2019 Fall Campus Life Trends Magazine (CLT)

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CAMPUS LIFE

TRENDS

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2019 FALL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES PLANNING CONFERENCES ILS DETA ON 18 PAGE

GAME

oN!

ENGAGE & RETAIN Teaneck, NJ

Houston, TX

Chicago, IL

Oct 4–6

Oct 11–16

Nov 8–10

ESPORTS COMING TO APCA THIS FALL! –Pg 20

INSIDE THIS ISSUE ◊ HOS T A BLENDER BEF ORE YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT, PG 6 ◊ S TUDENT ENGAGEMENT SPO TLIGHT, PG 9 ◊ L O W B U D G E T P RO G R A M S A N D E V E N T S , P G 24

ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

2019 – 2020

Campus Activities Planning Conference Schedule LIVE SHOWCASES • EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS EXHIBIT HALLS • LATE NIGHT EVENTS • AND MORE!

2019 OCT 4 – 6 • TEANECK, NJ • FALL REGIONAL OCT 11 – 13 • HOUSTON, TX • FALL REGIONAL NOV 8 – 10 • CHICAGO, IL • FALL REGIONAL

2020 MAR 5 – 8 • ORLANDO, FL • NATIONAL CONFERENCE MAR 13 – 15 • HERSHEY, PA • SPRING REGIONAL JOIN US!

WWW.APCA.COM 865.429.9123

C L T M a g a z i n e | F a l l 2 019 PUBLISHER: ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF CAMPUS ACTIVITIES (APCA) EDITOR: ERIC LAMBERT GRAPHIC DESIGN: ARLENE PRICE PRINTED BY: THE THOMAS GROUP THANKS TO ALL THE SCHOOLS, ASSOCIATES, AND SPEAKERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION OF THE CAMPUS LIFE TRENDS MAGAZINE.

CONTENTS 4

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BY: ERIC LAMBERT, APCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CLT FEATURE ARTICLE

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20

BY: MELISSSA RUIZ, SWIFT KICK

CLT FEATURE ARTICLE

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CANVAS PAINT NIGHT

BY: ROCKELL BARTOLI

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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

HOST A BLENDER BEFORE YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT: ST. BONAVENTURE

THE APC A C AMPUS LIFE TRENDS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED EACH SEMES TER. SUBMISSIONS F OR AR TICLES MUS T BE EMAILED T O:

MAGAZINE IS A TRADEMARK OF THE ASSOCIATION F OR THE PROMO TION OF C AMPUS ACTIVITIES. ALL RIGHT S RESER VED. N O AR TICLES OR IMAGES OF ANY KIND MAY BE REPRINTED FROM THIS MAGAZINE WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE ASSOCIATION F OR THE PROMO TION OF C AMPUS ACTIVITIES. ANYONE SEEKING PERMISSION SHOULD F OR WARD THEIR REQUES T BY EMAIL T O: ARLENE@APC A .COM

865.429. 912 3

WHY GO TO AN APCA FALL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES PLANNING CONFERENCE?

ESPORTS COMES TO APCA FALL CONFERENCES

LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD FOR THE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY

MINDSETTING FOR SUCCESS & WELL-BEING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

LOW BUDGET PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

DR. SCOTT FITZGIBBON & DR. BLAKE FAULKNER THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE

BY: DEL SUGGS, M.S. ED

ARLENE@APC A .COM THE C AMPUS LIFE TRENDS

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GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?: ASSESSING DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS

BY: KRIS LIEBEGOTT, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES SAGE COLLEGE AT ALBANY

BY: SUSAN HARPER, PHD UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - DALLAS

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STUDENT LEADERS: GET OUTSIDE BY: DANIEL CARON

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LIFE REBALANCED BY: JENNIFER YAWSON ALBION COLLEGE

5 KEYS TO GETTING BUSINESSES TO THROW YOUR ORGANIZATION MONEY BY: JONATHAN SPRINKLES

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SEPTEMBER: SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH BY: SAM LOUIE

FROM THE DESK

OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECT OR

ERIC LAMBERT APCA Executive Director ● elambert@apca.com

How our Community Enhances Career and Student Success

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tudent Life advisors and organizations are important groups of people. We in Student Life can enhance or sour the campus experience. Whether we do our jobs well will greatly influence the attachment our students have to our institutions. To the extent that we are a positive influence on them, we can aid in their retention and success. That, in turn, will be a huge factor in their lives, not just on campus but in their careers and the quality of life their degree can help them achieve.

This is the highest thing any of us can aspire to, really: making a positive impact on a student’s future.

Civilization is simply the result of the time, mentoring and guidance we give to our young. Lose one generation’s education, and society falls into chaos and decay. This is readily apparent for many decades after countries taken over by violent or isolationist regimes.

That’s why our community at APCA is so very important. We are dedicated to providing the community of campus life staff and students a home where all can feel appreciated, accepted, and heard. APCA is all about personal connections. We act like a family because we believe it takes a village to effectively connect our students to their schools.

APCA schools rely on each other’s experience; we socialize together; and we support each other. We buy our campus engagement events cooperatively to help each other through budget cuts. We help each other professionally to find new employment opportunities. We seize opportunities to present our expertise.

APCA is more than just a series of conferences or online resources. We are the pathway that can help you connect to a more fulfilling career. Whether you are an advisor, an artist, an agent, or a student programmer looking to find a home in the campus life community, APCA has a place for you!

If you’ve never tried us, I invite you to visit us at www.apca.com and learn how you can get involved with the fastest growing student life community in the country. We welcome you to our community of engaged campus life professionals!

Until next time,

Eric Lambert APCA Executive Director

apca.com

Join APCA Today!

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Opportunities to be published in our Campus Life Trends (CLT) Magazine Opportunities to serve on your regional team Be interviewed and featured in "APCA TV" APCA Gems Program Eligible for APCA Regional & National Awards

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Why APCA? Our mission is to help student life departments with limited resources make more of an impact on their campuses. APCA is a staunch advocate of purposeful programming that incorporates meaningful, assessable learning outcomes that can improve retention levels on your campus. We will keep you up to date on the latest professional development trends and student theory, theor organize and motivate your student boards and give you the resources to stretch your programming dollars.

APCA CONFERENCE GUARANTEE

All APCA event delegate fees come with a money-back guarantee of satisfaction. If for any reason you are unsatisfied by the end of the first day of the event, simply return your conference materials and request a refund of your fees. All fees, minus your prepaid meal cost, will be returned to your school after the event. APCA is the only campus activities conference system to guarantee your delegation a positive experience!

Email: info@apca.com www.apca.com

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HOST A BLEN D E R EVEN T B E F O RE YO U R B IG E V E N T How many times have you run around campus passing out flyers, to only end up with five people at your event? Have you spent hours crafting Facebook events, emails, and tweets, to only get two likes and one person who shows up from social media? How many times have you thought, “There has to be a better way!”?

