a technology-enhanced journey demonstrating how, together, with a different mode of operation, we can maximize student support and further optimize student services. A tablet or mobile device is encouraged, though not required.
Do you have a process that faculty and staff often find confusing and laborious? By utilizing rubrics for processes, especially in assessment and reporting, you can see where knowledge gaps in faculty/staff exist as well as provide clear definitive ways towards continuous improvement. In this session, examples will be provided, best practices shared, as well as time for attendees to develop a rubric in groups to take back to their individual practices.
A mere “1% of refugees worldwide have access to postsecondary education as compared to global enrollment rates of 34%” (Phan, 2018, p. 1). In response to this global gap in higher education for individuals with a refugee background, Mason has incredible potential to support the access, retention, well-being, and post-graduate outcomes for this underserved student population in the Fairfax and Northern Virginia area.
This session will carve out time for participants to discuss a few possible initiatives, as well as engage in active dialogue, knowledge sharing, and mutual inspiration as we work out interdisciplinary ideas for how Mason could play a role in supporting local refugees and their families.
•What are your own insights, questions, and experiences on the topic of forced migration and higher education? •In what ways can Mason engage with local refugee communities in the Fairfax and Northern Virginia area? •How can faculty and staff at Mason work together in order to creatively and proactively foster educational opportunity and be an inclusive community for students with a refugee background?
Food insecurity is a pervasive concern on college campuses nationwide. New research estimated approximately 36% of college students at 4-year institutions experienced some form of food insecurity (Goldrick-Rab, Richardson, Schneider, Hernandez, & Cady, 2018). The same study highlighted this concern is consistently more pronounced in the community college population. Additional research indicated that 32% of college students who identified as having experienced food insecurity believed that their hunger problem had a negative impact on their education (Goldrick-Rab, Broton, & Colo, 2016). In the fall 2018 Patriot Success survey, approximately 350 George Mason University students indicated concerns related to food insecurity. This concern will likely expand at Mason with the increase of community college students matriculating as part of the NOVA Advance program. This session will situate the growing concern and provide a brief overview of the various collaborations between the Student Support and Advocacy Center and Mason Dining to address student food insecurity. The session will expand to an interactive group activity to explore how University Life could develop additional innovative collaborations and services to address food insecurity as the student population continually expands and diversifies. These proactive efforts could positively impact student retention, timely degree completion, and well-being.
Come learn about “Destination: Mason”, an initiative from INTO Mason which promotes international student engagement and involvement on campus through co-curricular collaboration. Fall 2018 saw 105 students successfully complete the program, collectively attending 630 events on campus or in the local community around the topics of Well-Being, American Culture, Global Competency, Arts, Athletics, and Civic and Community Engagement. We will discuss the structure behind Destination: Mason, as well contextualize why this initiative matters for international students within the grand scheme of campus internationalization. We will go over recent trends and research for international student engagement, and finally, discuss results from fall 2018 on what INTO Mason students have learned from this program and how it could be applied to larger audiences.
As student affairs professionals, we are educators and lifelong learners. We routinely engage in professional organizations, read newsletters and forums, and connect with colleagues to learn about the most innovative and engaging trends in our field. Innovation, however, often means change and change is not always easy to navigate. Guided by research and practice, Housing & Residence Life underwent a transformation from a traditional programming model to a Residential Curriculum designed to construct “an intentional way of promoting learning” in the residence halls (Brown, 2018). At the core, the new residential curriculum changed the way we do business, but not the business we do. And yet, this rapid change in how we do business, our culture and our strategy for accomplishing our goals, was met with several challenges since its creation and implementation. In this session, we will briefly review the new Mason Residential Curriculum, discuss why we made this change and how we went about implementing this change, and discuss the challenges we have faced in our first year. Our desire is to engage in conversation with colleagues about why change, even if innovative, can be challenging and how we work together to implement collaborative change across campus.
This presentation's goal is to share and reflect on best practices to recruit and hire the most qualified candidates. To showcase occupational well-being, we, as a department, want to ensure that this is a positive experience for all those involved. As a Mason Department, the ultimate goal is to have each candidate leave campus feeling welcome and wanting to become a part of the Mason Recreation team.
