This academic year saw a gradual return to normal operations after a year of providing service during a global pandemic. The Sykes Union and Student Activities (SUSA) staff saw a significant rise in engagement from events and building usage. With this renewed level of engagement, the staff continuously provided excellent customer service, student development, and education.
Last year, the staff solidified its mission, vision, and values. This year, we defined our values to instill a shared language among the staff. These values served as our guides for our work moving forward. In addition, they informed how we recognize and reward our staff throughout the year and at our end of the year banquet.
We welcomed new additions to the team including three graduate assistants who we successfully onboarded and trained prior to the Fall student training. In November, our new Assistant Director Robert DeMarco joined our team, allowing us to function at full capacity. With a full staff, we were able to place an emphasis on professional development and give back to the division and our profession. For example, we conducted a book club and discussion group, continued our professional association involvement through volunteering and presenting, and serving on committees within the Division of Student Affairs (DOSA).
Throughout the year, the SUSA staff continued and completed departmental priorities from the 2020-2021 academic year. We hired consultants to audit our spaces, programs, and policies through an affirming spaces lens; we completed our new and innovative student employee development program titled RISE (Rams Integrating Skills and Education); and we enhanced operations and policies which included our new advanced reservations process and capital improvements in the building.
In the Spring, the 150th Anniversary culminated with Ramboree on Ram Park. This marked the first time that Ramboree was held outdoors as it was initially intended three years ago. SUSA staff along with the Student Activities Council (SAC) played a vital role in the planning and implementation of this new campus tradition. The event was an incredible success with hundreds of students in attendance.
The SUSA staff are excited to continue our success as a team to achieve new goals and expectations. We have made intentional changes to the operations and activities for next year including modified building hours and shifts in our programming model. These changes were informed by our ongoing assessment efforts and data collection. We will continue to be leaders in community building and will always strive to center student success in our daily work.
We hosted student staff training for 45 students from August 23-25. In addition to job-related skills, student staff were trained in departmental values, customer service, teamwork, and affirming spaces. The department also partnered with the Department of Public Safety to offer ALICE active shooter training.
In conjunction with New Student Programs, we hosted multiple events during the University’s Welcome Week which included an Outdoor Movie (567 attendees), Laser Tag (120 attendees), and a Picnic (292 attendees); total event attendance equaled 979 attendees.
We built upon our mission to set a departmental vision and values to guide their work, future decisions, and measure success. The department’s mission, vision, and values were a focal point for graduate assistant onboarding and student staff training.
In conjunction with Parent and Family Relations, we hosted multiple events during the University’s Family Weekend which included a virtual Family Feud Game Show and a Food Crawl in downtown West Chester. These events had over 250 attendees.
We have partnered with the Chester County Intermediate Unit and their Discover program to host up to 8 of their students with disabilities to provide vocational experiences within Sykes Union for the academic year. We paused the program during the pandemic and restarted it this year.
As a part of the Homecoming Committee, we hosted multiple events during the University’s Homecoming Week which included over 900 attendees at the Block Party on Saturday before the football game.
We hosted two external consultants on campus November 1-2 for ACUI’s College Union and Student Activities (CUSA) evaluation program. The consultants met with a variety of stakeholders to assess the department’s programs, services, and policies using an affirming spaces lens. The department anticipates the consultant’s final report to guide future operations, programs, and services.
We co-sponsored with the Center for International Programs a Global Tastes event during International Education Week where visitors experienced global foods and live music.
We sent 2 professional staff and 4 graduate students to attend the joint 2021 ACUI Region VII and VIII Regional Conference in Washington D.C. This in person experience provided various learning opportunities focused through keynotes, educational sessions, and tours. In addition, the conference had a virtual format that allowed all members of the department and Division of Student Affairs and masters students in the Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs program to attend if desired.
Professional staff and graduate students completed their bi-weekly fall book club in December, We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations by Celeste Headlee. This department professional development opportunity provided the team with an ability to reconsider communication strategies both internally and externally to our department.
We hosted student staff training for 53 students from January 19-20. In addition to job-related skills, student staff were trained in departmental values, customer service, teamwork, and affirming spaces. We piloted an online learning module on D2L to cover fundamental information, leaving more time at in-person training for teambuilding and hands-on learning.
