I was checking out one of my favorite web sites, ESPN, and I noticed that the University of Mississippi (aka Ole Miss) students have decided to officially retire Colonel Reb, Ole Miss’ inactive mastcot that looks like umm…an ol’ school southern gentlemen? Here’s a pic of the colonel:

The colonel has been inactive for several years as Ole Miss tries to move away from what some view as lingering ties to a confederate past (IMHO – yup, the colonel does). Student Koriann Porter started the petition initiative that led to the vote conducted by the institution’s Associated Students. Although the campus has over 18,000 students, only 3,366 voted. There will be a committee formed to develop a new mascot.

I personally think that it is great that this student-led initiative has taken place to personify their school spirit in a less offensive manner. I am curious how much support she recieved (if any) from staff or faculty on campus. You can read the ESPN article here. There’s also a good article from MSNBC that you can find here.

Source: ESPN.com

While I know Student Affairs professional organizations and the conferences they host have embraced the idea of sustainability, I decided to check out several web sites to see what they are doing this year. So, here’s what I was able to find:

NASPA – The conference web site had a section about sustainability but did not go into details about what they are specifically. I know from experience that they started handing out the popular reusable totes & had recycling bins all over the place. They do offer some tips. Grade: C. The tips are nice but there could be more info.

ACPA – Their section is similar to NASPA’s in that they don’t talk about what they’re doing for the conference and provide some tips to attendees. In addition, they encourage people to donate to the ACPA foundation. Grade: C+. They do have a little more info than NASPA.

ACUHO-I – Like the previous two, they don’t really discuss what they’re doing. They do provide two links about sustainability in Austin & sustainable measures the convention center has taken. C-. Interesting links but that’s about it.

NACA – This one has already happened but they had zero infomation. Grade: F. No info.

ACUI - Like NACA, they have nothing either. Grade: F. No info also.

Now, I know all of these conferences are going to have session about sustainability & have even started committees (groups, communities, they all use different language) to discuss & promote sustainability. But my grades are based on just infomation provided. I think all of these organizations should do at least the following some of which is being done already:

1. Have tips on how to be more sustainable.
2. Provide minimal materials to attendees. Do we really need a big conference book?
3. Provide innovative resources for attendees that are also more eco-friendly. Hello ACPA Mingle Stick, goodbye a bunch of business cards.
4. Use as a many materials as possible that are sustainable within the conference.

One of the perks of working at a new institution is that I get to create University Rules & Standard Operation Procedures (I know your jealous). Right now, I’m working on the one regarding Student Travel. I researched all of my fellow Texas A&M peers as well a couple of additional institutions. One thing that I noticed is that the most recent editions were published more than five years ago, if not more. Which leads me to this question: How often should things like SOP’s be revised?

The reason why I ask if because any SOP involving students should be updated regularly but what’s considered “best practice” in regards to this? To use travel as an example, there are so many variables (travel safety standards, politicial climates domestically & abroad, or modes of transportation) that are constantly changing as well as our students. What might have worked ten years ago may not apply to the current demographics of the student body.

I personally think an institution should not go more than 5 years with out doing a review. What do you think?

With job placement season right around the corner, I thought I’d share some tips for those that are looking at or remaining in live-on positions.

While I work in campus activities currently, I was a residence hall director for 5 years (which includes grad school). So, here’s some thoughts from my experiences:

1) Save money!! Odds are when you move off campus, you will be taking a significant financial hit that will not be able to compensate for all the non-salary perks (goodbye free rent, utilities, cable, internet, no commute, etc). One area that I underestimated when I purchased a home was all of the furniture I would need, supplies to maintain my lawn, ladders & tools for repairs, etc.

2) It’s not a bad idea to buy furniture pieces if your employer lets you or other items. I think most employers don’t care if you have your own furniture since they can probably use it elsewhere. My wife & I didn’t do this but I had colleagues that did and I always thought it was a good idea – we just decided to wait. We did however upgrade our car to a more family-friendly one once my wife got pregnant.

3) Make sure you fully explore the community you live in. During my last year in Tucson, I moved off campus and it forced me to become more aware (& thankful) of the entire city. We took lots of trips to the zoo, botanical gardens, various parks, learned about cool restaurants (such as this great Mom & pop Hawaiian restaurant), & much more. When I lived on campus, my scope was probably only a 10 mile radius with the exception of trendy places.

4) Set boundaries. I think this one is more for hall directors. It is very hard to set them when you live & work in the same environment. Your accessible 24-7 (which is part of the job) and have a more flexible schedule. I found myself willing to put in longer and/or later hours when I was single or had a day when I was bored. Instead of catching a movie off campus or something, I’d work on something in my office. It’s important to have a presence in your hall but don’t feel bad to go off-campus more frequently.

