The event, hosted annually by IUP’s president and provost, recognizes faculty members who, in the previous year, were productive in research, publications, editorial board work, and creative arts. Mueller was acknowledged for four publications in 2012: a journal article, a book chapter, a coedited monograph, and a book review.

Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education

• Lauren Gigler (’14) received the Get Involved! SAHE Leadership Award and a $250 scholarship established by Erin Baker and Tom Baker ’05 of Baker Leadership.
• Michael Mastalski (’13) received the Outstanding Scholar Award for academic achievement and ability to enhance the learning environment for his colleagues.
• Allison Shumar (’13) received the S. Trevor Hadley Outstanding Student Award for her academic accomplishments and significant service to the campus and the community.

Awards were presented at the SAHE annual banquet on Thursday, May 16.

Sarah Fiore (’13) was chosen to give the address at the SAHE commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18. SAHE students and faculty annually select the department commencement speaker on the basis of oratory excellence and ability to represent their classmates.

Also present at the Commencement ceremony was Virginia Koch (’86), who shared some remarks with the graduates after being presented with the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award. Koch is currently the associate director of Residential Services at Northwestern University.

The Student Affairs in Higher Education students, faculty, and alumni are proud of and congratulate all of our honorees!

The position of assistant professor has been offered to and accepted by Mimi Benjamin of Cornell University, where she is the associate director for Residential Programs. Benjamin has graduate teaching experience at Iowa State University and undergraduate teaching experience at Plymouth State College (N.H.) and Ohio University. She brings practitioner experience with her from those same institutions as well as from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Benjamin is actively involved in numerous professional associations, including ACPA, NASPA, ASHE, and ACUHO-I and is a productive scholar through numerous publications and conference presentations. Benjamin will begin in Fall 2013.

Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education

Lowery’s presentations included a higher education legislative update as well as discussing a model student conduct code project that he is working on with several colleagues.

Lowery, associate professor and chair of the Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education, is broadly regarded as one of the leading authorities on legal and legislative issues and student affairs. For more information on Lowery’s presentations and copies of his handout materials, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu or visit his website.

Lowery was the coordinating presenter for two presentations. He presented on enhancing graduate student engagement through the use of Twitter with Jörg Vianden and Tamara Yakaboski. He presented with Don Gehring on their national research study of college students’ views regarding effective alcohol sanctions. He also presented, with Alison Kiss, Gabriel Gates, and Kiersten Feeney White, on the role of student affairs professionals in institutionalizing campus safety.

During the NASPA conference, Lowery assumed the role of chair of the NASPA Faculty Fellows and participated in panel discussions hosted by the Faculty Fellows. These panel discussions focused on teaching through supervised practice in graduate preparation programs and offering advice for student affairs professionals who are also interested in teaching as an adjunct faculty member.

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. More than 5,100 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation program faculty, and graduate students attended the national conference this year.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Among educational programs presented and copresented by SAHE faculty and current students were:

• “Graduate Student Organizations in Student Affairs Preparation Programs: A Conversation on Best Practices”
  (Nathan Ziegler, Diane Eshelman, and Andy Kent)
• “Higher Education in Ireland: Lessons from a Study Tour”
  (Zachary Beaver and John Mueller)
• “Support for Facilitating the Success of Students with Psychiatric Disabilities”
  (Holley Belch)
• “Inspired Compliance: The Clery Act, Title IX, and Student Affairs” and “Understanding Students’ Views of Effective Alcohol Sanctions to Advance Wellness”
  (John Wesley Lowery)
• Featured panel: “Cultivating Critical Discourse”
  (John Mueller)

Second-year students Diane Eshelman, Trista Shideler, and Allison Shumar were the recipients of the Dodge/Kelly ACPA Scholarship. This scholarship, established by SAHE ’06 alumni Michael Dodge and Deena Kelly, provides financial support to selected second-year SAHE students and covers the cost of their registration for the ACPA convention.

Other notable activities at the convention included: recognition of Cory Campbell (’13) at the ACPA Awards Reception as a recipient of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association Case Study award; recognition of Windi Sasaki ('04) as the recipinet of the ACPA Latino Network John Hernadez award; a retirement resolution honoring Linda Hall read into the minutes of the ACPA annual business meeting; and an IUP reception, hosted by chairperson John Wesley Lowery, for over 50 SAHE students and alumni.

ACPA is one of the leading professional associations serving more than 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

Virginia is a 1986 graduate of SAHE (formerly the Student Personnel Services program) and is currently associate director of Residential Services at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and recently (2012) earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago.

Virginia started her professional career in student affairs in residence life at SUNY–College at Fredonia. In 1991, she moved to Evanston and began working at Northwestern in various capacities, including sorority affairs, new student programming, university relations, and eventually in residential life, where she has been promoted two times to the associate director position she now holds. Her contributions to the profession are highlighted by numerous national conference presentations, several publications, and many service activities for professional associations, including the Association of College and University Housing Officers–International, NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), the Association for Student Conduct Administration, and the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.

In one letter of nomination, the author describes the way Virginia fulfills her role on campus as “caring and focused.” The nominator continues, “She looks for ways to improve our services for students and parents, and is an excellent collaborator. She is a highly motivated individual with a strong sense of responsibility toward every task she undertakes. She is a composed, confident, and reliable individual who thrives on a challenge and exhibits a heartfelt commitment to all tasks presented to her.”

The award selection committee (comprised of faculty, students, and alumni), in their review of the nomination materials for Virginia, unanimously affirmed that she meets and exceeds the award criteria, particularly in the areas of promoting student success, collaborating with colleagues, embracing lifelong learning, and contributing to the profession. Comments from members of the selection committee include, “Through her professional employment, she showed an overall fostering of student development and an enhancement of student learning” and “I was particularly impressed by her publications, presentations, and continued professional development.”

The Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award, begun in 2006, was created to acknowledge an alumnus of the SAHE department whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program/SAHE department. In 2008, in recognition of Ron Lunardini’s 37 years of service to IUP (18 as a SAHE faculty member), the award title was changed to honor him. Previous recipients include (starting with most recent): Rhonda Gifford ’93, Colleen Ruefle ’89, Julie Elkins ’85, Kevin Bailey ’90, Becky Verzinski ’94, Peter Groenendyk ’94, and Bob Gatti ’78.

Lowery’s featured presentation, which reviewed the legislative and regulatory developments of the previous year impacting student conduct administration in higher education, has become a tradition at the conference over the past decade and half. Lowery has presented a legislative update at the conference since 1999.

Lowery, with Don Gehring, presented on an ongoing research project which examines student attitudes regarding the effectiveness of sanctions for alcohol violations. Their presentation was entitled “Students’ Views of Effective Alcohol Sanctions on College Campuses: A Second National Study.”

Lowery also presented a concurrent session which examined the most significant pieces of legislation and litigation over the past 25 years as part of the celebration of this important milestone in the association’s history. This presentation was entitled “25 Years of Legislation and Litigation Impacting Student Conduct Administration.”

For more information on John Wesley Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

The program was presented at the Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar. The seminar faculty also included Cary Anderson, vice president for Student Life at Saint Joseph’s University, and Alison Kiss, Clery Center executive director.

Lowery was also one of the Subject Matter Experts who worked with Security on Campus to develop the original curriculum for the Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar as well as several of revisions to the curriculum.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

The Clery Act Training Seminar is sponsored by Clery Center for Security on Campus. The Clery Center for Security On Campus is dedicated to preventing violence, substance abuse, and other crimes on college and university campuses across the United States and to compassionately assist the victims of these crimes.

Lowery, who has spoken at the conference on a number of occasions, discussed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as well as recent court rulings relating to the First Amendment Rights of student religious organizations and outside religious speakers.

Lowery, associate professor and chair of the Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education, is broadly regarded as one of the leading authorities on legal and legislative issues and student affairs.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations and copies of his handout materials, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu or visit John Wesley Lowery’s website.

NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession.

The book Multicultural Student Services on Campus: Building Bridges, Re-Visioning Community, edited by Dafina Lazarus Stewart (Stylus Publishing), comprehensively covers the history, services, challenges, and opportunities for multicultural student services.

The Journal of College Student Development is the largest empirical research journal in the field of student affairs and higher education.

Brown’s project, titled “Academic Engagement Program,” focused on implementing and assessing strategies to enhance the learning environments in the residential communities of Pratt Hall, McCarthy Hall, and University Towers.

The award was presented by Rhonda Luckey, vice president for Student Affairs, at a Student Affairs Division workshop on October 19, 2012, in the Ohio Room of the HUB. IUP President Michael Driscoll was present and made remarks as well.

David DeCoster served as vice president for Student Affairs and as a faculty member in the Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education during his tenure at IUP.

Allison is a graduate of IUP and is a current SAHE graduate student. She has a graduate assistantship in Campus Initiatives in the IUP Center for Student Life and is the graduate student liaison to the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association. In presenting the scholarship to Allison, John Wesley Lowery (department chairperson) shared a quote from a letter of support for Allison which stated that she “has been open to every experience and embraced each new challenge and new opportunity to learn.”