We partnered with Student Leadership and Involvement to discuss ways to encourage proper mask-wearing as students returned for in-person classes. The departments created a marketing campaign featuring Rammy as a superhero reminding students that “With great power comes great responsibility and rewards.” For the first four weeks of in-person classes, students wearing the good, better, best mask options properly were entered into a weekly raffle drawing. Student organizations were also encouraged to submit social media content to encourage their peers to wear masks.
We implemented a new process to assist student organizations and university departments with future space reservations within the union. With limited large venues on campus and trying to meet the needs of many organizations and departments, this process allowed for a more equal opportunity to these spaces. Organizations and university departments submitted details with their date and location preferences for over 68 events. Sykes Union staff prioritized all submissions based on the scope and scale of the event and scheduled them accordingly in 25Live.
We had two professional staff members attend the 2022 Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Annual Conference in Chicago which focused on building community within the union setting, inclusion, diversity and equity work, and giving back to the community. Two Graduate Assistants from the department also attended as part of the conference graduate staff providing an immersive internship experience for the week.
On March 16, professionals in the Sykes Union and Student Activities department, along with Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Leadership and Involvement, presented “West Chester Student Experience: History of Student Life” as a part of the 150th Exhibition Lecture and Tour Series. The series and museum exhibit were partnerships between the Department of Anthropology and the Library.
On April 1, the Rams After Hours program partnered with the student organization Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) to host a Drag Show that featured talent from RuPaul’s Drag Race along with current student and alumni performers. There were 300 in attendance with 6 performers.
On April 20, the Student Activities Council (SAC) continued the 26-year tradition of Banana Day by hosting games and activities for students on the Academic Quad, the Residential Quad, and in Sykes Student Union. The event had over 20 student organization co-sponsors, and SAC gave away 1200 of the coveted Banana Day t-shirts.
Ramboree was hosted on April 22 from 12PM-6:30PM at Ram Park. Members of the SUSA staff and students played an integral role on the Ramboree Planning Committee. The event consisted of carnival games, novelties, food trucks, rides, free giveaways, lawn games, and live music.
Sykes Student Union is the center of community life on the campus of West Chester University. In support of the educational mission of the University, Sykes encourages and provides an environment where everyone on campus can gather to participate and learn through diversity and co-curricular experiences. Sykes provides services, conveniences, and facilities designed to support the needs of West Chester University and the community. The Activities team further strives to maintain a balance of recreational, social, educational, and cultural programs and activities.
Sykes Union and Student Activities promotes the development of the whole student by enhancing the classroom experience through experiential learning opportunities. This development is often accomplished through leadership opportunities, participatory decision-making, and empowerment connected with the operation of the facility and the planning of events.
Sykes Student Union was constructed in 1975 and renovated in 1995 and 2017. The building features approximately 105,000 square feet of space designed for all members of the campus community to come together for a variety of events. In April of 2017, Student Services, Inc. established a partnership with Sykes Student Union to have student activities professionals report to the Director of Sykes Student Union.
In 2021, the Sykes Union and Student Activities department took steps to merge the Student Activities Council (SAC) and the late-night programming series, Rams After Hours (RAH), to allow a more coordinated approach to programming. Over this past year, additional steps have been taken to further this process. The SAC organizational and programming structure were overhauled with a focus on impactful programming and assessment. The new structure was launched in the Spring of 2022 and new executive board members were appointed shortly after. The new programming structure will launch in Fall of 2023
Sykes Union and Student Activities creates vibrant campus community through excellent programs and services.
To be a leader in intentional community building that prioritizes student success through:
Creating and sustaining affirming spaces for all Providing students leadership opportunities
Fostering campus traditions
Offering meaningful experiences focused on a sense of belonging
In 2021, Sykes Union and Student Activities staff created shared values on which to base all departmental efforts. In 2022, we crafted the following definitions for the values to instill a shared language among all staff:
Cultivating a fun, positive, and affirming experience that fosters community and makes you want to return.
Being reliable and trustworthy through our words, actions, decisions, and beliefs, especially when no one is watching.
Creating spaces and experiences that allow for personal growth, gaining new perspectives, building skills, and obtaining knowledge.