M e l i ss a R u i z Professional Speaker Swift Kick

You’re right, there is a better way. At Swift Kick, we encourage you to think of your event planning in a completely new way. If you want to get people to your event, you should first look at how many people know each other. I know what you’re thinking: “The point of this event is so that people can get to know each other.” As leaders, with research backed by George Kuh, we know that the more engaged students are, the happier they are with their college experience, and the more likely they are to persist. No pressure, right? Getting to that end is the hard part. So, I challenge you to start smaller.

Looking back on my time in Residence Life and Student Activities, I know that I sometimes went about event planning as a means of checking off boxes to meet requirements within my position. While I was meeting goals, I fear I spent too little time on one of the most important aspects of programming: creating community.

Let’s break down how it tends to go: You’ve created an event. There are snacks, activities, prizes, music is playing, and excited team members are monitoring every area. You run up to people as they pass by to get them to attend. But they keep walking. Why? Well, do you know the person you just ran up to? Do you have a relationship

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with them? You might be thinking, “No, Melissa, that’s why I want them to come to this super-awesome funa-palooza I created.”

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IF YOU’RE READY TO GIVE THIS NEW APPROACH A TRY, HERE ARE THE RULES: 1. BRING IT TO THEM

My response would be, “Maybe that is a bit too much, too soon for them. Try a Blender Event.”

A BLENDER EVENT IS A SIMPLE, LOW-COST ACTIVITY THAT CREATES A PATTERN INTERRUPT IN A NORMAL DAY. A blender event can increase, or even create, a sense of community within a larger culture, i.e., college campus, company, or town. A blender event can break up the regular, day-to-day things people experience and provide an opportunity for people to meet. These types of events “blend” people who have different levels of engagement within your community. Blender events are a great way to lay the foundation for connection within your campus community.

Blender Events work best when they are done in busy areas. Is there somewhere that community members flock to naturally? Whether it’s in line for food, or benches by the garden or near an entrance- if that is where they are, then that is where you should be.

Try leaving instruments on the quad with a sign that says “Try me!” Or, line a popular sidewalk with hopscotch challenges that get people to and from different buildings on campus.

2. POSITIVE REACTION Use Blender Events that foster positive emotions. Since you are trying to get to know people and help them get to know other people, why not make them smile or laugh? When people feel the same positive emotion about the same thing, they’ll be more inclined to laugh and smile together!

Instead of letting people stare off into space in the lunch line, start giving out free hugs, high fives, and fist bumps while people wait in line.

3. CONNECT THE DOTS Blender Events should be used in between your bigger events. As a sense of community begins to grow at Blender Events, larger events won’t be so intimidating to go to since people have already made friends.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

2019 – 2020

Campus Activities Planning Conference Schedule LIVE SHOWCASES • EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS EXHIBIT HALLS • LATE NIGHT EVENTS • AND MORE!

2019 OCT 4 – 6 • TEANECK, NJ • FALL REGIONAL OCT 11 – 13 • HOUSTON, TX • FALL REGIONAL NOV 8 – 10 • CHICAGO, IL • FALL REGIONAL

2020 MAR 5 – 8 • ORLANDO, FL • NATIONAL CONFERENCE MAR 13 – 15 • HERSHEY, PA • SPRING REGIONAL JOIN US!

WWW.APCA.COM 865.429.9123

C L T M a g a z i n e | S u m m e r 2 019

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

SPO TLIGHT St. Bonaventure University Robbie Chulick

Assistant Director of Center of Activities, Recreation and Leadership

Canvas Paint Night

The Campus Activities Board "CAB" at St. Bonaventure University hosts 2-3 Canvas Painting Classes each year. This most recent event was on May 2019. SBU brings in "Painting with Justine", the 2018 APCA Campus Novelty of the Year, for each of these events. This is a simple program to have on campus that makes a huge impact and draws around 75 students per session. Students say they find this event as a great stress relief and to be therapeutic. This program is marketed through traditional posters, the student engagement app on campus called "Bonnies Connect", and through social media. We ask students to sign up ahead of time through the app to know how many work stations to set up, but we always set up extras in case there are walk-in's who did not RSVP!

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MINDSETTING FOR SUCCESS AND

WELL-BEING

IN THE Dr. S co tt F it zg i b b o n

Dr. B l ake F aul k n e r

DIGITAL AGE T h e Pa c i f i c I ns t i t ute w w w.t hep a c i f i c i ns t i t ute. com

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tudent success, persistence, and well-being are a central focus for all of us in higher education, with new challenges that are requiring us to think differently about how we best equip students to thrive in the digital age, where the continued acceleration of change is a given.

Students arrive on our campuses with varying beliefs about their ability to succeed, or whether they belong in college at all. These beliefs are based largely upon their past experiences and are accompanied by habits and attitudes that may, or may not, be aligned with the expectations and goals that they now have for college, or other important areas of their lives. Furthermore, several recent studies in neuroscience research related to student persistence reaffirm the dynamics of the multiple “psychological and emotional frictions� that occur throughout the student lifecycle. When left unattended, these misalignments and frictions can lead to poor academic performance, disengagement, and drop-outs.

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At the same time, the world around us continues to accelerate. Information overload and the rapid pace of change is making it increasingly difficult for us to effectively cope. For our students, these challenges are very real and manifest in their daily lives in several ways: • Students increasingly report feeling overwhelmed by a world of endless possibilities • Some students feel paralyzed by constant comparison and perfection • Those being treated for symptoms of anxiety and depression continue to rise • Although they are more “connected” than ever before through social media and all the other information at their fingertips 24/7/365, students increasingly report feeling lonely and detached from deep meaningful relationships Fortunately, as we grapple with how to best address these challenges facing our students and prepare them for the future, an expanding body of research indicates that intentionally incorporating the development of mindset and well-being into our programming can help increase student engagement and academic success, as well as contribute to better overall well-being.

We now know that the way we think – our mindset – has a significant impact on our ability to utilize our full potential and make the most of our talent, knowledge, and abilities. Also, thanks to the growing body of neuroscience research, we now better understand neuroplasticity - that the brain is not carved in stone and that it can continue to grow and develop new neural connections throughout our lives. Simply put, we can learn, unlearn, and relearn continually throughout our lifetime.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDSET Intentionally designing curricular and co-curricular learning experiences that engage and support students in the development of a growth mindset - the belief that they can continually learn, change and grow, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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Get Out Of Your Own Way! Kris Liebegott D i r ec t o r of S t u d e n t Ac t i v i t i e s

S a g e Co l l eg e of A l b a n y Liebek@sage.edu

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fter completing my first graduate degree in 2009, I moved 1,000 miles away from everyone that I knew to start my career in higher education as a Director of Student Activities and Greek Life at a state college in Georgia. As it was my first director-level position, I wanted to prove myself worthy of the title. The pressure was high, the hours were long, and the stress was unbelievable. Even so, I look back at those formative years in higher education fondly because I learned so many valuable lessons about interpersonal and professional relationships, work/life balance, and stress management.