Awarded since 1999, the Nancy Newkerk scholarship is awarded to a second-year SAHE graduate student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to college students, student affairs activities, the SAHE Department, and the broader higher education community.

The announcement was made, and the scholarship presented, on November 7, 2012. Nancy Newkerk attended the ceremony to share her experiences in student affairs and to congratulate Allison.

See the position announcement for details.

Questions can be directed to search committee chair, John Mueller, at jmueller@iup.edu.

Undergraduate students who are interested in learning more about a career in student affairs are encouraged to participate.

Careers in Student Affairs: Purpose. Passion. Profession.

• Date: Wednesday, October 3
• Time: 2:45–4:30 p.m.
• Location: Delaney Hall, G-5

Student Affairs Job vs. Career: The Choice to Work Full-Time or Attend Graduate School

• Date: Wednesday, October 10
• Time: 3:45–5:30 p.m.
• Location: Delaney Hall, G-5

Things I Wish I Knew When Applying to Graduate School

• Date: Wednesday, October 17
• Time: 3:45–5:30 p.m.
• Location: Delaney Hall, G-5

Making the Most of Your Career: Navigating Your NASPA Membership

• Date: Wednesday, October 31
• Time: 3:45–5:30 p.m.
• Location: Stouffer Hall, Room 138/139

RSVPs are requested, but not required for any of the events. RSVPs can be e-mailed to m.j.mastalski@iup.edu.

Mastalski is a graduate assistant in the School of Graduate Studies and Research and is coordinating these webinars in his role as a member of the NASPA Graduate Associate Program. NASPA is one of two leading associations for the student affairs profession and is comprised of more than 13,000 members in all 50 U.S. states, 29 countries, and eight U.S. territories.

The monograph contains a reproduction of the original “The Student Personnel Point of View” as it appeared when it was published in 1937, along with a collection of essays authored by scholars in the student affairs profession who reflect on the significance and enduring value of the document. “The Student Personnel Point of View” was an influential report that emerged from a study group formed by the American Council on Education. The intent was to offer a perspective on the importance of—and provide a focus for—the profession of student affairs as it was developing throughout U.S. colleges and universities in the 1930s.

SAHE graduate student Nathanial Ziegler is acknowledged by the editors for recreating “The Student Personnel Point of View” for inclusion in the monograph. Boyle served as an assistant director in IUP's Office of Housing, Residential Living and Dining from 1990 to 1992.

ACPA is one of the leading professional associations serving more than 8,500 practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession. For more information on this monograph, visit ACPA Internal Publications.

In her letter of nomination, Linda Hall, former chair of the department, noted the significance of Lowery’s contributions and the degree to which they capitalize on his expertise as a scholar, teacher, and administrator. She writes, “Dr. Lowery is incredibly helpful and continuously ‘steps up’ to guide or lead many of important programs within the department. He is highly regarded in our field and his reputation brings status to our department, to the college, and to IUP.”

The award was presented to Lowery by Ed Nardi, interim dean of the college, on Friday, August 24, 2012, at the college’s annual faculty meeting.

In “Understanding the Atheist College Student: A Qualitative Examination,” Mueller presents the findings of his study of atheist students’ perspectives on faith, morality, life, and death as well as their experiences on campus as atheists.

SAHE alumni Faina Bukher '08 and Jamie Guilford '08 are acknowledged for their assistance with data collection and analysis.

JSARP is a publication of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, serving more than 13,000 professionals on college and university campuses across the United States and throughout the world.

For more information, contact Mueller at jmueller@iup.edu or visit JSARP.

Lowery has been actively involved in the association and the academy throughout his professional career. He has presented at every Gehring Academy for the past decade and half.

Lowery served as a faculty member for Training Institute, Mid-Level Managers Institute, and Senior Level Institute, where he presented on federal mandates which directly impact student conduct administration, including FERPA, the Clery Act, and Title IX.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations or the Gehring Academy, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

The Clery Center for Security on Campus is “dedicated to preventing violence, substance abuse and other crimes on college and university campuses across the United States, and to compassionately assist the victims of these crimes.”

Lowery has worked closely with the Clery Center for Security on Campus on the development of the Clery Act Training Seminar.

For more information, please e-mail Dr. Lowery at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Her career at IUP began in 1982 as director of Housing and Residence Life. In 1986, she was promoted to assistant vice president for Student Affairs, followed by her appointment as director of IUP’s Center for Business Services and Card Administration in 1994. In 1997, she joined the SAHE faculty as an associate professor and was elected to chairperson in 2008.

In her recent announcement to students, alumni, and colleagues, she wrote, “It has been a wonderful career, both here and at other places. Over these past few weeks, I’ve played through many memories of the past several years. I am thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to work with folks who truly care about college students and their learning and development.”

John Wesley Lowery has been elected chairperson of the department by the SAHE faculty. He will assume the role of chairperson in August. Lowery joined the SAHE faculty in 2008 after working at Oklahoma State University and at the University of South Carolina, where he coordinated their respective student affairs graduate preparation programs.

The university is hiring a temporary SAHE faculty member for the upcoming academic year.

The Clery Act Training Seminar is sponsored by Clery Center for Security on Campus (CCSOC).

Lowery was part of a multi-disciplinary team that presented a two day program on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The seminar faculty also included Alison Kiss, SOC executive director; Roxanne Hodgins, University of Texas Police Department; and Kiersten Feeney White, St. Joseph’s University. Lowery was also one of the subject matter experts who worked with Security on Campus to develop the original curriculum for the Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar as well as several of revisions to the curriculum.

Regarding the training, Steve Shelow, assistant vice president for Police and Public Safety at the university, said, “More than ever, Penn State is committed to complying with the provisions of the Clery Act. This partnership with the Clery Center represents an even stronger commitment. We are among the first universities to collaborate with CCSOC in this fashion, and we are eager to show other colleges and universities the benefits of such a partnership.” To read more about the Penn State Training, read the official Penn State press release.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Lowery’s invited general session, “Meeting the OCR Guidelines: Practical Lessons for Complying with Title IX,” was focused on the implications for campus law enforcement of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights’ April 4, 2011, Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence.

For more information on Lowery’s presentation, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Professor John Mueller (photo, right), Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education, and graduate students Zachary Beaver and Kristin Brewer joined faculty, staff, and students from eight U.S. universities on a study tour of higher education in Ireland from May 21 to June 1, 2012.

The study tour, coordinated by Miami University of Ohio and the University of Vermont, examined the delivery of higher education in Ireland, including admissions, curriculum, and student services.

The tour included institutional visits to Dublin Institute of Technology, University College Dublin, Trinity College, Institute of Technology Sligo, National University of Ireland Galway, and National University of Ireland Cork. In addition, tour participants met with officials from the Higher Education Authority, the Central Application Office, and the Union of Students.

The trip was rounded out by visits to some of Ireland’s most significant cultural and historical landmarks in Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, Burren County, the Dingle Peninsula, and Glendalough.

• Cory Campbell ’13 received the Get Involved! SAHE Leadership Award and a $250 scholarship established by Erin Baker and Tom Baker ’05 of Baker Leadership.
• Emilie Campbell '12 and Chris Weiss ’12 each received the Outstanding Scholar award for their academic achievements and their ability to enhance the learning environment for their colleagues.
• Victoria (Tory) Rowlands ’12 received the S. Trevor Hadley Outstanding Student Award for her academic accomplishments and significant service to the campus and the community. 
• Rhonda Gifford '93 was presented the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award. She is currently the Director of Career Services at California University of Pennsylvania.

Awards were presented at the SAHE annual banquet, on Thursday, May 10.

Rowlands was also chosen to give the address at the SAHE Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. SAHE students and faculty annually select the department commencement speaker on the basis of oratory excellence and ability to represent their classmates.

The SAHE students, faculty, and alumni are proud of and congratulate all of our honorees!

Among educational programs presented by SAHE faculty and current students were: “Sorority Women’s Attitudes Toward Lesbian Membership” (Emilie Campbell); “Conversations on Culture: Experiencing the Transatlantic Dialogue” (Andee Fisher and John Mueller); and “Atheist College Students: Voices, Experiences, and Insights” (John Mueller). Programs presented by SAHE alumni included: “Engaging International Students” (Kate Adams, '11); “Crafting New Career Development Professionals: An Internship Program” (Jennifer Frick, '01); and “Promising Practice — From Police Officers to Nurses: Changing the Reporting Frame for RAs” (David Tiscione, '10).

Second-year students Kelli Aylor, Joe Benyish, and R.C. Stabile were the recipients of the Dodge/Kelly ACPA Scholarship. This scholarship, provided by SAHE alumni (’06) Michael Dodge and Deena Kelly, provides financial support to selected second-year SAHE students and covers the cost of their registration for the ACPA convention.