I’ve know some peers to set boundaries that I thought were too extreme such as screening phone calls. I think it is important that staff and students know what is acceptable after-hours interactions and the only way they will know is to have conversations with them about it.

On Friday, I went to do a google search for Swift Kick (creators of Red Rover & other items) and came across this Swift-Kick which is Kent State University’s Stark Campus online student portal. I think it hits the nail on the head in terms of creating an online portal that is useful for students but also talks their language. I’ve noticed that Higher Ed as a whole is not good at speaking students’ language and so did they:

SWIFT KICK began life as the first-year and new student outreach program for Kent State University’s Stark Campus, but it has become so much more. This is the cyber-world home of the Student Services team. It is a place that we’ve built because we’ve found that the traditional, preachy sort of communication that is typical of universities and schools just doesn’t resonate with the students. We came to this brilliant conclusion when we stopped looking at the world through the eyes of a Student Services office and started looking at it through the eyes of an actual person.

As luck would have it, most of us are actual people, so it was relatively easy. We reasoned: If we don’t like to listen to the dull, monotonous sounds of a 40-something teacher-type talking about going to class and studying the material, why would anyone else? Therefore we will be using this site and program to talk to you the way we talk to each other – like real people living in a real world filled with all the real world things that can both cause distractions and light a fire under each of us. Have a problem, question or suggestions? You can use this site to contact us as well as eachother. Swift Kick is open 24 / 7!

We hope you realize that each of us have been there and done that. We have all been to school in the modern higher education system. We have all rolled into class late or slept through a lecture. We know what it’s like. The difference is we know how to avoid these things. We have graduated. We can help you graduate, too.

Great job folks. I hope it’s okay if I take some ideas

Norman Chad, writer for the Washington Post or probably more famously known to ESPN viewers as 1/2 of the World Series of Poker commentating team, had a column titled “It should be schools of thought, not football”.

In the article he praises Northeastern University for disbanding it’s football team and wishes that his alma mater (University of Maryland) would do the same.


“College football has absolutely nothing to do with college — this is unofficially the 783rd time I’ve said this. It is a business in which athletes posing as students wear school colors for the sake of alumni gratification and TV money. “


Pretty strong feelings about collegiate athletics, especially football.


Today, ESPN reported that Michigan State University was suspending 8 players for their involvement in a fight that took place in one of MSU’s residence halls. The incident took place on 11/22 during an event sponsored by Iota Phi Theta fraternity – which happened to have a fight at another sponsored event the previous night at a club near the campus.


These two incidents made me wonder what purpose athletics really offer higher education. As a Higher Ed Professional with an undergrad degree in Sports Management (I also did a couple of internships & jobs in sports), here’s my attempt at coming up with some pros & cons.


Pro: School Spirit & Pride – Athletics is the perfect venue to encourage school pride. People are competitive and love to brag that their school is better than someone else’s. This happens already – it’s called the US News & World Report’s College Rankings. How about Playboy’s party rankings? (Not that I’d like a school I work at to be on that).


Con: Allocation of resources – Sports are not cheap. There are so many costs associated with maintaining an athletic program: coaches, admin staff, trainers, uniforms, facilities, travel, marketing, & last but not least scholarships (if applicable – i.e. D-III schools don’t give out athletic scholarships).


Pros: Provides a opportunity for an education that otherwise might now happen for some student athletes. These students then go on to contribute in a variety of professions that don’t involve sports.


Cons: Think millennials are entitled? Try interacting with student-athletes that are either a) the star player, b) play a high-profile sport (i.e. football & basketball), or c) both? I’m generalizing but based on my experiences (I used to work at a Pac-10 school for 4 years) they can be challenging.


Some more ideas come to mind but I’d love to hear what others think.

The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education came out with a report titled “Bridging the Gaps to Success: Promising Practices for Promoting Transfer Among Low-Income and First-Generation Students”. The report highlights several Texas schools which is helpful for me since I work in San Antonio.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 

The report found that the colleges shared three main characteristics: structured academic pathways that aptly prepare students to enroll at four-year colleges, a student-centered culture that emphasizes personal attention, and culturally sensitive leaders who understand the backgrounds of their students.

As a student affairs professional working at an institution that currently only accepts transfer students, I believe it is important to emphasize these characteristics. TAMU-SA is a predominately Latino/a, Female, & low-socioeconomic status population. I try my best to understand their culture & provide personalized attention to them.

With that said, I’m pretty sure that I was taught in grad school that these three characteristics are vital for any student to attain success. So, in a way, this report seems like common knowledge amongst student affairs professionals like myself. However, I don’t believe that we are always able to do this with limited resources (staffing, budgets, etc.).

I’d love to hear some thought on how others do this or don’t.