Most importantly, I learned how to get out of my own way.

The external pressures of higher education and, more specifically, events and activities can be daunting (and exhausting). These stressors are only amplified by the fact that young administrators are often navigating social and professional dynamics while learning about their new campus culture and position.

So, how do you alleviate some of this pressure and get out of your own way? Here’s what worked for me:

Don’t focus on the numbers!

Gasp! I am sure some higher administrators and assessment junkies are losing their minds at this concept, but stay with me. It is easy to get swept up in the idea that numbers matter. However, attendance does not equal impact! When you free yourself from the concept that numbers are most important, you can focus on designing programs that fit your campus culture, provide education AND entertainment, and benefit all parties involved. Remember, it is more valuable to have 50 students attend a transformative program than 500 attend a forgettable one.

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A career isn’t built in a day!

Being new is not without its drawbacks. There will be times where you are compared to people that held your position previously. There will be times where you will experience resistance to your ideas from colleagues and students. Accept that every campus is unique and that, given enough time and energy, you can change the culture and ideals of a campus.

Negative feedback is good feedback!

Assessment is no longer a new age buzzword being bandied about the higher education world - it is a core element of campus events and activities. Supervisors want to examine our methods, budget offices want to see a return on the institution’s investment, and students want their voices to be heard. With that said, assessment brings both positive and negative feedback. Do not let the negative outweigh the positive strides you make! In fact, use all of your feedback as a learning tool to inform your future decisions. Every negative can provide a roadmap to a future positive!

“No” is not a bad word!

“Other duties as assigned” is the most dangerous line in any job description. You will have ample opportunities to join committees, build programs, participate in assessment building, and expand your resume. Be mindful that while each of these is an opportunity to build and diversify your experience, you are a human being and have a limit. Discuss your job description and how you can most efficiently and effectively shape it for the next step in your career, in detail, with your supervisor. Choose your opportunities carefully, and learn to advocate for your position and overall workload.

There is life outside of the job!

Self-care is not just for students. Burnout is real and it is incumbent upon you to take care of your own well-being. You are allowed (and should be encouraged) to have a life outside of the higher education sphere. Travel, visit family and friends, and live your life. Your department will not fall apart if you are out of the office for a few days. In fact, you are provided sick, personal, and vacation time for a reason. USE THEM! A decade into my career in student affairs, I continue to share and utilize these insights with students and new higher education professionals whenever and wherever possible. Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” solution to the stress, conflict, and issues that can arise in higher education. Lean on your support systems, cultivate mentor relationships at your institution and within the industry, know that you have value, and do yourself a favor:

Get out of your own way!

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STUDENT LEADERS:

GET OUTSIDE DANIEL CARON

daniel@danielprograms.com

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here is something about the long, warm days of summer that invites us to head outside. Weekends seem packed with outdoor events, from being near the water, to traveling, and family gatherings outdoors. There is a lesson here for student leaders. Get outside!

Just because classes are starting back up, your leadership plate is once again full, and daylight is growing shorter, does not mean that the benefits of summertime activities are suspended for another year. Being outdoors in nature is beneficial for you. Keep this in mind throughout your year.

Older adults laugh when I speak with them about this subject because it rings so familiar. Growing up in a small city, my parents would regularly have to yell for me to return home each night for dinner. Today, some parents have a hard time even getting their children outdoors. Because I grew up in an urban area, any patch of trees or green space would serve as a contrasting area of nature from the paved streets and row houses.

When facilitating programs around the country with college students, I regularly hear how student leaders feel stressed and that there are not enough hours in the day. Oddly, these concerns often come from the same leaders who are doing an excellent job taking care of those they serve. When I hear these concerns, my mind returns to the thought, ”Get outside!”

Getting outdoors in nature is healthy for you. Poets, mystics, intellectuals, and leaders for ages have told us to head outdoors to collect ourselves, find balance, harmony, reconnect with the world around us, and recharge our batteries. This seems like less of a task to be completed, like working out or fitting something into our schedule, and more of deliberate action to enjoy purely for the benefits.

Science is also paying attention to this wisdom. My “go-to” source for scientific information about the physical and mental benefits of being outside in nature is The Greater Good Science Center out of Berkeley, California (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/). Type the word ”nature” into their website search and discover the many benefits resulting from being outside.

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Science is only confirming what many have known in their bones for hundreds of years. Today I’ve chosen to live a life purposefully connected to nature for the health benefits and pure enjoyment.

My nature photography is an expression of this lifestyle choice.

Many compliment me on the photographs I take, but, in reality, regularly getting outdoors into nature is my drug of choice. This stuff feeds me. It’s a daily joy. This is increasingly apparent to me when I go through nature withdrawal, such as those times when work takes me to a large city for an extended period. When the trees are all but replaced by only concrete and pavement, I go in search of green space. It’s similar to what some experience when they start the day without a needed cup of coffee. I’m just not myself.

Recently, I experienced this feeling after a long drive to speak in Niagara Falls, Ontario. With multiple programs ahead of me, Photo by Daniel Caron experiencing some anxiety about traveling and speaking outside of the country, and not knowing anyone, I returned to a familiar practice that settled me right in. After checking into my hotel, I grabbed my camera and headed outside in search of nature at Niagara Falls.

Being outdoors did not disappoint and helped to calm me physically and mentally for the work in the next three days.

If you find yourself feeling a bit wonky, stressed, or briefly overwhelmed by all the “stuff” that is on your leadership plate, on top of everything else you are juggling, consider heading outdoors and immersing yourself in a little bit of nature. It can be as simple as asking a friend to join you on a walk. And if you happen to be at an upcoming APCA conference, look for me. I’ll be the person outside during the conference break, sitting under a tree, or watching the sunset.

Daniel Caron is a speaker, program facilitator, and award-winning photographer covering program topics on civility, leadership, service, and wellness. You can connect with Daniel through his website, www.danielsprograms.com or check out his photography at www.naturenomad.com and on Instagram and Facebook.