Other notable activities at the convention include leadership roles assumed by alumna Jennifer Ferrell ('05) as chairperson of the Standing Committee for Women and John Mueller as chairperson for the Commission on Professional Preparation. Alumna Ashley Fowler ('11) was acknowledged at the ACPA Awards Reception as this year's recipient of the Gerald Saddlemire Masters Research Award for her thesis research on women and intimate partner violence. Current SAHE student Diane Eshleman began her service as an ACPA ambassador. Finally, Linda Hall, chairperson of the SAHE department, hosted a reception on Monday, March 26, for SAHE students and alumni in celebration of the department's 40th anniversary.

ACPA is one of the leading professional associations serving more than 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

Weiss presented “Facebook, Cocurricular Involvement, and Their Relationship Status” at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) on March 13 in Phoenix, Ariz. His research examined the relationship between Facebook use and campus involvement. Weiss is a graduate assistant for training and student leadership in IUP’s Office of Housing, Residential Living, and Dining. 

Campbell presented “Sorority Women’s Attitudes Toward Lesbian Membership” at the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) convention on March 27 in Louisville, Ky. Her study compared the difference in attitudes among sorority women toward potential heterosexual members and potential lesbian members. Campbell is a graduate assistant in IUP’s Office of Student Leadership and Greek Life.

Both NASPA and ACPA are the leading associations that meet and advance the professional development goals of over 12,000 students affairs and higher education professionals within and outside the U.S.

Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education

Lowery was part of a multi-disciplinary team that presented a day-and-a-half-long program on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The seminar faculty also included Alison Kiss, SOC executive director, and Michael Parkinson, director of Public Safety at Maryville University.

The Clery Act Training Seminar is sponsored by Security on Campus, Inc. Lowery was also one of the subject matter experts who worked with Security on Campus to develop the original curriculum for the Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar as well as several of revisions to the curriculum.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

The first award, the Gerald Saddlemire Masters Research Award, was presented at the annual convention of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) on March 25, 2012. This national award, established by ACPA’s Commission on Professional Preparation, is presented to a graduate of a student affairs graduate program whose original, journal-quality research gives insight into the learning or development of students or the organization and administration of student affairs practice. The amount of the award is $400. ACPA is one of the leading student affairs organizations in the country with over 8,000 members.

Fowler will also receive an Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award at the 18th annual awards luncheon on Monday, April 2, 2012, in the Sutton Hall Blue Room. The luncheon, sponsored by IUP’s School of Graduate Studies and Research, recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievement in sponsored programs and graduate student research. John Mueller, who served as Ashley’s thesis advisor, wrote in his letter of support, “The skills that Ashley brought to the project and the skills she developed as a result of it reflect the practitioner-scholar model that is highly valued in the student affairs profession.”

Fowler presented her research at the 2011 ACPA convention in Baltimore, Md., and is preparing a manuscript for journal submission. Fowler is an assistant director and career consultant for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Lowery’s presentations included reflections on the student personnel point of view after 75 years, student religious groups and the First Amendment, teaching with technology, and federal regulation and campus safety.

Lowery moderated a panel discussion of the Student Personnel Point View of 1937 and its lasting significance after 75 years.

His presentation with W. Scott Lewis, Association Rights and Free Speech of Student Religious Groups, focused on the shifting legal landscape for student religious groups at public colleges and universities in light of recent legal decisions, including the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in the Hastings College of Law case and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s 2011 decision in a similar case at San Diego State University, which the Supreme Court declined to hear recently.

Lowery also presented with Jeri Cabot and Alison Kiss on federal regulation of campus safety related to the Clery Act, Title IX, and sexual violence, and the pending reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

He also presented on teaching with technology with Philip Burlingame and Lori Reesor. Lowery’s portion of the program addressed the use of Twitter to enhance student engagement.

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. More than 4,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation program faculty, and graduate students attended the national conference this year.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) is pleased to announce Rhonda Gifford as the recipient of the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award for 2012.

Rhonda is a 1993 graduate of the SAHE program and is currently the director of Career Services at California University of Pennsylvania. She started at Cal U in 2002 as the associate director of Career Services and was promoted to director in 2005. Prior to Cal U, Rhonda worked in the area of Career Services at both the University of Pittsburgh and Saint Vincent College.

Her contributions to the profession are highlighted by several leadership positions in the PASSHE Career Services Association (chairperson), the Western Pennsylvania Association for Career Services (president), the Pittsburgh Education Recruitment Consortium (executive committee), and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Employment in Education.

In the letters of nomination and support, Rhonda was noted for her “patience, professionalism, and commitment to collaboration.” Furthermore, the “energy and enthusiasm” she brings to her work has made an impact the entire campus as well as individual students. She has been praised for her work in implementing Great Work, Great Career—a program that augments Cal U’s Leader for Life Program. A Cal U student reported that Rhonda has been instrumental in educating members of Alpha Lambda Delta on the importance of career readiness and preparation. She is credited with helping the organization win the Order of the Torch—an award that is given to the best chapter nationally. For her efforts, she was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta as an honorary member.

The award selection committee (comprised of faculty, students, and alumni), in their review of the nomination materials for Rhonda, unanimously affirmed that she meets and exceeds the award criteria, particularly in the areas of fostering student learning and leadership, making a significant impact on her profession, and supporting and mentoring students. One of the selection committee members, after reviewing Rhonda’s nomination materials, was impressed by the comments from Cal U students “who describe her with elaborate, heartfelt words such as ‘extraordinary’ and ‘exceptional’. She seems to selflessly give of herself.”

Rhonda will formally be presented her award at the annual SAHE Banquet on May 10, 2012.

The Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award, begun in 2006, was created to acknowledge an alumnus of the SAHE Department whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program/SAHE Department. In 2008, in recognition of Ron Lunardini’s 37 years of service to IUP (18 as a SAHE faculty member), the award title was changed to honor him. Previous recipients include Bob Gatti (’78), Peter C. Groenendyk (’94), Becky L. Verzinski (’94), Kevin W. Bailey (’90), Julie Elkins (’85), and Colleen Ruefle (’89).

Weiss was awarded the School of Graduate Studies and Research graduate student research grant earlier month. Weiss has just completed collecting data for thesis research on the correlation between undergraduate college students’ Facebook use and cocurricular involvement.

The graduate student research grant is a competitive grant that requires students to demonstrate excellent academic scholarship that is likely to contribute new insights in their chosen academic field. Weiss will use these funds to pay for the license for one of the survey instruments used in his data collection for his thesis.

Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) ambassadors program provides a personal link between ACPA and campuses worldwide. Ambassadors are selected on their potential to be proactive individuals who wish to be actively engaged with the association and who are committed to sharing professional development and leadership opportunities with their local colleagues. Ambassadors help to keep professionals at their institutions informed about ACPA events, programs, policies, and membership opportunities as well provide feedback to the association's leadership.

Eshelman is in her first year as a graduate student in the SAHE program and is an assistant residence director at the Punxsutawney campus (Office of Housing, Residential Living, and Dining). ACPA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is one the two comprehensive professional associations that advances the development of nearly 7,500 student affairs professionals and graduate students across the U.S. and around the world.

The chapter, titled “Who We Were is Part of Who We Are,” places diversity, access, and inclusion in its historical context by tracing the participation of historically marginalized constituency groups in higher education and analyzing the evolving definition of diversity over the history of higher education in the United States.

The book, Why Aren't We There Yet? Taking Responsibility for Creating an Inclusive Campus, is edited by Jan Arminio, Vasti Torres, and Raechele L. Pope (a 1981 alumna of IUP) and is available from Stylus Publishing.

Lowery’s featured presentation, which reviewed the legislative and regulatory developments of the previous year impacting student conduct administration in higher education, has become a tradition at the conference over the past decade. Lowery has presented a legislative update at the conference since 1999.

Lowery also presented on a current research project which examines student attitudes regarding the effectiveness of sanctions for alcohol violations with Don Gehring and Carolyn Palmer. Their presentation was entitled “Doing What Matters In Alcohol Sanctioning: Research on What Students Think.”

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Mueller's interactive workshop focused on stereotypes, social identity, and varying perspectives that residence life staff may have on issues related to gender, race, sexual orientation, and religion.

Lowery, who has been using Twitter to encourage student engagement in his classes for the past several semesters, presented “Twitter Backchannels: Extending the Classroom Discussion.” He also participated in a panel discussion on the uses of tablet computers in education with Courtney McLaughlin, Lloyd Onyett, and Nancy Yost.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu. You can also follow him on Twitter (@drjwlowery).

The Clery Act Training Seminar is sponsored by Security on Campus, Inc.

Lowery was part of a multi-disciplinary team that presented a day-and-a-half-long program on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

The seminar faculty also included Alison Kiss, SOC executive director; S. Daniel Carter, SOC director of Public Policy; Jason Friedberg, Bucknell Police chief; Roxanne Hodgins, University of Texas Police Department; Sally Miller, Sonoma State Police chief; and Bill Taylor, San Jacinto College Police chief.