Taking the perspective of another with compassion and recognizing that people are multifaceted individuals who lead complex lives beyond our brief moments of interaction.
Not only did we use the values to guide our work operationally, but we also used it as a framework for recognizing excellence among our staff. At monthly team meetings, the professional staff recognized the ways select team members embodied the departmental values through a nomination process. At the End of Year Celebration for the student staff, exemplary students were awarded for their efforts in living the values. Award recipients are featured on page 13.
Sykes Union and Student Activities values cultivating affirming spaces in our building and programs for all students and the WCU community. We will continue to do so even in the most challenging and uncertain of times. Sykes Union is a studentcentered place that is committed to providing space to gather, unite, and share ideas. Our team is dedicated to the role of the college union and utilizing our resources in the active pursuit of equity and social justice.
BARRETT MCGEE
Associate Director of Student Activities EMILY KOFMAN Assistant Director of Student Activities
DR. CLAYTON KOLB Director Sykes Union & Student Activities
ADRIANE REILLY
Associate Director of Sykes Student Union JAYNA SUTER Graduate Assistant Student Staffing
MEGAN WALDROP Graduate Assistant Student Activities
ANN CALLAGHAN Administrative Support
JORDAN MAXWELL
Assistant Director of Sykes Student Union SHANELLE GRIER Graduate Assistant Rams After Hours
BOBBY DEMARCO
Assistant Director of Sykes Student Union ALLIE DOWNEY Graduate Assistant Operations
Sykes Union and Student Activities implemented a new process to assist student organizations and university departments with future space reservations within the union. With limited large venues on campus and trying to meet the needs of many organizations and departments, this process allowed for a more equal opportunity to these spaces.
The Sykes Student Union staff finalized the advanced reservations process and Clayton developed a complex RamConnect form using skip logic. He then piloted the form with the SUSA and DOSA staff. To promote the new process to the campus community, Clayton developed a communications plan with Sabrina Rightmer, Director of Communications and Marketing for Student Affairs. This included strategic emails and the staff changing their e-mail signatures to spread the word to constituents.
Organizations and university departments submitted details with their date and location preferences for over 99 events. Sykes Union staff prioritized all submissions based on the scope and scale of the event and scheduled them accordingly in 25Live. Then 25Live was reopened for general reservation requests for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The Affirming Spaces working team was established in 2020 to create a short-term and long-term plan for inclusion and diversity within the department. In doing so, we are working to build affirming spaces and programs at all levels of the department. The staff members assigned to this working team are Adriane Reilly (Associate Director of Sykes Union), Barrett McGee (Associate Director of Student Activities), Emily Kofman (Assistant Director of Student Activities), and Jordan Maxwell (Assistant Director of Sykes Union). An affirming space is one that is considered a safe space for all who inhabit it while also pushing the boundaries when it comes to education and acceptance. These spaces need to go one step further and be affirming.
This year, the Affirming Spaces working team continued their efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion by participating in the ACUI College Union and Student Activities (CUSA) Evaluation Program. Two external consultants were identified to come to campus in November 2021 to meet with Sykes building tenants, student leaders, and other staff from the Division of Student Affairs. Their charge was to create a short-term and long-term plan for inclusion and diversity within the SUSA department to facilitate an effort to “build affirming spaces and programs at all levels of the department.”
After a 1.5-day visit to campus, the consultants were able to draft a final report based on the time they spent in the building and conversations they had with our constituencies. The 19-page report outlined the site visit, exactly which departments and student groups they spoke with, and provided the Affirming Spaces team with several suggestions for areas where the staff could look to improve our DEI efforts. The full report is available.
With these suggestions in mind, the Affirming Spaces working team drafted a response to the report to discuss some short-term goals that can be implemented within the next academic year along with some long-term goals that, with the assistance of campus partners, can be implemented within the next few years. This response will be distributed to all Sykes tenants and DOSA leadership. It will also be available to review on the Sykes website along with the report.
SUSA adopted two new practices this year to create a more affirming environment for the campus community. In November, we collaborated with the Muslim Student Association to provide a more private space for daily prayer. We reserved room 10B every weekday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm throughout the remained of the fall and spring semesters. We trained the Building Managers to unlock and lock this space proactively each day and to move the prayer mats from the locked closet to 10B for students’ convenience.
