GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY
Student Affairs Updates
Volume 2 Fall 2014
Promoting Student Engagement and Involvement Engaged students add to the life of a campus and are more likely to apply what they have learned in the classroom through co-curricular activities. The Division of Student Affairs is currently working on a number of initiatives that will provide students with a diverse range of opportunities for students to become involved.
We are streamlining the process to create and register student organizations We are partnering with IPPH to develop a system that informs students of civic engagement opportunities and tracks volunteer participation We are creating a process to identify students who utilize the Wellness Center in order to track their engagement and academic success We are implementing a Student Wellness Council that will allow students the opportunity to become involved with wellness initiatives on campus We are creating a new interdisciplinary student organization that educates students on Interpersonal Violence and Prevention We are exploring ways to increase student attendance at Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre events through social media marketing
Student Learning Outcomes: GRU Students will develop or realize growth in personal and social responsibility Example: Growth in personal identity will be displayed by 75% of students participating in the Student Wellness Council who are able to list and describe the eight dimensions of wellness.
The Division of Student Affairs has been extremely busy this semester. We have hosted a number of events with great success, and are finding new and better ways to keep our students engaged. We have made significant progress towards implementing many of the initiatives we outlined in our Strategic Plan. As we draw towards a close of the fall semester, we look forward to what will come in spring. Please don’t forget compliance training for staff and students!
GREEK LIFE
Mark Allen Poisel, Ed.D. Vice President for Student Affairs
Greek Life hosted Clash of the Titans: Greek Step Show on October 11, the first event of this type in GRU history! Nearly 700 people attended the show, more than $3,500 was raised, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the winning teams philanthropy of choice.
PIG OUT: SURVIVOR EDITION On Wednesday, October 15, the Summerville Campus came alive for Pig Out: Survivor Edition provided by the Jaguar Production Crew. In honor of the theme, The CREW had archery tag, as well as various inflatables, and a customizable dog tag novelty. To top off the event, we delicious food cooked by our faculty and staff . This is the largest event held for students each year, and this year we served over 2,000 students! Thank you again to all the volunteers!
ORIENTATION Student Life & Engagement and the 2015 Lead Orientation Leaders hosted a New Orientation Leader Social on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 to congratulate the 2015 Orientation Leaders. Orientation Leaders serve as a resource to a diverse population of new students and family members attending GRU’s orientation program throughout the spring, summer,and fall. Spring orientation dates are Tuesday, December 16, 2014 and Monday, January 5, 2015.
WEEK OF WELCOME As we were flooded with new and returning students on Monday, August 18, student leaders and staff from across campus came together for the Week of Welcome festivities. Kicking off the week, we had GRU’s first Spirit Day, alongside our 2nd Annual Lemonade Brigade where staff and students handed out lemonade and water with other materials to students needing directions or looking for information about services. We served nearly 1,000 students during four hours! This first event was not the only success of the week, the Jaguar Production Crew provided two events, one bookending the week with a Night at Adventure Crossing!
CARE There were a total of 24 CARE reports submitted in September and there were 19 in October. The primary concern is mental health related.
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STUDENT HEALTH A new Be Well website and Instagram account has been established to provide students with a variety of information and resources corresponding to the dimensions of wellness. Additionally, the new GRU Student Wellness Council has been established and is holding regular meetings.
INTRAMURALS The flag football season concluded in October. We had a total of 363 participants composing 21 teams. Table tennis and 3 on 3 basketball will be starting soon.
DIGITAL SIGNS IN JSAC
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
New digital monitors have been installed in the JSAC. If you are interested in advertising an event or making a special announcement on these monitors, you can find more information on the JSAC website.
In November, Student Assistants and professional staff from the JSAC joined students and staff from across Region III of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) for the first Regional Conference in Atlanta. The theme for the conference was “It All Starts Here,” and in addition to attending educational sessions, student leaders explored the challenges of designing the union of the future. With the help of architects and coaches, teams worked to develop concepts that were shared in a poster competition on the final day of the conference.
WELLNESS CENTER RENOVATIONS Renovations will be completed in two separate phases, allowing the Wellness Center to remain open for the majority of the project. Renovations include new flooring, additional storage areas, energy-efficient LED lighting, updated finishes, and a new reception desk.
HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE COUNSELING CENTER
Housing and Residence Life has been busy ensuring that student demands for housing are met. The total number of occupants at both campuses has increased by more than 11% from last year. University Village currently has 550 (504 in FY14) and Health Sciences has 231 (190 in FY14).
GRU’s 3rd annual Purple Light Nights tree-lighting ceremony was co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the Counseling Center.
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PAYING IT FORWARD On November 8, attendees of the ACUI conference in Atlanta assisted the Feed Children Everywhere organization with preparing and distributing thousands of meals for local families in need.
CAMPUS SaVE ACT
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK GRU Jaguar Wellness Center Jaguar Housing The Crew GRU Office of Academic Admissions Georgia Regents University Registrar’s Office GRU Office of Student Financial Aid
The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act is a 2013 amendment to the federal Jeanne Clery Act as a companion to Title IX that will help bolster the response to and prevention of sexual violence in higher education. SaVE requires colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs to increase transparency about the scope of sexual violence on campus, guarantee victims enhanced rights, provide for standards in institutional conduct proceedings, and provide campus community wide pre-
INSTAGRAM BeWellGRU
EM UPDATE
UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER 12/5—Last Day of Class Bash (UV) 12/7—Brainstorm Bonfire (UV) 12/17—State of Student Affairs and Holiday Party
The Winter 2014 edition of the EM Update is available at www.gru.edu/em/emupdatewinter2014.php
JAGSEARCH Save the Date!
JagSearch is your 24/7 online destination for questions pertaining to Admissions, Registration, and Financial Aid. Search the knowledge base or submit a ticket to get your question answered by an Enrollment Service Center specialist. Gru.edu/jagsearch
The upcoming dates for Spring orientations are December 16, 2014 and January 5, 2015.
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