Lowery was also one of the subject matter experts who worked with SOC to develop the original curriculum for the Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar as well as several of revisions to the curriculum.

Weiss was invited to present a session entitled “Social Media Framework and Toolkit: Socially Interactive Technologies and Beyond!”

Weiss works as in the IUP Office of Housing, Residential Living, and Dining as the GA for Training and Student Leadership. For more information on his presentation, contact Weiss at C.Weiss@IUP.edu or check out the resources from his presentations.

PCPA’s Keystone Social Media conference provided educational sessions focused on integrating various types of social media and technology into student affairs practice across the state.

Lowery presented a plenary session, “Guns on Campus: Institutional Policies, Regulations, and State Laws,” with Tom Moncure and Tom Hennessey of George Mason University. Lowery also presented a concurrent session on FERPA.

Lowery is broadly regarded as one of the leading authorities on legal and legislative issues and student affairs. For more information on his presentations, please e-mail him at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Campbell received the William J. Brennan Graduate Assistant Fellowship. This award is presented to Order of Omega alumni enrolled in higher education graduate programs and employed either full or part time as a Greek Life advisor. The award recognized Campbell’s leadership in the Greek community and to the Order of Omega, her potential to contribute to the future of fraternity and sorority life, and her academic achievement as a graduate student. In her letter of recommendation, Holley Belch noted that “Emilie embraces her work with Greek students in a way that is indicative of a seasoned professional . . . the future in this field for Emilie is an open road for her to travel.”

Campbell also competed in a case study competition sponsored by the Order of the Omega. Campbell was randomly paired with another graduate student to solve a real-life fraternity/sorority scenario that challenged them to provide creative, resourceful, and theoretically sound solution before a panel of expert judges. Campbell and partner earned a second place award.

Campbell received an AFA Foundation scholarship, which provided financial assistance to attend this year’s conference.

Emilie Campbell is a second-year SAHE student and a graduate assistant in IUP’s Office of Student Leadership and Greek Life. She was inducted into the Order of Omega while attending the University of Maryland as an undergraduate student.

The article addresses the issue of the recent revision of a Justice Department regulation regarding students who are at risk of self-harm and the recently revised “direct threat” regulation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Inside Higher Ed is a national online source for news, opinion, and jobs for all of higher education.

The Fall 2011 issue of Developments highlights key events and people in the history of the program. Inside, readers will find several articles related to our 40th anniversary, including former faculty reflections and a timeline of key events in the history of the SPS/SAHE program. There is also information and updates about SAHE students, alumni, faculty, and the department.

The scholarship recognizes a record of academic excellence as well as each student’s potential to significantly contribute to their chosen profession.

Campbell is a graduate assistant in IUP’s Office of Student Leadership and Greek Life. Rowlands is an assistant residence hall director at the Punxsutawney campus. Both Campbell and Rowlands serve on SAHE’s graduate student organization, Associates for Student Development, as president and vice president of Professional Development, respectively.

Campbell and Rowlands were presented with the Dean’s Merit Scholarship at the annual College of Education and Educational Technology’s Distinguished Alumni Award presentation and reception on November 3, 2011.

Benyish is a graduate of Millersville University and is a current SAHE graduate student. He has a graduate assistantship at IUP's Advising and Testing Center and serves as the vice president of Programming for SAHE’s graduate student organization, Associates for Student Development.

Awarded since 1999, the Nancy Newkerk award is given to a second-year SAHE student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to college students, student affairs activities, the SAHE Department, and the broader higher education community.

The announcement was made, and the scholarship presented, on November 2, 2011.

Weiss received a travel grant from IUP's School of Graduate Studies and Reseach to present two sessions: “’Wanna Connect?’ Using Socially Interactive Technologies in Paraprossional Staff Training” and “Is There a Negative Relationship Between Social Media Use and Involvement?”

#NASPAtech provided innovative and high-tech educational sessions focusing on various technologies and their applications in working successfully with college and university students.

Christopher Weiss works as in the Office of Housing and Residence Life as the GA for Training and Student Leadership. For more information, contact Christopher at C.Weiss@IUP.edu or check out the resources from his presentations.

Her term of service is 2011–2013. In her role, Shumar will reach out to graduate students across the state to encourage their involvement in the association.

PCPA, a state division of the American College Personnel Association, serves student affairs professionals and graduate students across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Lowery offered a legal and legislative update in his keynote address which focused on recent court decisions and the First Amendment, the April 4 Dear Colleague Letter from the Office for Civil Rights, and the Campus SaVE Act which is currently pending in Congress. A copy of Dr. Lowery’s handout and related resources is available online.

For more information, please contact Dr. John Wesley Lowery at john.lowery@iup.edu.

The other speakers were Katie Clifford, W. Scott Lewis, and Brett Sokolow.

This four-day training is the most comprehensive training available today to assist institutions in meeting the complex requirements of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs which are a recipient of federal financial assistance as enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. The Title IX Coordinator Training and Certification was cosponsored by the National Education for Higher Education Risk Management (NCHERM) and the Association of Title IX Administrators.

Dr. Lowery also serves an affiliated consultant with NCHERM. Founded in 2000, NCHERM is a law and consulting firm dedicated to best practices for campus health and safety. NCHERM emphasizes best practices for policy, training, and educational programming as proactive risk management. NCHERM specializes in advancing culture change strategies and problem-solving for the challenging wellness, compliance, and liability issues colleges and universities face today.

For more information, please contact Dr. John Wesley Lowery at john.lowery@iup.edu.

Dr. Linda Hall, faculty liaison to the PCPA executive board, presented “A Little Whine and Lots of Sharing about Budget Impact” and facilitated a roundtable discussion on “Making the Most of Your Professional Life.”

Dr. John Mueller and graduate student Erick Randolph (’12) presented “Losing Faith: The Atheist College Student.”

Allison Shumar (’13) copresented “Student Government Initiatives and Cultural Context: A Thirty-Year Retrospective” with Kate Linder of the IUP’s Division of Student Affairs.

Alumni of the SAHE department also presented programs, including James Amato (’07) on “Small School Strategies for Student Success,” Tom Baker (’05) on “Get Involved! PCPA,” Morgan Rizzardi (’09) and Ryan Cunningham (’09) on “Trends in the ‘Non-Trad’ World,” and Amber Sherman (’03) on “A Year of Implementing Change: How to Effectively Alter Your Welcome Weekend Program.”

At the conference luncheon, awards were presented to Morgan Rizzardi for the Outstanding New Professional and to Amber Sherman for Outstanding Contribution to PCPA.

Several alumni of the SAHE department served on the conference planning committee, including Amanda Ries (’06), Morgan Rizzardi, Jason Wagner (’03), and conference chairperson Diane Williams (’11).

PCPA, a state division of the American College Personnel Association, serves student affairs professionals and graduate students across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Christopher Weiss was selected to assist with coordinating educational programming sessions, and he presented a session with his assigned mentor titled “Social Media 801: Socially Interactive Technologies and Beyond!”

The National Association for Campus Activities advances campus activities in higher education through a business and learning partnership, creating educational and business opportunities for its schools and professional members.

Christopher Weiss works as in the Office of Housing and Residence Life as the GA for Training and Student Leadership.

For more information, contact Christopher at C.Weiss@IUP.edu, or check out the resources from his presentations.

Dr. Lowery was an invited panelist in the concluding panel on sexual violence at “Proceeding in Partnership: The Future of Campus Safety.”

Security on Campus was founded by Howard and Constance Clery after the rape and murder of their daughter, Jeanne, by another Lehigh student in 1986. SOC has been the leading force for federal legislation on campus safety for two decades.

Dr. Lowery has worked with SOC on variety of projects, including developing and presenting national training on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

For more information, please contact Dr. John Wesley Lowery at john.lowery@iup.edu.

The webinar was sponsored by the Association for Student Conduct Administration and included participants from across the U.S.

Addressed in this new book are the tensions between theory and practice, academic affairs and student affairs, and risk taking and failure. The book also addresses matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and spirituality.

Lowery’s chapter, “Purposefully Partnering with Parents,” deals with the often contentious issue of how colleges and universities should respond to overly involved parents. He examines the changing nature of the relationship between students and their parents and how institutions, students, and parents can work together to support student learning.

The book, Contested Issues in Student Affairs: Diverse Perspectives and Respectful Dialogue, is edited by Peter M. Magolda and Marcia B. Baxter Magolda and is available from Stylus Publishing.

Her chapter assists student affairs practitioners and faculty in their understanding of the issues, concerns, and experiences of college students with psychiatric disabilities. The chapter provides ways to create conditions of inclusion and integration into the campus environment.

This Jossey-Bass book, entitled Fostering the Increased Integration of Students with Disabilities, is part of the widely acclaimed New Directions for Student Services series.