This session will present an overview of powerful learning strategies that any staff or faculty member may share with students to support their learning. You will learn about the Study Cycle, which explains the out-of-class learning activities in which professors expect students to be engaged. We will discuss the three levels of time management and resources students can use to keep up with assignments and exam preparation. Finally, you will learn about the most effective study strategy, self-testing, and three methods designed to help students practice self-testing in order to improve memory retention. The presenters will discuss when to refer students to Learning Services, how to schedule students for an academic coaching appointment via MasonNavigate, as well as other learning support services on campus.
This presentation will explore the topic of sexual and interpersonal violence as it impacts the Mason community, including faculty and staff. We will explore how the current socio-political climate (with events like the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Kavanaugh and movements like #MeToo), impact our community as a whole. These issues impact faculty and staff too, and by modeling a community of resilience, well-being and post-traumatic growth we all be more supportive to all survivors in the Mason community. This presentation will give participants the chance to explore more about resources available on campus and nationally, the impact of trauma, and how intersecting identities are impacted by interpersonal violence and trauma. Participants will be given reasonable action steps to help create solutions to these such as creating a culture of consent, knowing resources, and fostering resilience and healing in the community. We will end with a gentle self-care exercise.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct violations have been a large focus for the higher education community for years. Incidents at specific institutions have also been covered in both higher education as well as the national and mainstream media. Most recently, the Department of Education has offered several new proposals for institutions to consider when investigating and resolving Title IX cases. But what occurs in the hearing? What are the unique and specific nuances and complexities of Title IX cases? This session will illustrate the behind the scenes rationale for our process, the complexities a Title IX referral, and the staff commitment to facilitating the resolution process.
This program will begin with the national context of how data and analytics are used in today's higher education institutions as well as at George Mason University. Then it will narrow its focus to the application of data and analytics for student success and operational effectiveness, with some examples of work done by University Life Data Analytics and HR, and Auxiliary Enterprises. Lastly, it will discuss how to identify individual office's data needs and align them with the best-suited tools available, to hopefully provide some useful takeaways for the program participants.
This session will introduce participants to the science and application of Character Strengths, which are the positive aspects of personality that impact how people think, feel, act, and thrive. When the Character Strengths are successfully used, they are beneficial to both the individual and society.
The Values In Action (VIA) Survey of Character Strengths was developed through analysis of philosophical, spiritual, and scientific discussions of good character, and all 24 Strengths are universally valued as moral. All people possess each of the 24 Character Strengths in varying degrees, which creates a unique personal profile.
Session participants will learn ways to increase their awareness of Strengths approaches and applications using the VIA profile, understand the impact of Character Strengths in leadership, increase self-awareness about the positive indicators that define character, and learn ways that Character Strengths can compliment the Clifton Strengths.
For optimal results, session participants may take the free VIA survey prior to the session at https://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey, however it is not critical to have prior knowledge of individual Character Strengths for participation with this session.
Please join this panel discussion with Vice Presidents of Student Affairs divisions from George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Today’s panel will focus on the future of student affairs based on local, regional, and national trends, challenges, and opportunities. We will consider future issues and practices facing higher education and in particular Student Affairs, and how we can begin to approach what lies ahead for our students and our work.