Photo by Daniel Caron

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Life Rebalanced

JENNIFER YAWSON | ALBION COLLEGE jyawson@albion.edu

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JENNIFER YAWSON IS THE DIRECTOR FOR CAMPUS PROGRAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE ANNA HOWARD SHAW WOMEN'S CENTER

o often we focus on what’s going wrong in our lives, how busy we are, or how little time we have for a personal life. We forget to rejuvenate our energy so we can be there for others and do the things that bring us joy. In the field of higher education (and specifically student activities), some might say, "Who has the time and energy to keep a healthy life balance?" I would argue that because our work is so demanding, and our daily schedule so often ends after 5pm, that it is even more important to live a healthy life balance. We all know how easy it is to put in extra hours at work, especially when we love what we do. However, it is just as important and necessary to put time into ourselves. In turn, our work and the people around us benefit.

Think about your cell phone for a minute. Maybe you are in a situation where you need to make an important call, use the GPS to navigate to a new destination, or check out the new funny cat video everyone is talking about. It doesn’t matter how much you need your phone, if it is not charged up enough, it won’t do you any good. I have also found that if I recharge my cell phone periodically, it charges back up much quicker than if I let it get down to 0%. The same thing happens with us. We all have an energy battery that needs to be recharged in order to give energy to others and the things we are doing. If we pause and slow down periodically to recharge, then it doesn’t take as long to get back to 100%. How often do we say we are too busy to slow down, take a vacation day, or even an afternoon off? It is during those times that we are allowing ourselves to become fully drained from energy. When we eventually hit 0%, we will have no choice but to stop and recharge. Just like our cell phones, it will take longer.

We all have different ways to recharge. Some of the ways that help me are keeping a positive attitude, taking “me days”, and finding joy. You’ve probably heard the saying, “what you focus on becomes your reality”, so try to choose each day to focus on the positive. A quote from Oprah Winfrey says, “Balance lives in the present.

The surest way to lose your footing is to focus on what dreadful things might happen”. Having a positive attitude and living in the present moment helps us live a balanced life. Keeping a gratitude journal or simply saying out loud to yourself 5 things you are grateful for at the end of each day also helps refocus

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your energy to the positive. If we know that what we focus on becomes our reality, then focusing on the positive will breed positive energy in our lives.

Another way of keeping a balanced life are things that I call “Me Days”. These are days that are set aside just for me and the things that I want or need to do. Sometimes it is a whole day, or just a few hours, whatever I can fit into my life at the moment.

I try and put them into my calendar so I can plan for them just like I do for any other important meeting or function. A perfect “Me Day” might be waking up without an alarm, going out for brunch, sitting quietly in nature, getting a massage, and enjoying time with friends or family. “Me Days” are whatever you want them to be.

Even if you don’t have time to take a full “Me Day”, you can take a “Me Hour” or even a “Me Moment”.

It’s just about giving yourself the time to plug in and recharge so you are ready to do other things.

“Me Days” and “Me Moments” are so important in keeping a healthy life balance. Finding joy goes right alongside “Me Days”. In those “Me Moments”, try filling yourself up with things that bring you joy.

Make yourself a “Joy List” from simple things like taking a walk or swinging on the porch swing, or taking a week vacation to your favorite spot. Fill

your list with things that are free and easy to do at any moment, to more elaborate things you might need to save or plan for. Having a “Joy List” at your fingertips makes it easier to add joy into your daily life.

I know on the days when I achieve a healthy life balance, I am a better employee, co-worker, advisor, mentor, friend, daughter, sister, aunt, and wife. I have a clearer understanding of the goals that I am reaching for. When I have taken time to recharge, I also have more energy to give to others. It has taken me many years to figure out that it is not only ok, but it is healthy and necessary to take time out for me. Putting myself first is not about being selfish, but about taking care of myself so I can be the best version of me for my family, friends, students, co-workers, and loved ones.

"Life is all about balance.

You don't always need to be getting stuff done.

Sometimes it's perfectly okay, and absolutely necessry, to shut down, kick back and do nothing." ~Lori Deichene

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WHY GO TO AN APCA FALL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES PLANNING CONFERENCE? An Amazing Experience…

APCA’s Fall Campus Activities Planning Conferences provide your organization with excellent opportunities to network with other campuses! You can meet new programming vendors, find new talent for your campus activities program, and update your professional training with the latest information and techniques available. APCA Campus Activities Planning Conferences are held in safe, attractive and popular destinations, and are fully insured for the protection of your students and staff.

Affordable Professional Development Opportunities Across the country, schools are facing dwindling student populations, retention and recruitment challenges, and stiffer competition for tuition dollars. APCA Professional Development sessions can help you attach, engage and retain your students through a vibrant student life program. Participants will have these topics and others to choose from to enhance student success and retention on your campus: • Front Loading Student Events • Residential / Commuter Engagement Strategies • Online Student Engagement / Esports Program Training • Campus Event Programming Strategies for Improved Retention • Assessing your Student Success and Retention Efforts Bring Home Trained and Motivated Programming Boards Get your Programming Board motivated and excited with APCA ed sessions and interactive workshops!

APCA sessions are given by top presenters in the market, covering topics like: • Diversity and Inclusive Programming Education • Best Practices For Campus Event Planning & Production • Board Member Recruitment and Retention Sessions • Commuter/Community Activities Programming • Student Leadership Training • Social Media Marketing Techniques ...and much more!

Get New Resources to Help You Program Like a Rock Star!

You can meet new contacts, book attractions for your campus programs, and stock up on the latest resources for your board at APCA! Every APCA fall conference will feature Associates (APCA member agencies, artists, speakers, etc.) representing the showcasing attractions. All exhibiting Associates are APCA members, bound by APCA ethics and sensitivity guide lines. They can answer questions, explain rider and contract terms, and generally give member schools all the information they need to bring an artist or service to their campus event.

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SAVE MONEY AND MAKE CAMPUS LIFE BETTER! Save enough on booking novelties, speakers, and talent to pay for your trip!

Do you need to save BIG money on your campus activities events? Are you trying to plan a LOT of events with a LITTLE money? You’re not alone. Over 75% of our schools have Student Life Programming Budgets of $50,000 or less! Yet they are planning full calendars of events, getting well known acts in the college market, and doing it for less than their peers.

How do they do it? They work together at the APCA Campus Activities Planning Conferences to use their combined buying power in the APCA Cooperative Buying program! It’s EASY and IT REALLY WORKS! In some cases, you can save up to 30% off the price of entertainment and speakers by taking advantage of Cooperative Buying!

The APCA Cooperative Buying program gives APCA conference delegates the ability to merge their buying power, offering artists a block of engagement dates in a specified time period in exchange for a lower price and sharing of travel costs with other schools. Your board can book their entire calendar at an APCA Campus Activities Programming Conference, and with the APCA Cooperative Buying discounts, they can do it much more affordably than anywhere else!