Promotion to full professor rank requires that the applicant demonstrate a record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

The SAHE Department Promotion Committee, in their unanimous and strong support for Dr. Mueller’s application for promotion, described Dr. Mueller as an excellent teacher who is dedicated to the preparation and socialization of the next generation of student affairs professionals. The committee affirmed that Dr. Mueller has achieved a distinguished record of scholarship that is recognized nationally for its relevance, quality, significance, and enduring value. Finally, the committee recognized Dr. Mueller’s dedicated service to higher education at the departmental, college, and national levels through which he models for students the importance of service.

Dr. Mueller was hired at the rank of assistant professor in 1999. He was promoted to associate professor and earned tenure in 2004.

Dr. Lowery has been actively involved in the association and the academy throughout his professional career. He has presented at every Gehring Academy for the past decade and half.

This year, Dr. Lowery was the coordinator and a faculty member for the Training Institute at the Academy, which offers an intensive, four-day, competency-based curriculum intended for student conduct and conflict resolution administrators new to the field as well as for seasoned student affairs professionals new to the area of student conduct and conflict resolution. Participants explore critical topics each day, including model policies and due process, laws and mandates, governance, forms of adjudication, case preparation, information management, student development theory, and personal/professional ethics.

Dr. Lowery was also a faculty member for the Mid-Level and Senior Programs, where he presented on federal mandates which directly impact student conduct administration, including FERPA and the Clery Act.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentations or the Gehring Academy, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

This transatlantic dialogue, a collaborative effort between the University of Luxembourg and Miami University of Ohio, was designed to bring European and U.S. higher education professionals together to create a theoretically sound and experientially rich conference around the notion of “culture.”

Mueller was one of nineteen higher education professionals invited from the U.S. to participate in and present at this conference. His workshop, copresented with a European counterpart, compared and contrasted U.S. and European perspectives on culture with respect to the college experience and college student development.

Current SAHE graduate students, as part of a study tour of European higher education institutions, also attended the Luxembourg conference and included Francesca Catalano ’12, Andee Fisher ’12, and Jenna Hogan ’12.

The conference, on May 25, 2011, was attended by representatives of many of the University System of Georgia campuses.

Dr. Lowery’s opening presentation focused on student affairs implications of the Office for Civil Rights’ April Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence.

For more information on Lowery’s presentation, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

On Thursday, May 5, at the annual department banquet, four awards were presented to students.

• R.C. Stabile (’12) received the Get Involved! SAHE Leadership Award and a $250 scholarship established by Tom Baker (’05) and Erin Baker.
• Kate Adams ('11) and Ashley Fowler (’11) each received the Outstanding Scholar award for their respective achievements and for their ability to enhance the learning environment for their colleagues.
• Kelly Ogiba (’11) received the S. Trevor Hadley Outstanding Student Award for her accomplishments as a student and her significant service to the campus and the community. 
• Colleen Ruefle was presented with the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award.  Colleen is a 1989 graduate of the Student Personnel Services program.  She is currently the vice president for Student Life and dean of Students at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pa.

On Saturday, May 7, at the SAHE Department commencement program, Kelly Ogiba ('11) delivered the commencement address. SAHE students and faculty annually select commencement speakers based on their excellent speaking skills and ability to represent their classmates.

The SAHE students, faculty, and alumni are proud of and congratulate all of our honorees!

Dr. Lowery presented a webinar sponsored by Rave Mobile Safety entitled “Hitting the Moving Target: The Federal Government's Expectations for Sexual Assault Resolution on Campus.” A recording of the webinar can be viewed online for free by visiting the Rave Mobile Safety website.

Dr. Lowery also presented recently on the Office for Civil Rights’ April Dear Colleagues Letter on Sexual Violence with W. Scott Lewis and Daniel C. Swinton. This e-meeting was sponsored by the Consortium on Government Relations for Student Affairs (ASCA, ACPA, NASPA, ACUHOI, and NIRSA). The e-meeting can also be viewed online as well.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s recent presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

The award was presented at the seventeenth annual awards luncheon on Monday, April 4, 2011, at the Crimson Event Center. The luncheon, sponsored by the School of Graduate Studies and Research, recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievement in sponsored programs and graduate student research.

Dr. John Mueller, who served as Jason’s thesis advisor, wrote in his letter of support, “Jason identified a researchable issue in student affairs practice and brought to bear on that issue his competence as a writer, a research methodologist, and a critical thinker. His thesis manuscript is the product of those scholarly attributes.”

Among the current students presenting programs were Megan Stahl on “The Social Norms Approach” and Ashley Fowler on her thesis research, “The Significance of Feminist Identity in Psychologically Abusive Relationships.”

Several alumni of the department also presented programs, including Faina Bukher and Stanley Horton on “Are We Prepared to Work with Atheists, Agnostics, and Non-Believers?”; Kellie Perkowsky on “Making the Fit Just Right: Living in a Cohort Model”; and Jason Lee on “Financial Literacy: The Forgotten Competency.”

SAHE faculty members also presented programs, including Dr. Holley Belch’s “Educating Students with Psychiatric Disabilities: Needed Practitioner Skills and Competencies” and Dr. John Mueller’s “Power, Privilege, and Oppression: Analyzing Difficult Dialogues.”

Finally, SAHE alumna Courtney O’Connell was one of three recipients of the prestigious Annuit Coeptis Award, presented to emerging professionals who demonstrate excellence in student affairs practice, service, and/or scholarship.

ACPA is one of the two leading professional associations serving more than 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

Lowery’s presentations focused on the Student Religious Groups and the First Amendment, legal issues for small college mid-level student affairs professionals, and a campus safety legislative update.

Lowery’s presentation, “Student Religious Groups’ First Amendment Rights after Hastings,” focused on the shifting legal landscape for student religious groups at public colleges and universities in light of recent legal decisions, including the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in the Hastings College of Law case.

Lowery also presented a campus safety legislative update as part of the Campus Safety Knowledge Community’s pre-conference workshop and an overview of legal issues for the Mid-Level Institute for Small College and University Professionals, a pre-conference program sponsored by the Small Colleges and Universities Division.

NASPA: Student Affairs in Higher Education is one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. More than five thousand student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation program faculty members, and graduate students attended the national conference this year.

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

The NASPA Faculty Fellows were established in 2002 to provide consultation and contributions to NASPA in the following areas:

• Direct policy input on such issues as quality assurance in student affairs, diversity, and graduate preparation
• Promote scholarship as part of the professional responsibility for all faculty and practitioners
• Provide direction concerning NASPA research priorities and initiatives

Lowery was named to the editorial board for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (JSARP). The mission of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice is to publish the most rigorous, relevant, and well-respected research that makes a difference in student affairs practice. Formerly known as NASPA Journal, the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice fosters open and critical discourse within and across disciplines from the perspective of student affairs in higher education. He previously served on the editorial board of and co-edited a special issue of the NASPA Journal.

Lowery was also named a department editor for the Journal of College and Character. A professional, peer-reviewed publication, Journal of College and Character focuses on character development in college and how colleges and universities influence, both intentionally and unintentionally, the moral and civic learning and behavior of their students. The journal includes resources and information designed to encourage discussion, research, and innovative educational practices, publishing scholarly articles and applied research on issues related to ethics, values, and character development in higher education. Lowery will be responsible for the Best Practice column in the journal.

Dr. Lowery’s presentation, which reviews the legislative and regulatory developments of the previous year impacting student conduct administration in higher education, has become a tradition at the conference over the past decade.

Dr. Lowery also presented on a current research project which examines parental notification policies for alcohol violations in American higher education. Dr. Lowery is collaborating with Dr. Maureen Wilson of Bowling Green State University on this research.

For more information on Dr Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Chacivity Awards (abbreviated for character, civility, and integrity) are presented to students who exemplify behaviors that uplift the spirit of the IUP community through his or her contributions. More information appears below about each of these SAHE students and their contributions to the IUP community.

Crystal Carlson

Nominated by Christopher Weiss, Office of Housing and Residence Life

Crystal has displayed multiple acts of character, integrity, and civility. As a graduate residence director for OHRL, Crystal works with many student leaders in their roles as community assistants. One of her student leaders was displaying difficulty in performing the duties associated with his job. Crystal was able to work with the student to help him understand that he should be tested for a learning disability. The most impressive part is that she went about this discussion in such a positive way that the student agreed to get tested, worked proactively with her towards increasing his job performance, and even continued this discussion with his advisor for his role on the executive board of the Residence Hall Association. Additionally, Crystal has been an amazing resource to first-year graduate students in her master’s program. Crystal helped her peers with every step of her presentation, from creating an effective PowerPoint to proper citations on her handouts, and even as far as how to properly handle a tense group social dynamic. Due in large part to Crystal’s assistance, the first-year student received a very good grade on her presentation, and attributes all of her success to Crystal.