In October, we hung the Progress Pride flag during National Coming Out Day upon request from The Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy. This initiative prompted the need for a formalized procedure so similar requests could be addressed equitably. Clayton created the Sykes Flagpole and Requests departmental procedure to provide a process for West Chester University departments or registered student organizations seeking to hang a flag on the Sykes Student Union flagpole to support an event or celebration period. This written procedure is available upon request.
In preparation for fall 2021, conference rooms 218, 251, and 257 were outfitted with video conferencing equipment to make hybrid meetings possible for university departments and student organizations. In May, Visual Sound Inc. installed similar equipment better suited for larger spaces in the Sykes Theater. In late June, we also invested in two Owl devices to offer portable, panoramic video conferencing capabilities for the other spaces in our building. We will introduce this resource beginning in fall 2022.
In collaboration with the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Division of Student Affairs, SUSA commissioned artist Erica DeHart to design and paint an engaging mural on the exterior of the building near the ground floor entrance. Students and student organizations were invited to volunteer to assist Erica with painting the mural. Members of The Abbé Society and the The Friars’ Society volunteered. Inspired by the popular butterfly wing murals, this piece features a set of ram horns that patrons could pose in front of to give the illusion that they have horns. They can also pose next to Rammy or in front of a cartoon illustration of the Phillips Building. The purple and gold mural brightens up the brown concrete under the stairs leading to the pergola. We are hoping the spot becomes a favorite photo opportunity for campus visitors.
Ramboree 2022 took place on April 22 in Ram Park. Ramboree is an outdoor music festival that featured live performances of local bands and artists, a nationally recognized cover band, a fun slide, a Eurobungy trampoline, caricaturists, tarot card readers, lawn games, novelties, tie-dye, photo booths, carnival games, free t-shirts and giveaways, and food trucks.
Ramboree was conceived in 2018 with the first ever Ramboree taking place in April of 2019. However, due to inclement weather, much of that event had to be modified. The past two years, Ramboree was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ramboree 2022 was the first year the event was held according to the original vision. Members of SUSA played an integral role on the Ramboree Planning Committee and the Student Activities Council was vital to the success of the day, serving as volunteers for every aspect of the event.
The event was a great success. While it’s difficult to estimate total numbers, all thirteen hundred t-shirts were given away and 8,081 food tickets were used between all five food trucks.
As the institution returned to more usual operations, the full student staff returned for work in the building. For the fall semester, we hired 18 building managers, five Copy Center associates, two graphic designers, nine operations specialists, eight Rams After Hours event staff, and eight SAC executive board members. Of the 50 employees, 50% were new to the team and 50% were returning staff from the previous academic year. As we transitioned to the spring semester, 20 (40%) employees left the team due to graduation, resignation, or termination. After the winter hiring process, we were fully staffed at 51 employees. In the spring we saw an increased interest in students working dual positions. For example, one student worked as both a Copy Center associate and a RAH event staff member. This not only makes onboarding easier, but also allows students who are already familiar with our mission, vision, values, and operations to earn more money to support their financial needs.
In an exit survey administered via email on the last day of classes in December and May to students who are graduating or resigning, 100% of the students who voluntarily completed the exit survey agreed they would recommend working for Sykes Union and Student Activities to a friend. We take great pride in creating a positive work environment that supports the student’s personal and professional development. Exit survey participants shared they gained skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.
The Student Experience working team created a student development employee program titled RISE (Rams Integrating Skills and Education) that includes intentional and comprehensive learning outcomes derived from the National Associate of Colleges and Employers (NACE) core competencies and the Division of Student Affairs learning domains.
RISE takes the standard evaluation process and reimagines it as an overarching personal development plan for student leaders and paraprofessionals. The working team spent much of the year writing specific learning outcomes, drafting supporting documents such as a performance evaluation and a development plan, and testing the program with original case studies and scenarios. The team presented the program to the rest of the department in February 2022 and implemented the feedback that was given. This program will launch in the Fall of 2022 and the Associate Directors will provide direct oversight and monitoring.