APCA Conferences feature showcases where attendees can see the best talent in the campus market for themselves. Each delegate receives a conference program complete with bios and pictures of the acts, lecturers, etc. performing at the various showcases. APCA showcases feature environment appropriate comedy, music, performing arts, films, lectures, novelties, imprint services and more. Don't miss out, REGISTER TODAY! LEARN ABOUT ESPORTS AT FALL CONFERENCES! - SEE NEXT PAGE

2019 FALL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES PLANNING CONFERENCE DATES OCT 4–6 OCT 11–13 NOV 8–10

TEANECK, NJ HOUSTON, TX CHICAGO, IL

REGISTER TODAY AT APCA.COM OR CALL 865.429.9123

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ESPORTS COMES TO THE APCA FALL LINEUP! APCA will be introducing esports tournament packages and training to the lineup of resources at our fall regional programming conferences. We will be sharing with our members the best practices for implementing an esports program on their campuses, and will also host the inaugural esports tournaments through SLICE, APCA’s new student esports league.

SLICE – THE STUDENT LEAGUE FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ESPORTS The mission of SLICE is to promote collegiate esports by facilitating an environment that creates desirable student engagement outcomes for competitors and participants. To that end, SLICE provides industry leading competitions and educational opportunities that promote sportsmanship and further the educational mission of colleges and universities.

SLICE offers fully integrated multigame and multiplatform collegiate competition structure. SLICE is built to enhance student success through esports engagement. We are dedicated to enhancing academic retention through a culture of engaging and inclusive student life.

SLICE provides a regional and national competition structure for esports that allows for both small and large schools to be competitive.

DIVISIONAL STRUCTURE Division 1 – FTE of 10,000+ Division 2 – FTE between 5,000-9,999 Division 3 – FTE 4,999 and under

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ANNUAL DUES (per institution) **SLICE Dues are WAIVED for APCA Members!

Division 1 - $1,500 Division 2 - $1,000 Division 3 - $750 REGISTRATION: SLICE Competitors may register as SLICE ONLY attendees, OR may register as APCA Delegates to the Regional Conference and pay a minimal add-on fee. Details on Regional and National fees and registration requirements are provided at APCA.com!

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LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD FOR THE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY Rockell Bartoli

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s a professional speaker, I LOVE going to different schools and universities to work with students.

However, traveling isn’t always the most fun thing to do. My least favorite thing about traveling, besides having to sit in the middle seat, is the packing and unpacking process. I don’t know about you, but I start doing a mental luggage check as I’m on my way to the airport to make sure I packed everything. Deodorant, check, lotion, check, dress shoes, check. Then I finally arrive to the airport with time to spare and proceed to the ticket counter to check in my bag.

It was one such moment that I learned a great lesson. I placed my suitcase on the scale, and the agent gave my suitcase that look. She quickly informed me that my suitcase was too heavy, and it would cost me an additional $30 to check in my bag. I was going to have to pay $60 in total to bring this suitcase; I was pretty annoyed. I packed what I’d normally pack to go speak at a school and maybe like 30 copies of my book and a few other unnecessary things. I didn’t think it would make a huge difference, but I was sadly mistaken. A heavy load meant I was going to pay the price.

So, I advise you to lighten your load on your leadership journey or it’s going to cost you. There are a few things we need to work on removing from our bags, so they don’t weigh us down along the way.

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Self-Doubt Let’s start with self-doubt because it’s a really heavy one. Stop doubting that this journey is for you; stop doubting that you can accomplish your goals. Replace those thoughts with the fact that you can accomplish and do whatever you put your mind to. Lean into your team and other individuals that can support you when self-doubt is knocking at your door. Remind yourself that it’s OK to stumble, fail, and realign while you’re on this journey. It’s a part of the process and if you give up now, you won’t get the chance to see what could have been. Once you remove self-doubt from the picture, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can move around without that heavy weight holding you back.

“You are bigger than your self-doubt. Remind yourself of that each and every day.” -Caroline Ghosn

Stop Comparing Yourself The leadership journey isn’t easy, but it is a lot of fun. You get to meet new people, create a vision, take action, and help others to become their best self. But while you’re on this journey, please don’t forget to take comparison out of your luggage. Comparison takes up a lot of unnecessary space that could be filled with much better things. Comparison not only has the potential to weigh you down, but it can also distract you from your destination. You are uniquely made to do that which you have set out to do.

Take an inventory of yourself and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Focus your time and efforts on improving your weaknesses and utilizing your strengths to create change, empower your team, and bring your vision to life. Look at others as a source of motivation and as a resource, not to compare yourself. Your journey. Your destiny. No one else's.

Let It Go Now I know it’s not always easy having to part from the things we’ve been holding onto for so many years, but if you want to be an effective leader to your peers and to yourself, then you’re going to have to let it all go. The fear, self-doubt, comparison, and negative self-talk will cost you more than you can imagine. “Pack Light” is what American singer and songwriter Erykah Badu sings in her song, “Bag Lady.” Take what’s necessary for this journey; grit, determination, patience, and heart. You’ll pick up the rest along the way.

Rockell Bartoli is a professional speaker and author. She has spoken to thousands of students and has delivered empowering messages for notable organizations. One of her most recent speaking engagements was APCA's 15th Annual Leadership on Broadway Experience. rockell@rockellbartoli.com www.rockellbartoli.com | 1-800-778-6259

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DEL SUGGS, M.S. ED

LOW BUDGET PROGRAMS AND EVENT S

Del@delsuggs.com

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ou’ve probably gotten the call from your boss, or attended the staff meeting and gotten the word: your budget is being cut. You’re likely not surprised, given everything you hear and read about the economy these days. You were probably thinking-- worrying-- about it any way.

Those of us who are eternal optimists are embracing this new economic reality as we always do-- we’re taking that lemon and making lemonade. And I’m hoping to do the same thing for you.

Presenting programs inexpensively is not the same as presenting cheap programs. Cheap, after all, has the implication that the program is of lesser quality. I think you can really present some great, quality programs inexpensively. It might take more work and more time, but you’re probably used to that.

Interactive Programs Let’s start with interactive programs, which are those events in which students are actually participants.

There are many interactive programs you can present, so let’s run down a few.

Perhaps the most famous (and most popular) is the “Open Mic.” And, it is “mic,” short for microphone-- not “open mike.” You probably know how to do an Open Mic show. You just set up a sound system and let students perform. But let me give you two secrets to success.

First, have your students sign up in advance to perform. That way they’ve committed to be on stage at a specific time, and they can’t back out. They will also tell all their friends to come and watch them, and that can fill the room.

Second, limit their time on stage to two songs for musicians and five minutes for spoken word performers.

You will find that everyone has two good songs they can sing and play-- it’s that third song that will have you wishing they had quit while they were ahead. Same thing with poets. They’ve all got a couple of good poems, and for most that’s all they’ve got so far. So help them (and the audience) by limiting their performance time.