R. C. Stabile

Nominated by Julene Pinto-Dyczewski, Office of Housing and Residence Life

R. C. is highly involved with community service and the education of residents. He is the advisor for the Alternative Spring Break to New Orleans, and most recently originated and spearheaded the Only Love campaign that is now getting some national attention as a way to decrease acts of bullying. The student response to this campaign has been overwhelming. It’s led to outstanding conversations on the topic, and is a strong visual reminder that it’s just as easy to speak love—so why not abandon hateful comments? His involvement in these two projects, among others, has inspired students to originate more community service projects throughout his residence hall and on campus.

Christopher Weiss

Nominated by Julene Pinto-Dyczewski, Office of Housing and Residence Life, and R. C. Stabile, Office of Housing and Residence Life

Chris’ role as the advisor for the Residence Hall Association often calls upon him to teach and inspire students to “do the right thing” and/or “act in the interest of others.” Chris has been nothing short of exceptional in role modeling and challenging the students with whom he works. Specifically, he has managed several conflicts amongst groups within the organization, has helped to include and successfully incorporate the RHA at Punxsutawney into the Indiana campus fold, and offers weekly educational programs on ethics, involvement, etc., to RHA, which includes representatives from each of the residence halls. He also advises the National Residence Hall Honorary, which is responsible for several community service projects that directly contribute to the IUP and Indiana communities. Chris’ tenacity shines through as he indefatigably shares theories and suggestions that inspire students to take the high road and be active members of our community.

Their chapter introduces graduate students and new professionals to the foundational literature and research on multicultural competence in student affairs. This Jossey-Bass publication is considered to be the most comprehensive and widely-read text in college student affairs graduate preparation programs.

Dr. Lowery, who had spoken at the conference on a number of occasions, discussed recent court rulings relating to the First Amendment rights of student organizations, discussed balancing due process and development in student conduct, and participated in a plenary panel discussion of legal issues.

Dr. Lowery, of the Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education, is broadly regarded as one of the leading authorities on legal and legislative issues and student affairs. For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

It is also available, along with previous editions, on the SAHE News website.

In the Fall 2010 edition of Developments, readers will find information about our students and alumni, SAHE department and faculty updates, and several articles from SAHE alumni, including “Discover New Ways to Use Google Maps.” Also contained in the publication are links to various Web pages, including the SAHE homepage and the Mini-Resume Program.

Dr. Lowery’s webinar, “Updating Your Student Code—Community Colleges and Four-Year Institutions,” was focused on offering practical advice for planning and undertaking a comprehensive review of an institution’s code of student conduct.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentation, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Kyle is a graduate of Emerson College (Boston) and a current SAHE graduate student. He has a graduate assistantship at Point Park University’s Office of Alumni Relations and serves as the vice president of Administration for SAHE’s graduate student organization, Associates for Student Development.

Awarded since 1999, the Nancy Newkerk award is given to a second-year SAHE graduate student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to college students, student affairs activities, the SAHE Department, and the broader higher education community.

The announcement was made, and the scholarship presented, on November 3, 2010. Ms. Nancy Newkerk was in attendance to share her experiences in student affairs and to congratulate Kyle.

Dr. Lowery spoke at the Professional Development Luncheon and presented an educational session entitled “The Courts and Campus Activities: The First Amendment, Tort Liability, and More.”

The National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) advances campus activities in higher education through a business and learning partnership, creating educational and business opportunities for its school and professional members. The Mid Atlantic region includes New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C. (and the surrounding metro area), and the Canadian province of eastern Ontario.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentation, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

You’ll also learn how SAHE can prepare you for this profession as well as how to apply to IUP. Join us for an informative and interactive morning and an opportunity to meet our faculty, our students, and others who are interested in a student affairs career.

The event is in the Susquehanna Room of the Hadley Union Building (HUB) from 10:00 a.m. to noon. To attend, please contact Nicole Shirley by October 18 at n.l.shirley@iup.edu, or by calling 724-357-2107.

Promotion to full professor rank requires that the applicant demonstrate a record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

The SAHE Department Promotion Committee, in their unanimous and strong support for Dr. Belch's application for promotion, affirmed her excellence in teaching; her long-standing professional involvement; her scholarly writing, presenting, and consulting; her dedicated service and leadership on multiple campus committees; and the professional and personal development she has provided through her advising and mentoring of SAHE students and alumni.

Dr. Belch was hired at the rank of assistant professor in 1999. She was promoted to associate professor in 2002 and earned tenure in 2004.

The book they reviewed, It's All About Jesus: Faith as an Oppositional Collegiate Subculture, written by Peter Magolda and Kelsey Ebben Gross, describes an ethnographic study of an evangelical Christian group at Midwestern public university.

The book review section is a staple of the JCSD, the largest empirical research journal in the field of student affairs and higher education.

Dr. Lowery presented with Anne Lundquist, dean of Students at Wells College. Their presentation was entitled “Student Affairs Legal Update and Student Disciplinary Systems: Legal Obligations and Transformative Best Practices.”

SCUI was sponsored by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. The Small College and University Institute is a biannual event that brings together student affairs leaders from across the United States.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentation, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Lowery has been actively involved in the association and the academy throughout his professional career. He has presented at almost every Gehring Academy for the past fifteen years.

This year, Lowery was the coordinator for the Training Institute at the Academy, which offers an intensive four-day competency-based curriculum intended for student conduct and conflict resolution administrators new to the field as well as seasoned student affairs professionals new to the area of student conduct and conflict resolution. Participants explore critical topics each day including model policies and due process, laws and mandates, governance, forms of adjudication, case preparation, information management, student development theory, and personal/professional ethics.

Lowery is also a faculty member for the training institute, where he presented on federal mandates which directly impact student conduct administration, including FERPA and the Clery Act.

For more information on Lowery’s presentation or the Gehring academy, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Dr. Lowery was part of multidisciplinary team that presented a day-long program on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Dr. Lowery was also one of the subject matter experts who worked with Security on Campus to develop the curriculum for this workshop, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

For more information on Dr Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Lowery’s keynote presentation was titled “Federal Legislation and Student Affairs Practice.” He also presented a session on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The conference, sponsored by the North Dakota State System of Higher Education, brought together student affairs professionals from across the state for an annual professional development opportunity—to collaborate to help create safer campuses.

For more information on Dr. Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Published six times per year as the official journal of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and founded in 1959, the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) is the largest empirical research journal in the field of student affairs and higher education. JCSD is included in numerous research databases, including the Social Science Citation Index, where it is one of only five domestic and international higher education journals indexed. JCSD receives national and international manuscript submissions from a wide range of academic fields, including student affairs, higher education, sociology, psychology, social work, nursing, business administration, and health sciences. Approximately forty editorial board members, with extensive scholarly expertise and experience in a number of fields, review manuscripts for JCSD.

Mueller’s term continues through 2013. He also currently serves on the editorial boards for the College Student Affairs Journal and the ACPA Books and Media Board.

On Friday, May 7, at the annual department banquet, three awards were presented. Shauna Sergent (’11) received the first-ever Get Involved! SAHE Leadership Award and a $250 scholarship established by Tom Baker (’05) and Erin Baker. Craig Pickett (’10) received the Outstanding Scholar award for his achievement as a student and his ability to enhance the learning environment for his colleagues. David Tiscione (’10) received the S. Trevor Hadley Outstanding Student Award for his accomplishments as a student and his significant service to the campus and the community.

On Saturday, May 8, at the twentieth annual African American Cultural Center Spring Pre-commencement Reception and Awards Program, SAHE students Jasmine Smalls (’10) and Craig Pickett (’10) received the John S. Rock Exceptional Leadership and Service Award. These awards are designed to recognize outstanding graduating minority graduate students who, through mentoring, leadership, service, and other academic or personal achievements, are seen by faculty or administrator sponsors as being a positive role model to the campus and local community and as having an overall positive impact on IUP.

On Sunday, May 9, at the SAHE Department Commencement program, Craig Pickett ('10) delivered the commencement address. SAHE students and faculty annually select commencement speakers based on their excellent speaking skills and ability to represent their classmates.

The SAHE students, faculty, and alumni are proud of and congratulate all of our honorees!

It is also available, along with previous editions, on the SAHE News website.

In the Spring 2010 edition of Developments, readers will find information about our student and alumni award winners, SAHE department and faculty updates, and several articles from SAHE alumni, including “Twitter and the Student Affairs Field.” Also contained in the publication are links to various Web pages, including the SAHE homepage and the Mini-Resume Program.

Nominated by Ms. Julene Pinto-Dyczewski (Office of Housing and Residence Life) and Mr. Adam Prescott (Office of Student Conduct), Martin was recognized for his service as site leader for the Alternative Spring Break trip to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and his leadership as vice president for Professional Development in the Associates for Student Development. Additionally, he has used his university connections to promote and recruit for a volunteer program called Building New Hope, “...an organization that buys coffee beans above fair trade price from a Nicaraguan farming cooperative and uses the profits to fund projects such as a veterinary service and library in Nicaragua.” According to his nominators, the global scope of Martin’s volunteering impacts those around him, and his charisma instills a passion for volunteering in everyone he encounters.