Associate Vice Provost, Division of Student Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Curtis Erwin joined Virginia Commonwealth University in the spring of 2012 and now serves as an Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs. His background includes working with strategic planning, facility master planning, wellness and living-learning initiatives. Currently... Read More →
Vice President, Student Engagement and Enrollment Services, Old, Old Dominion University
Dr. Ellen Neufeldt joined Old Dominion University in the summer of 2011 as the Vice President of Student Engagement & Enrollment Services. She leads the areas of student engagement, student success, enrollment services, government relations, strategic communication & marketing and... Read More →
Vice President, University Life, George Mason University
Rose Pascarell is Vice President for University Life at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She has also served as Associate Vice President for University Life, Associate Dean for Campus Life and Associate Director of the Women's Studies Research and Resource Center at Mason... Read More →
Have you heard about George Mason University being a "majority minority" serving institution as our racial and ethnic diversity grows? Have you been asking questions about how to enhance practices of inclusion within your work space, classroom, and personal lives? While we recognize that social justice and inclusion work is constantly growing and evolving, we hope to provide a space where we can all continue to learn and grow together. Join us for a panel discussion digging deeply into foundation concepts around power, privilege, and oppression and the ways in which we can apply identity development theories, current research, and "best practices" around the country to focus on holistic inclusion at GMU, a historically white university. This panel will include examples of incidents and current issues at Mason and provide a space for attendees to discuss approaches, strategies, and concerns navigating difficult discussions, practices, and policies.
Moderator: Creston Lynch, Associate Dean of University Life
Dr. Michelle M. Allen is the Assistant Director of Programming in ODIME and LGBTQ Resources. Her primary responsibilities include planning large scale diversity events, fostering opportunities for collaborative programming and research across functional areas, and supporting relevant... Read More →
Brandi Blake currently serves as the Assistant Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education and LGBTQ Resources at George Mason University. Her primary role is to support Black and African Heritage Students through programming, advising, support and advocacy. Additional... Read More →
T. Garey Davis, is an Assistant Director of Training in ODIME and LGBTQ Resources. His primary responsibilities include campus wide cultural competency and social justice education and training. He serves on a committee for Black male initiatives, including starting a Black male living... Read More →
Kylie Stamm is an Assistant Director with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education and LGBTQ Resources. Her primary responsibilities include facilitating educational programming and support for students who identify as Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native... Read More →
Join 5 experts whom specifically work with transfer students, graduate students, adult learners, online learners, and first-generation students to educate participants on the challenges and issues post-traditional student populations face and how practitioners can best promote their success.
Moderator: Sally Lorentson, Ed.D., Associate Dean, University Life, George Mason University
Student Services Manager, Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) Program
Julie Allstrom has worked as Student Services Manager for Mason’s Bachelor of Individualized Study Program for the past five years. Currently, Julie is Mason’s representative to VADCAN, the Virginia Adult Degree Completion Administrators Network. She serves as an advisor for the... Read More →
Vanessa Correa currently serves as Associate Director for First Generation Initiatives in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) + LGBTQ Resources at George Mason University. Within this role, she serves as the program director for the Student Transition... Read More →
Director of Student Services, Northern Virginia Community College
Dr. Cynthia Pascal, is the Director of Student Services at NOVA Online and a consultant with NACADA, The Global Community for Academic Advising. With degrees in education, school counseling, and counseling psychology, Cynthia is an accomplished student development administrator... Read More →
The role of a Director within the Student Affairs profession requires a wide variety of skills and encompasses a multitude of responsibilities in a rapidly changing landscape. Challenges they face, current issues in higher education leadership, and successful strategies will be just some of the areas covered in this panel discussion. Join a group of seasoned directors from University Life to learn about a variety of topics related to their career path and how experiences have shaped their administrative style. Whether you are a graduate student seeking to better understand the work of student affairs as a potential career path, a new professional who wants to broaden their overall scope of knowledge, or a current manager who aspires to be a Director in the future, this session has something for you.
Moderator: Lewis Forrest, Associate Dean, University Life
David Gaskins has almost 30 years of professional experience in recreation and currently serves as the Executive Director for Recreation, a position he has held since November 2017. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at George Mason University in Physical Education and Master’s... Read More →
Naomi Martinez-Jones is the Director of Disability Services at George Mason University. She has over 13 years of experience working with people with disabilities in secondary and post-secondary education and in the community. Naomi received her undergraduate degree in Special Education... Read More →
Executive Director, Counseling and Psychological Services
Dr. Rachel Wernicke is a former Army officer and a licensed clinical psychologist, currently serving as Executive Director in Counseling and Psychological Services and Interim Associate Dean in University Life. She completed her doctoral degree in psychology at American University... Read More →