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Countless variations of the Open Mic exist. How about the current craze of “American Idol?” Couldn’t you present a Campus Idol contest in a similar fashion?

Student Competition How about Lip Sync competition, or Air Guitar shows? Throw in dancing, and have your students compete in synching to popular music videos. Or how about athletic competition? You could stage your own Olympic Style games, pick the sports you want to include, and maybe a few less-athletic and more fun games. You could even have an “Iron Man” and “Iron Woman” competition, where students could compete in lifting, pulling, etc. like they do on ESPN. Look at the popular reality shows, and create a campus version. How about a program called “The Biggest Winner” modeled after the weight-loss and fitness show? Or steal the Dance show idea, and present “Dancing With The Faculty” by teaming a student with a faculty member. Don’t you think your students would come to watch their friends in a dance competition paired with their favorite faculty member?

Residence halls are famous for innovative cooking. I used to cook a grilled cheese sandwich with a steam iron on my desk. Why not have a “cook-off,” like is held for chili or barbecue, only based around the microwave?

Or try this idea: “Iron Chef Dorm” where you have a contest in each hall, and the winners compete to win Iron Chef of your school. The main ingredient for each dish? Why ramen noodles, of course! You might even get your food service staff to compete against the students.

There are lots of other competitions you can hold. A Texas Hold’em tournament is a sure-fire hit. How about Rock Band/Guitar Hero contest? You can even create competition to reflect the seasons. Ever heard of Frozen Turkey Bowling? How about a pumpkin toss?

Make It A Game Any kind of game came become an event. Pull out the board games, and have a “Game Day” in the student center. Get some old games from your childhood, and have a “Retro Game Day” with Mystery Date, Candyland, and more! Spend a little money on retro candies for prizes-- you remember candy cigarettes, wax lips, and those little wax bottles with sweet colored syrup? You can order them all online.

Create your own versions of television game shows. Can you imagine how funny it would be play the “Roommate Game” like the old “Newlywed Game?” See how much do roommates really know about each other! Recreate the “Dating Game” and ask all those funny questions with the flirtatious answers. Do you like “Deal or No Deal?” Create your own campus version, and call it “Take It or Leave It!” CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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But Does It Make a Difference?:

Assessing

Susan Harper, PhD

Student Services Associate – Activities University of North Texas at Dallas Susan.Harper@untdallas.edu

Programming on Your Campus

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n so many different ways, our campuses are more diverse than they’ve ever been, and diversity and inclusion programming is a key part of what student affairs professionals contribute to our campus communities. Our thinking about diversity and inclusion has become more nuanced and complex as well, with focus shifting from providing educational experiences for members of the dominant or majority cultural groups -- what I call “People are Different Than You and It’s OK 101” programs -- to providing programs and services for members of minority or marginalized cultural groups. This type of programming offers unique challenges, in that the student affairs professionals creating and executing programming may or may not be members of the targeted population and may or may not be in consultation with members of those populations in developing programs and initiatives. The goal of diversity and inclusion programming is to create campuses that affirm diversity, to encourage retention of students from marginalized or minority populations, and to foster a sense of support and belonging among these students. But how do we create programs that will meet these goals? And how do we know if our programs make a difference to the students they’re intended to serve?

There’s no simple answer, of course. Student programming takes place in the famously fluid, shifting, and challenging environment of higher education and is subject to the whims of the schedule, the weather, and the sometimes-unpredictable lives of students themselves. There are many factors for which it is difficult or impossible to account. However, solid assessment practices can help us give ourselves the best chance at programming success. Taking the time to assess your program not only afterwards to see how successful it was, but also to assess the targeted populations beforehand, as part of the program creation and planning process, can set your programs up for success. Pre- and post-assessment can be beneficial in planning any kind of program, but can be especially impactful in planning diversity programs.

Targeted pre-assessment is key if we are to develop programs that are meaningful and impactful.

While campus wide assessment is useful, taking the time to assess what a given population wants and needs is vital -- especially if there is no one on your programming staff who is themselves a member of the community in question. Campus climate surveys are a valuable tool for finding both pain points and opportunities; these data give student affairs staff insight into what communities are in need of, where they are experiencing marginalization or disconnect, and what larger diversity and inclusion

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programming initiatives might benefit the whole campus. Along with campus climate survey data, creating targeted assessments for various populations on your campus–LGBTQ+ students, women, African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, international students, disabled students, and so forth -- allows you to really drill down into what these students will find most valuable and will, in turn, attend. You may find yourself surprised at what a given community expresses need for or interest in, and assessing for barriers students in a given population face in attending programming may also provide you with crucial insights that can better your programming.

If pre-assessment helps us to plan more effective targeted diversity and inclusion programming, then postassessment helps us learn whether we applied the pre-assessment data effectively. You will want to give everyone who attended a program an opportunity to provide post-assessment, but asking a few questions (or using student demographics from swipe-in or sign-in software) can allow you to tease out data on targeted populations. Go beyond asking the basic post-assessment questions – How would you rate this program? What is one thing you learned? What was your favorite thing? – and include questions asking students whether and how they felt represented and (perhaps most importantly) why or why not.

Compare data from students in targeted populations with those not in those populations, and notice any differences in outcomes – this is your launching point as you plan further programming.

Diversity and inclusion programming is only one piece of the job that student affairs professionals do in promoting more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and affirming campuses. But it is perhaps the most visible aspect of our work, and it is the place in which we can make the biggest impact (or fail to make an impact, unfortunately). Taking the time to work with colleagues and share best practices, successes, and lessons learned from programming misfires can help us all better serve our students.

The Diversity and Inclusion Panel at APCA Regionals in Houston, October 11-13, offers a great opportunity to do just this. A variety of subject matter experts in campus diversity in inclusion will bring their expertise and ideas, and we encourage anyone working within diversity and inclusion to come with their questions, their great ideas, their dilemmas, and their collaborative spirit.

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Jonathan Sprinkles

5 Ke y s t o Getting Businesses to Throw your Organization Some Money

You want some money? Of course you do. When it comes to getting the cheddar, you have to know who has the cheese and what types of businesses will give it to you. It’s much easier than you think. There are people all around you who want to put money in your pockets, but you must know who to ask and how to ask them. Look closely at these five pointers for getting the right people on your team.

When looking for potential donors, pay close attention to which local companies advertise on your campus. Start by looking at who advertises in campus newspapers or passes out coupons around the residence halls. They are paying to have access to you! Don’t spend all your time going to the same places that all of the other organizations visit. You’re smarter than that. Look in all the cracks, uncover every stone. There is no shortage of money, only a shortage of people who are willing to do what it takes to get the money.

Make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Offer to pick up their donation as soon as they are ready to give it to you.