The Chacivity Award was created in 2004–2005. Its name is composed from “character, civility, and integrity.” This award is designed to recognize students who display courage, civility, leadership, integrity, and initiative.  To date, 133 students have received the award.

(Adapted from a news item originally posted on the Office of Student Conduct website)

In their presentation, “A Qualitative Examination of Heterosexual Consciousness among College Students,” they discussed the method, findings, and implications of an interview study conducted and published by Mueller and 2005 graduate Jennifer Cole. The study and the presentation focused on how heterosexual college students understand and make meaning of their life experiences and how they incorporate those into their sexual orientation identity.

The symposium was a multidisciplinary approach to examining issues of gender and sexuality through scholarship, practice, and creative arts. More than one hundred students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to present their work and learn from one another. More information is avaliable on the symposium website.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) is pleased to announce Dr. Julie B. Elkins as the recipient of the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award for 2010.

Julie is a 1985 graduate of SAHE who went on to earn her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts–Boston. She is currently the director of Academic Initiatives for the National Campus Compact. Her professional experience also includes positions at the University of Connecticut, Framingham State College, the University of Delaware, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Julie’s accomplishments go beyond her fine work as a practitioner and faculty member. She has held many leadership positions in both ACPA and NASPA, has been involved in numerous collaborative activities, has been honored with multiple awards, including one bearing her name for outstanding community service, and has presented numerous educational programs. Most prominent in the letters of nomination and support for Julie were her dedication to students, her unwavering commitment to social justice, her skills as a mentor, her outreach efforts to her community, and her leadership on campus and in many professional organizations.

Julie was presented her award at the IUP reception for alumni and friends on March 22, 2010, at the annual convention of the American College Personnel Association in Boston, Mass.

The award selection committee (comprised of faculty, students, and alumni) reviewed nomination materials from several fine individuals, all of whom have exceptional accomplishments in and contributions to the student affairs profession. In her review of Julie’s nomination, one of the selection committee members affirmed, “It seems she doesn’t just leave her job at 5:00 p.m., but truly lives out the values of the being a graduate of the SAHE program and a student affairs professional every day and night.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award, begun in 2006, was created to acknowledge an alumnus of the SAHE department whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program/SAHE department. In 2008, in recognition of Ron Lunardini’s thirty-seven years of service to IUP (eighteen as a SAHE faculty member), the name of the award was changed to honor him. Previous recipients include: (2006) Bob Gatti ’78, (2007) Peter C. Groenendyk ’94, (2008) Becky L. Verzinski ’94, and (2009) Kevin W. Bailey ’90.

Brynn Cunningham copresented “Service-Learning as Professional Development” with Pete Mather of Ohio University. Jared Hammond joined Margaret Hammond in a presentation of her thesis research, “Faculty Perceptions of Student Affairs’ Role in Student Learning.” Jason Lee presented on his thesis research, titled “Debt Management and the First Generation Student: Thinking Beyond Access.” And David Tiscione presented his thesis research, “Attitudes, Behaviors, and Possible Effects of a Lower Drinking Age.”

ACPA is one of the two leading professional associations serving over 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

Dr. Mueller’s presentations included “Power, Privilege, and Oppression: Analyzing Difficult Dialogues” and “Atheist College Students and the Secular Student Movement.”

Dr. Mueller was also a panelist for three sessions, including “Graduate Preparation Faculty: On the Tenure Track,” “Next Generation: Making the Most of Graduate School,” and “Interacting with Authors of the Fiftieth Anniversary Issue of JCSD.”

ACPA is one of the two leading professional associations serving over 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

The focus of her presentation was on the results of her research and related effective practices for student affairs professionals in working with this subpopulation of students with disabilities.

ACPA is one of the two leading professional associations serving over 8,500 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation faculty members, and graduate students in the student affairs profession.

Dr. Lowery’s presentation, “Campus Safety and Compliance: Student Affairs’ Role,” focused on the core requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, recent amendments to the act, and the key opportunities for student affairs divisions to contribute to institutional compliance. Dr. Lowery presented with Karen Boyd on their study of “The Legacy of the Sit-in Movement and Student Rights.” Dr. Lowery also presented with Chris Gill in a presentation designed to introduce participants to the history of student spirituality in higher education and theories which help student affairs professionals understand spiritual development in the college years. Dr. Lowery also presented a campus safety legislative update as part of the Campus Safety Knowledge Community’s preconference workshop.

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA ) is one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. More than 4,800 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation program faculty members, and graduate students attended the national conference this year.

For more information on Dr Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

The event, hosted annually by President Tony Atwater, recognizes faculty members who, in the previous year, were productive in research, publications, editorial board work, and creative arts. Dr. Mueller was acknowledged for several publications in 2009, including a commentary in the Chronicle of Higher Education, two book chapters, and three journal articles, each coauthored with a SAHE alumna or alumnus, including Raechele Pope (’81), Jennifer Cole (‘05), and Bradley Webb (’07).

The conference, sponsored by the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, brought together campus law enforcement and student affairs professionals to collaborate to help create safer campuses. Lowery’s keynote presentation was titled “Washington’s Perspective: Federal Regulation and Campus Safety.”

For more information on Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Dr. Lowery’s presentation, which reviews the legislative and regulatory developments of the previous year impacting student conduct administration in higher education, has become a tradition at the conference over the past decade.

The conference offers three featured presentations which are presented to all conference participants. Dr. Lowery also participated in a panel discussion with Fred Gray, St. John Dixon, and James McFadden, who were all involved in the February 1960 sit-ins in Montgomery, Alabama, and the resulting lawsuit after the student demonstrators were expelled from Alabama State College by the state.

For more information on Dr Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu.

Karl Bluemel, Brynn Cunningham, and Margaret Hammond will each receive financial support from SAHE alumni Michael Dodge ’06 and Deena Kelly ’06 to cover the cost of their registration for the convention.

“Mike and I really excited to have three award winners this year and look forward to joining them in Boston in March,” wrote Kelly in announcing this year’s scholarship recipients. “It means a great deal to us to help SAHE students in the next step of their career planning. Congratulations to Brynn, Karl, and Margaret!”

This is the second year Dodge and Kelly have provided this scholarship in support of SAHE students’ professional development. The SAHE department is grateful to their loyal alumni who support students in all ways, but especially in this very tangible way. The ACPA convention will take place in Boston in March.

Their article, “Looking Back and Moving Forward: Future Directions for Diversity Research in Student Affairs,” written with Dr. Amy L. Reynolds, was invited by the editorial board of the JCSD to be included in its fiftieth anniversary issue. The objective of this special issue is to address topic areas that constitute key domains of research and scholarship that directly relate to a wide range of areas of practice in the student affairs profession.

Writes the editor of JCSD, Dr. John Braxton of Vanderbilt University, “The articles of this special issue aptly commemorate this 50th anniversary through the power of their formulations and recommended directions for future scholarship. To be sure, these matters will occupy the research and practice communities of student affairs for years to come.”

Awarded since 1999, the Nancy Newkerk award is given to a second year SAHE graduate student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to college students, student affairs activities, the SAHE department, and the broader higher education community.

The announcement was made, and the scholarship presented, on November 4, 2009. Ms. Nancy Newkerk was in attendance to share her experiences in student affairs and to congratulate Brynn.

The first session, with SAHE student Daniel Pretz, was titled “Making the Most of Your Professional Life” and was directed at graduate students entering the profession of Student Affairs. The second session, titled “Creating a Supportive Working and Learning Environment,” examined how leaders and supervisors can influence and design working environments that take into account professional demands and culture and personal considerations.

Hall is also a member of the Executive Board of the organization.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Final Rule went into effect January 8, 2009—the biggest overhaul in twenty years. Now that major changes to the FERPA regulations have been finalized, higher education professionals are scrambling to figure out how to comply with the law—a daunting task. From on-line privacy concerns to dealing with helicopter parents, FERPAnar is the comprehensive on-line conference that delivers a complete analysis of the latest developments, so participants can understand how policies and programs may need to change.

Other FERPAnar presenters included: Paul Gammill, head of the U.S. Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office; Clifford A. Ramirez; Richard Rainsberger, Ph.D.; and Steven J. Healy, past president of IACLEA and director of Public Safety at Princeton University.

Their presentation, titled “Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Atheist College Students,” described their qualitative study that employed a phenomenological approach to examine and understand how atheist college students make meaning of their views on faith and how they experience the college environment.

Their paper, “The Alabama State College Sit-ins and the Death of In Loco Parentis: Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education (1961),” explores the demonstrations by Alabama State College students against legalized segregation in Montgomery and the resulting lawsuit which established the rights to due process for public school students facing suspension or expulsion.

Their article, “Spirituality of College Students: An Examination of Fraternity/Sorority Member and Non-member Groups,” examines the differences in several aspects of spirituality between students who participate in greek-affiliated organizations and those who don’t. The article is based on Webb’s master’s thesis research, conducted in 2007.