RISE will assess student learning in eight functional skill areas: Communication (both oral and written), Critical Thinking, Digital Technology, Interpersonal Skills, Accountability/Professionalism/Work Ethic, Intercultural Fluency, Career Readiness, and Leadership.
The staff gathered in May to celebrate the year’s achievements, congratulate the graduating employees, and recognize the outstanding work of select employees. Jayna coordinated a fun event that included Dia Doce cupcakes, cornhole, a photobooth, a sparkling cider toast to the Class of 2022, and a year-end slideshow. Even Rammy made an appearance to congratulate the graduates and the values award recipients. This year the professional staff modified our awards structure to better align with the department’s values. Peer and self-nominations were collected for employees who embodied joy, empathy, learning, and integrity.
SUSA staff continued the annual practice of collecting data points to maintain the data pool. The data pool included information such as the number of reservations, common area head counts, event attendance for both SAC and RAH events, quantity work orders submitted, lost and found entries logged, and other pertinent information from the Information Desk such as number of phone calls and online chat questions answered. This data proved invaluable in measuring success, shaping this report, and informing our work on a day-to-day basis.
M - F 7:30AM - 11PM
SAT 9AM - 11PM
SUN 10AM - 10PM
From November to January, Clayton and Adriane compiled foot traffic, common area head count, reservation, and salary data to support a reduction in building hours. The Vice President of Student Affairs, the Interim Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, and the Student Government Association executive board all approved the proposal. The following hours were approved for the 2022-2023 academic year.
In June, Adriane completed the benchmarking report comparing the operations, programs, and services of 35 institutions including all PASSHE universities, peer institutions as identified by IPEDS, and outstanding departments from within the ACUI network. This document will help guide decisions on future goals and projects for the department. It is available upon request.
The Student Activities Council and Rams After Hours staff distributed satisfaction surveys after each event, including virtual events. For consistency, the Qualtrics surveys typically asked the same questions across events. At in-person RAH events, staff were stationed at the registration tables to ask attendees to complete the survey as they were leaving the event. The SAC and RAH staff reviewed the results to look for areas of improvement, however one limitation was a lack of meaningful or actionable responses from attendees.
union continued to operate according to CDC guidelines that continually shifted and changed during the Fall and Spring semesters. After restrictions on distancing were lifted, furniture in all meeting rooms, lounge spaces, and dining areas were restored to their original layout, while also accommodating specific social distancing needs for individual reservations.
union became a vital distribution point for masks throughout the year. Disposable mask stations were positioned at every entry point as well as at our Information Desk, and the student staff monitored mask wearing at all times. When the University made the shift to KN95 or N95 mask preference, the union became a key distribution point of these masks for students.
Student Activities continued to offer virtual programming options throughout year in addition to in-person programming. Before the start of the Spring semester, the University made the decision to begin the first two weeks with virtual classes. While some in-person programs were still allowed, most programs shifted virtual delivery along with classes. Rams After Hours pivoted their first Friday program into a virtual format by offering online escape rooms. The Student Activities Council continued to offer in-person movies during the weekend with enforced social distancing and mask wearing.
In December pandemic, Sykes Union and Student Activities and Student to create a campaign positively reinforcing the importance With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” Campaign best masking requirement. This initiative included elements such as a social media campaign, a masking raffle, messaging around the building, tabling, and giveaways.
The social media campaign that was launched centering on student organizations creating TikTok style videos promoting proper masking on campus to their fellow students. The student organizations that submitted these videos were rewarded with additional funds into their SSI organization account and were featured on the social media channels for both SUSA and SLI.
For the masking raffle, each week members of the SUSA and SLI staff would give out raffle tickets to students seen properly wearing their facemask in the building. At the conclusion of each week, a raffle was drawn selecting winners for prizes such as Apple Airpods, gift cards to local West Chester restaurants, Philadelphia Flyers tickets, and more. During the three-week initiative (since things were cut short due to the mask mandate lifting), 538 unique students were entered into the raffle drawing.