Be very persuasive, but ultimately flexible with their giving options. Be grateful for whatever you receive, even if it’s less than what you were originally asking for. Never forget that they don’t have to give you anything!

Business people are real people too, so be likeable. People do business (and this is indeed a business move) with people they like. Be someone that they look forward to hearing from. Give a firm handshake, show your Kool-Aid smile, speak with confidence and sound excited about what you’re doing. Before you visit or call them, ask yourself, “What one thing do I want them to remember about me? What one thing do I want them to remember about my organization or this event?” These two questions should dictate how your carry yourself around your donors. You can do it!

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Invite them to the event. Let them see first-hand where their time, money or services are going. This is a great opportunity to shine. Everyone in the group should pour on the gratitude. Even giving your donors a standing ovation at the end of the program shouldn’t be out of the question.

I know that this can be a stretch for some of you but understand that the worst thing that anyone can say to you is “no.” However, every no that you get means that you’re one step closer to a yes. Trust me, the harvest is plentiful. Get out there and get funded!

This article is an excerpt from the collegiate bestseller Take Your Leadership to the Next Level! by Jonathan Sprinkles. Jonathan is a nationally-acclaimed leadership and motivational speaker. He was nominated as the 2004 COLLEGE SPEAKER OF THE YEAR by APCA. For more information on Jonathan or to schedule him for an event, please visit www.jsprinkles.com or email him at info@jsprinkles.com

HOST A BLENDER EVENT - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Before the big dance marathon, maybe someone on your team could teach a dance class so people are less scared to dance in public. If there is a 5k happening on campus, offer quick workouts or run clubs to help people train.

4. IT’S CHEAP Blender Events should never cost a lot of money. Building relationships should be organic. A Blender Event is merely an instance for which relationship building can occur.

These events are not meant to break the budget. They are meant to enhance your current offerings. It can be Post-It notes around campus with positive affirmations and motivation, or an oversized chalkboard with a different question every week that people can anonymously answer.

No matter the activity, the two main goals of Blender Events are to get students to pay attention to what is happening around campus and to build relationships. “Social integration with the institution (Faculty, Staff & Peers) is a key factor in academic success” (Tinto). Encouraging students, but also faculty and staff, to participate in Blender Events can make a tremendous impact on your retention efforts.

At Swift Kick, we strive to create a world where everyone feels welcomed, connected and engaged. That powerful mission begins with a first step. For more information and ideas on how to bring Blender Events to life on your campus, check out https://SwiftKickHQ.com/Blender-Events

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LOW BUDGET PROGRAM AND EVENTS – CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Pull out the video projector and create your own games with PowerPoint computer program. You can go to my website for various templates that I’ve collected, or you can create your own. I’ve got templates for Jeopardy!, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, Password, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and more.

You can download them in one file about halfway down the webpage at: DelSuggs.com/resources.

How about a “craft night?” Get out the cloth loops and make pot holders, or the popsicle sticks and make model log cabins. Or get really crafty, and present a fashion show of student designed clothing. You can even make it a competition, and give a gift card for the winner.

Film and Music Festivals Students would love a Campus Film Contest and Festival. Today, nearly everyone can be a film maker. You don’t need a video camera, because even still cameras can shoot short videos. Every Windows and Mac computer comes with editing software, too, so there is no film to buy or process. Set some basic rules, like the entire film has to be shot in 24 or 48 hours, and can’t be any longer than five minutes. You can show then with your video projector at the Festival. You could even post them online at YouTube, and have students vote on a winner!

Maybe a Campus Battle of the Bands is what you need. If you have a large campus musical community, then you might have enough bands to go all day long and make it a festival! Most student bands will play for free, and if you provide the sound system and production support they will sound better than ever before!

You can host a Spa Day on your campus. You can contact your local Mary Kay dealer, or Avon, and they will send out associates to do make up and "make overs." Of course, they will likely want to sell their products. If your campus has majors in physical therapy or sports medicine, you may be able to get students to offer chair massage as a part of spa day. Find a source for nails, and you've got most of a full Spa Experience. And you can do it in the ballroom of your student center for next-to-nothing.

Art Shows Art competitions are always popular. You can have a Dorm Window Decoration competition for Homecoming or Parents’ Weekend. Or how about a Sidewalk Art Festival, where students are assigned a square of sidewalk to chalk. You could have teams, or students against the faculty. You can add a children’s’ section and make it a family event.

Have a Student Art show in your student center or cafeteria. Do it like a real gallery, with framing and lighting, and hold an opening reception to make it special. You can even print up a program.

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Free Food Nothing draws a crowd of students like free food, right? But food can be expensive. Here’s a solution: hold a “Best Of” competition among local restaurants.

Here is an example. Choose a date, time and place, and publicize that the students will select the “Best Pizza.” Call Domino’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesar’s, Pizza Hut, all the pizza shops in town.

In order to be considered, they each to supply five (or ten, depending on your student population) pepperoni pizzas. Students will sample them all, and vote on the winner. Print up a genuine-looking award on your computer, and the winner gets to announce that they were named “Best Pizza for 2019” by the students at your campus.

You can do the same thing with the local sub shops, wing shops, etc. You get free food, and they get free advertising. And one lucky store gets voted the best!

A Car Show Host a car show on campus. You can choose an Antique Car Show, a Classic Hot Rod Show, or a combination.

There is likely local car club with whom you could co-sponsor, or just do it yourself.

It may sound hard to believe, but the owners of these special cars will actually pay a fee to put their car on display. You could include a competition-- because every car owner wants to win a "Gold Medal" or "Best In Show." If you're not familiar with the categories, you've likely got some "motorheads" on your program board or in your community to help with categories and judging.

I won't go into all the details, because you know them already from other shows and events. Reserve a parking lot or green space for your car show, create the signs to direct people there, and publicize both on and off campus. It's a great family-oriented weekend event, and a great community outreach. You will be amazed at how many people will come and look at cars!

Of course, don't forget to sell refreshments-- hot dogs, burger, soft drinks, and popcorn. You might provide some "kid activities" too, like face painting.

Fun Times On Campus These are difficult times on campus, but they can still be fun times for your students. It takes some extra effort on your part to come up with program ideas. It takes even more effort to execute the ideas. But let’s face it-- you don’t have many options. Budgets are being cut, and you can’t just close your doors. Besides, if you continue to do a outstanding job in spite of a short budget, you just might make yourself indispensable.

That just might get you through the staff layoffs, if they come around next.

Copyright by Del Suggs, M.S.Ed. ● Del@DelSuggs.com ● www.DelSuggs.com ● 1-800-323-1976

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MINDSETTING - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 their effort does make a difference - is foundational to elevating students’ achievement of their academic and life goals. Fortunately, by providing an understanding of how the mind works and mindsetting techniques to students that they can apply and practice, we can help them develop a growth mindset and learn to modify habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations that will unleash their potential.