The presentation focused on the recently released Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing the campus safety dimensions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 as well as the new regulations for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) addressing health and safety emergency exception.

This book is a comprehensive guide to designing, establishing, and maintaining a campus based sexual assault response team. Dr. Lowery’s chapter focuses on federal laws impact campus sexual assault and institutional responses.

In his talk, titled “Atheist Students in a College Setting,” Mueller and his copresenter (Kathleen Goodman, University of Iowa) discussed their recent scholarship and research on the secular movement among college students and how college adminsitrators need to recognize and address the unique needs of free-thinking students.

The Secular Student Alliance (SSA), founded in 2000, has over 150 affiliated high school and college student groups around the country. According to its website, the mission of the SSA is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics.

Founded in 2000, NCHERM is a law and consulting firm dedicated to best practices for campus health and safety. NCHERM emphasizes best practices for policy, training, and educational programming as proactive risk management. NCHERM specializes in advancing culture change strategies and problem solving for the challenging wellness, compliance, and liability issues colleges and universities face today.

The NCHERM risk management model is a more elemental, holistic, and cultural framework. NCHERM’s consultants believe that the most proactive form of risk management results from efforts to reshape campus culture for greater health and safety. By making campuses safer places, institutions may avoid lawsuits, mitigate losses, protect reputations, and enhance the learning process.

Since its founding, NCHERM has consulted with more than 1,300 colleges, universities, schools, and military clients in all fifty states. NCHERM attorneys serve as legal counsel to twenty campuses, including large public universities, private liberal arts colleges, and community colleges.

This year, Dr. Lowery is the coordinator for the Training Institute at the Academy, which offers an intensive four-day competency-based curriculum intended for student conduct and conflict resolution administrators new to the field as well as seasoned student affairs professionals new to the area of student conduct and conflict resolution. Participants explore critical topics each day, including model policies and due process, laws and mandates, governance, forms of adjudication, case preparation, information management, student development theory, and personal/professional ethics.

Dr. Lowery is also a faculty member for the Training Institute and for the Mid-Level Manager Seminar. In both programs, Dr. Lowery is presenting on federal mandates which directly impact student conduct administration, including FERPA and the Clery Act.

The presentation was based on an inquiry with disability service providers and their perception of what student affairs practitioners need to know about students with psychiatric disabilities. The study was a collaborative effort with Dr. Sue Saunders and Ms. Donna Korbel of the University of Connecticut.

This qualitative study examined the role of organizational culture on the success of recruitment and retention practices of professional staff in college and university residence life departments.

Their article, “A Qualitative Examination of Heterosexual Consciousness Among College Students,” explores how heterosexual college students understand and make meaning of their life experiences and how they incorporate those into their sexual orientation identity. The research was funded by Josten’s through the Emerging Scholars program of the American College Personnel Association.

Henao, who is also a graduate assistant in the School of Graduate Studies and Research, was nominated by Assistant Dean for Administration Donna Griffith. In her nomination letter, Griffith described Henao as “deeply committed to the notion of service. His involvement crosses several sectors of his personal and professional life.”

Since 2007, Henao has been an active and productive member of the Graduate Student Assembly (president) and Student Cooperative Association (Board of Directors). He has also demonstrated a commitment to a variety of volunteer opportunities. Henao has B.A. and M.A. degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is graduating this May with a Master of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education.

Their session was part of a day-long institute on the “Intersections of Religious Privilege,” which examined religious and spiritual trends in higher education and proposed ways to address challenging questions about inclusion, privilege, and difficult dialogues on campus.

This award is given annually to an outstanding student affairs professional or graduate preparation faculty member who goes above and beyond in their efforts to provide guidance and support to graduate students in higher education or student affairs graduate programs. Students from Oklahoma State University, where Lowery taught before joining IUP in Fall 2008, nominated him for this award based on his dedication and effectiveness as a teacher, advisor, and role model.

Lowery’s presentations focused on the Clery Act, student conduct policies and procedures, and a public policy update. Lowery’s presentation, “Partnering for Compliance: The Clery Act and Student Affairs,” focused on the core requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, recent amendments to the act, and the key opportunities for student affairs divisions to contribute to institutional compliance. Lowery presented with Dr. Mike Dannells on their study of changes in student conduct policies and practices over the past thirty years.

Lowery also presented a public policy and case law update with W. Scott Lewis. Lowery focused on key student affairs implications of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and recent changes to the regulations for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

NASPA: Student Affairs in Higher Education is one of the leading professional associations for student affairs in higher education. More than 4,100 student affairs practitioners, graduate preparation program faculty members, and graduate students attended the national conference this year.

For more information on Dr Lowery’s presentations, please e-mail him at jlowery@iup.edu

The conference, sponsored by the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, brought together student affairs professionals and campus law enforcement to collaborate to help create safer campuses. Dr. Lowery’s keynote presentation was entitled, “Making Sense of Federal Campus Safety Laws.”

Mueller and coauthor Kathleen Goodman of the University of Iowa provide a more accurate and favorable depiction of atheist college students, encouraging student affairs and higher education professionals to include these students in programs and activities designed to promote inner development.

Dr. Lowery discussed the changes to FERPA at length with a group of senior student affairs officers from across the country on January 9, 2009. He joined Dr. Bonnie Hunter of Valparaiso University and Dr. Ron Herron of Southern Connecticut State University to discuss the changes to FERPA and public policy developments on January 23, 2009, in a webinar for the general membership.

Student Affairs in Higher Education

About Mueller’s contribution, author Amy Reynolds writes in the preface, “His insight and ability to traverse the fields of counseling and student affairs created an excellent integration of the most relevant counseling theories that will surely assist readers.” 

The book, released in December, is published by Jossey-Bass.

We are now accepting nominations for this year’s recipient. The Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an alumnus of the Student Affairs in Higher Education Department who has been a student affairs professional for at least five years and whose practice reflects the standards and values of the SAHE department. Nominations are due by January 30, 2009 and the announcement of the recipient will be made prior to and celebrated at the ACPA convention in Washington, D.C. Start thinking about your SAHE colleagues and mentors who are deserving of this recognition and please consider nominating one of them.

Award Criteria and Information

SAHE graduate student Tiffany Coffen also serves on the Executive Board for PCPA as graduate student representative.

Coffen and Hall conducted a roundtable discussion session attended by thirty-nine graduate students on the topic of “Professional Development—Thinking Forward.”

The SAHE Department is pleased to announce Dr. Becky L. Verzinski as the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2008.  Becky is a 1994 graduate of SAHE who went on to earn her doctorate at Morgan State University.  She is currently working at Towson University (MD) in the Department of Housing & Residence Life as an Assistant Director.  She has also worked at SUNY Stony Brook (NY).  Becky’s accomplishments are not limited to her fine work at Towson University and Stony Brook where, at both institutions, she has been recognized for her excellence in promoting community and student learning as well as embracing diversity and multicultural programming.   Becky’s career has also been highlighted by many service and leadership activities, most notably as a faculty member in the mid-Atlantic Regional Entry-Level Institute, conference co-chair for MACUHO, and MCPA conference co-chair.

The award selection committee (comprised of faculty, students, and alumni) reviewed nomination materials from five fine individuals, all of whom have exceptional accomplishments in and contributions to the student affairs profession.  The selection committee noted Becky’s "significant professional involvement and recognition." One committee member’s comment summed up Becky’s nomination in this way: "In a very tight crop of nominees, this individual’s commitment to diversity, life long learning, and multifaceted collection of presentations at all levels, I believe, qualifies her for this award."

The SAHE Distinguished Alumni Award was created to acknowledge an alumnus of the SAHE department whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program /SAHE department.  Previous recipients include Bob Gatti (’78) of Otterbein College (OH) and Peter C. Groenendyk (’94) of the University of Memphis (TN).

The SAHE Department recognized Becky at the 2008 ACPA Convention (Atlanta, GA) during our annual "IUP Alumni & Friends Reception."

This is SAHE's annual beginning-of-the-year community builder to reconnect with one another and welcome our new students.

Here is the lineup for Team ASD (Associates for Student Development):

Coaches

Dr. Linda Hall, Dr. Holley Belch, Dr. John Mueller, and Dr. John Lowery will be on hand to give you last-minute pep talks for the big game ahead!

ASD (President) Quarterback

Erin Schuetz will help you receive your first official SAHE gift!

ASD (Vice President of Professional Development) Receiver

Morgan Rizzardi wants to catch some great dishes from anyone who wants to potluck!

ASD (Vice President of Programming) Tackle

Stanley Horton wants you to be ready to plow through Break the Ice and have fun!

ASD (Vice President of Administration) Center

Ryan Cunningham has the game plan on where your fellow teammates are for assistantships/jobs and where SAHE alumni have touched down upon graduation.

ASD (Vice President of Public Relations) Official Team Media

Mallory Bower will be shooting photos of all of our team players in action.

For more information, e-mail any of your ASD Executive Committee members.

Fall Kickoff Flier