CLAYTON KOLB
DOSA Ram Plan Committee
DOSA Social Justice Curiculum Team
DOSA Programming Council
WCU Moon Shot for Equity Remediation and Development Education Reform
Land Acknowledgement Working Group
LGBTQIA+ University Caucus Co-chair, Vendor Nondiscrimination Subcommittee
Interim Oversight of WCU Housing Operations
ADRIANE REILLY Co-chair, Paraprofessional Supervisors Committee, Co-chair
Welcome Week Planning Committee Co-chair, Accessibility and Wellbeing Subcommittee
BARRETT MCGEE
LGBTQIA+ University Caucus
Welcome Week Planning Committee Co-chair, Collaborations and Special Populations Subcommittee
DOSA Programming Council
EMILY KOFMAN
Homecoming Committee
Ramboree Committee
Student Programs and Activities Review Comittee (SPARC)
WCU Re-Entry Committee
JORDAN MAXWELL Chair, Student Programs and Activities Review Committee (SPARC)
MEGAN WALDROP Ramboree Committee
SHANELLE GRIER Ramboree Committee
Sykes Union and Student Activities professional staff and graduate students continued our bi-weekly book club that was started last year. In the Fall, the staff read We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee. This department professional development opportunity provided the team with an ability to reconsider communication strategies both internally and externally to our department. Additionally, some of the lessons learned from the book informed the work of the Student Experience Working Team, shifting a learning outcome from “oral communication” to “conversational competence.”
In the Spring semester, the department decided to take the book club in a new direction. We continued to meet bi-weekly and different members of the team led different discussions for each meeting. The discussions were around articles, lectures, videos, or other content that provoked conversation and thought. Not only did this provide continuing learning opportunities, but also it allowed staff members to lead sessions around issues that were important to them. Some of the topics covered include: impact of social media, teamwork, gratitude, and professional ethics.
Sykes Union and Student Activities staff are proud to be active volunteers and members in at least two professional associations, ACUI, which is geared toward students and professionals involved in college union operations and student activities, and NACA which is geared toward students and professionals who work in campus activities.
Emily concluded her term as ACUI Regional Leadership Team Communications Coordinator.
Clayton continued his special appointment as ACUI Volunteer Development Coordinator
SUSA staff also presented online webinars for the ACUI and the WCU community. First, Barrett presented on the history of student life at WCU with staff from the Library and Anthropology departments as a part of the university’s 150th anniversary celebration. Then, Adriane co-presented with Temple University professional, Kieffer Timmann, about student staff training.
Emily, Megan, and two SAC executive board members traveled to the NACA National conference in Kansas City, MO together. There Emily and Megan gave a presentation on the RISE program entitled “Development Plans: Reworking Old Systems to Better Help Our Students.”
Adriane, Jordan, Shanelle, Allie, Megan, and Jayna attended the ACUI Region VII Conference in Washington, DC in November. There Adriane gave a presentation on evaluating affirming spaces entitled “Space Exploration.”
Clayton, Barrett, Allie, and Jayna attended the ACUI Annual Conference in Chicago, IL in April. Allie and Jayna were selected as Graduate Student Volunteer Staff to aid the Conference Program Team and ACUI Central Office Staff in the execution of a successful conference experience.
The Division of Student Affairs’ GOLD (Grow Observe Learn Develop) Conference showcases and celebrates the programs and scholarship of the division and its campus colleagues. It is a space for dialogue around our divisional learning outcomes, how we connect to our work and development as professionals, and how it applies to our work with students. SUSA staff participated by presenting the following:
Barrett, Adriane, Clayton presented on using Microsoft Teams to enhance departmental communications
Clayton & Jordan explained and demonstrated the 25Live reservations process
Clayton presented on Clifton Strengths
On April 29, 2022 SUSA staff visited the Campus Center at Rutgers University- Camden. We met with colleagues and student workers, discussed best practices for union operations and student activities, and toured the facility. The visit inspired action items to enhance our work going forward. Members of the Campus Center at Rutgers University-Camden team plan to visit Sykes Student Union in Fall 2022.
As the new academic year approaches, the Sykes Union and Student Activities staff are planning which goals and projects we will address next. So far, two have emerged. The first is client relations. A new working team will form to assess the current state of client relationships and way to continually self-study utilizing the CAS standards. The information gathered from this initiative will inform the department’s strategic plan, which will hopefully align with the timing of the development of the division’s strategic plan.