More specifically, in order to help students create the future they want, we need to help them better understand how to move from goalsetting to goal-assimilating. Visualizing their future, controlling their self-talk, pushing the boundaries of their comfort zones, and ultimately mustering the willpower to modify their habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations to release their potential is a natural process that most students rarely use. In order to help them continually move closer to their full potential, this needs to become their new norm. It’s not magic, it’s persistence!

As the world speeds up, it is also becoming increasingly important that we take time to slow down and think about what we think about. With students, helping them develop a regular routine and carving out time for self-reflection is paramount. They should take time to reflect and be intentional about creating the picture of the future they want, as well as affirming the short-term and long-term goals that will help them get there. As human beings, we naturally move toward that which we think about. Providing clarity for ourselves on what we want and value, our goals, opens up our reticular activating system - our filter for incoming stimulus - to find and see those things that will help move us toward and accomplish our goals.

Adopting the practices of writing and reviewing affirmations, and journaling, can help students routinize the practice of self-reflection and strengthen the picture in their minds of the future they want.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MINDSET AND WELL-BEING Recent well-being research has found that those with a growth mindset, who believe that with effort their well-being is adaptable, had higher levels of well-being than those with a fixed mindset, who believed that their well-being was not malleable.

Dr. Martin Seligman, and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, have developed a new well-being theory which is encapsulated in the PERMA Model. In this model, five elements are identified as being keys to flourishing. Individuals who report feeling content and satisfied with their lives tend to have high levels of these five elements in their lives. Providing programming that helps students develop and strengthen these five elements can help equip them to flourish both in college and elsewhere.

Positive Emotions: We manage our emotions to maximize the positive emotional experiences in our lives.

We have both positive and negative emotions. We can’t and don’t want to completely eliminate the negative, but we do want to appreciate how important positive emotions are, such as love, gratitude, awe, and joy.

Experiences that provide positive emotions give us the creativity and energy to meet the challenges before us. We want to be intentional about creating and maintaining a high ratio of positive emotions in our lives.

For more information contact: Warren Lubow | 954-668-1097 | wlubow@thepacificinstitute.com

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Engagement: Keeps us setting, working toward, and attaining our goals – goals that challenge us, absorb our attention, and cause us to exert mastery over what we are doing. The understanding and application of a growth mindset is foundational to keeping our mind engaged in setting and attaining goals in activities we enjoy, that interest us, and put us in a state of flow - totally absorbed in the moment.

Relationships: Defined by the cultivation and maintenance of positive interactions with others in our circle of influence. We all have an innate need to belong. Positive, caring, and supportive relationships are essential to our well-being throughout all stages of life. As students work toward their educational and professional goals, positive supportive relationships with faculty, advisors, mentors, and their peers help guide them through obstacles and help reinforce what they are doing well and provide hope. It is equally important that students don’t give sanction to those with limiting beliefs about them that might hold them back from becoming all that they want to become.

Meaning: The need that we all have to contribute to something beyond ourselves. Meaning and purpose provide the foundation and sense of direction for our lives. Our well-being, and much of our lasting success and happiness in life, is tied not just to achieving for our own instant gratification, or being better than someone else, but to a higher purpose. Helping students explore and clarify those things that give meaning to their lives can help them remain balanced in a world of constant comparison and perfectionism.

Accomplishment: This is exactly what it seems to be – achievement in the areas of our lives that are important to us as individuals. It includes success in progressing toward our goals and attaining mastery at the highest level. We “own” and “savor” our successes and use the positive emotions to give us strength and resiliency in pursuing our future endeavors.

HOW TO INCORPORATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDSET AND WELL-BEING INTO YOUR PROGRAMMING There are several ways that institutions are intentionally incorporating the development of mindset and well-being into their co-curricular programming. Below are a few examples of some best practices: • Incorporate mindsetting and well-being curriculum and application/practice into freshman success courses and reinforce in other areas of the curriculum • Provide mindset and well-being training for faculty and student service personnel so that they can incorporate and reinforce them in their interactions with students • Reinforce mindset and well-being development in student advising • Provide co-curricular programming and events that support the development of mindset and well-being • Build an introduction to key mindset development concepts into new student orientations • The development of mindset could be the next significant wave of advancement in helping to raise higher education attainment. With the knowledge we now have about how the mind works, mindsetting applications, and practices to help students unleash their potential and thrive, it is exciting to think about the impact we may have on enhancing student success, persistence and well-being!

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S E P T E M B E R

SUICIDE PREVENTION & AWA R E N E S S M O N T H Shame and suicide are inextricably linked together. The sense of hopelessness and inadequacy can make one extremely vulnerable to dying by suicide. While counseling is an effective means to mitigate suicide, we know counseling carries its own stigma, especially those who historically avoid therapy, such as first-generation students and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Sam Louie

So, what can you do on-campus to promote a culture of emotional health, transparency, and optimism?

Since suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students and September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month, you should consider ways to educate and encourage students to be more aware of their own vulnerabilities, as well as those of their peers, by creating an engaging program that reaches all students (not just those deemed “suicidal”).

Some ideas to consider: • Provide educational programs and materials to parents and to families of incoming and continuing students • Have professors share personal anecdotes of instances when they needed help emotionally and/or relationally and how they overcame societal stigma • Train all faculty, staff, and student leaders on common warning signs of suicide beyond someone explicitly stating suicidal thoughts (i.e. hopelessness, being a burden to others, giving away possessions, feeling trapped, etc.)

• Share about how common life events can trigger someone to suicide (breakup, family issues, financial issues, academic issues, lack of belonging/sense of rejection, etc.)

• Offer general stress-reduction programs on a regular basis along with non-clinical student support networks • With the millennial generation, we are seeing more young adults struggling with high parental and personal expectations of perfectionism with the dual challenge of maintaining a positive social media image and profile.

With fewer outlets of authentic relationships, colleges and universities need to be even more cognizant of creating safe spaces where these young men and women can share their vulnerabilities and concerns with each other without fear of rejection or judgment. Doing so will not only foster a better sense of engagement and community within the school, but also reduce the likelihood of suicide on campus.

Ab o u t t he au t h or: Sam Loui e i s a psyc hot her api s t , s peaker, and wor ks hop t r a i ner on issu e s r e lat ed t o r ace an d culture , me n tal h e a lt h a wa r enes s , and per s ona l d evelopm ent . Fo r m o r e i n fo r mat io n about h i s s e rvi ce s to f i t the need s of you r s t u d ent b od y, pleas e cont a c t J oyce J i aw en o f M et ropoli s Man age me n t ( joyce@ met r opoli s managem ent .com ) . ww w. SamLo u iespe aks .com

The number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 available 24/7.

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