Greetings! W e hope you enjoy this third edition of Connections. Our goal with this newsletter is to present a collection of features and stories to keep us all informed. With so much happening every day at the university this can be a great way to learn more about the significant changes, colleague contributions and great new programs. Our team has already begun work on the fall edition of Connections and look forward to bringing it to you soon. The next few months are busy as we all prepare to welcome students back in the fall. Hopefully, though, you will still find some time to relax and enjoy all the summer fun that the Ocean State has to offer. - Connections Team Employee Wellness Tips By Colby Zongol coordinator of health & wellness Sun Safety Lots of us like to spend time outdoors during the summer months - at the beach, BBQing, or laying by the pool. Remember though, overexposing your skin to the sun can be detrimental to your health. Every time you sunburn, you increase your risk of skin cancer. Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, apply it at least 20 minutes before you go outside, and re-apply every two hours. You can also prevent sunburn by wearing wide brimmed hats, staying in the shade, and keeping your skin covered with light, comfortable clothing. Hydrate It's especially easy in the summer to get dehydrat- ed. Make sure to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day, although more is better. This is especially true if you are in the heat or sun for long periods of time or drinking caffeine or alcohol. Plus, drinking water regularly can also increase your metabolism and improve your skin. Get Moving Summer is a great time to get outside and get ac- tive. Go for a walk down by the bay or for a bike ride in Roger Williams Park. Find a great hiking spot, or play frisbee with some friends. Take ad- vantage of the nice weather and get your heart and body in shape at the same time. Fresh Food Fresh fruits and vegetables are so important for your health, and now is a great time to find deli- cious produce that's grown locally and full of vitamins and minerals. Browse your farmer's markets for inexpensive and delicious ingredients for a healthy meal. SPRING 2012 NEWS FOR STUDENT SERVICES Connections We Have Another Winner! Thank you to those who submitted entries for our newsletter activity. This was a tough one because you needed to answer all questions correctly to be entered into the drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card. Congratulations Alanna Silberman from Student Academic Services! Please email [email protected] to collect your prize.
Transcript
Greetings!We hope you enjoy this third edition of Connections. Our goal with this
newsletter is to present a collection of features and stories to keep us all informed. With so much happening every day at the university this can be a great way to learn more about the significant changes, colleague contributions and great new programs. Our team has already begun work on the fall edition of Connections and look forward to bringing it to you soon.
The next few months are busy as we all prepare to welcome students back in the fall. Hopefully, though, you will still find some time to relax and enjoy all the summer fun that the Ocean State has to offer.
- Connections Team
Employee Wellness Tips By Colby Zongol coordinator of health & wellness
Sun SafetyLots of us like to spend time outdoors during the summer months - at the beach, BBQing, or laying by the pool. Remember though, overexposing your skin to the sun can be detrimental to your health. Every time you sunburn, you increase your risk of skin cancer. Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, apply it at least 20 minutes before you go outside, and re-apply every two hours. You can also prevent sunburn by wearing wide brimmed hats, staying in the shade, and keeping your skin covered with light, comfortable clothing.
Hydrate
It's especially easy in the summer to get dehydrat-ed. Make sure to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day, although more is better. This is especially true if you are in the heat or sun for long periods of time or drinking caffeine or alcohol. Plus, drinking water regularly can also increase your metabolism and improve your skin.
Get Moving
Summer is a great time to get outside and get ac-tive. Go for a walk down by the bay or for a bike ride in Roger Williams Park. Find a great hiking spot, or play frisbee with some friends. Take ad-vantage of the nice weather and get your heart and body in shape at the same time.
Fresh Food
Fresh fruits and vegetables are so important for your health, and now is a great time to find deli-cious produce that's grown locally and full of vitamins and minerals. Browse your farmer's markets for inexpensive and delicious ingredients for a healthy meal.
SPRING 2012
NEWS FOR STUDENT SERVICES
Connections
We Have Another Winner!Thank you to those who submitted entries for our newsletter activity. This was a tough one because you needed to answer all questions correctly to be entered into the drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card.
Congratulations Alanna Silberman from Student Academic Services! Please email [email protected] to collect your prize.
At YOUR ServiceOBSERVE, LOOK AND LISTEN Look for signs to anticipate what your customers require. For example, if guests or students are standing by the door, looking confused, do not hesitate to speak to them and ask what they need or who they are looking for. By that simple act alone, you give them a sense of belonging and show genuine concern for their well-being.
EVERYONE'S TIME IS AS VALUABLE Do everything you can to minimize the wait. If customers or students have questions you cannot answer, find the person who can answer that question and refer them to that person. Take the responsibility for making surethey are connected with the right person to best answer their questions.
BE PROFESSIONAL, FRIENDLY AND COURTEOUS AT ALL TIMESBe direct and expressive, this will help you to build lasting relationships. Respecting our students and guests is important to show confidence in not only yourself but also your company. A professional attitude leaves everyone in a positive frame of mind.
Three Interns Joining the Student Orientation Team for Summer
By Nancy Hardendorf, director of parent relations
Spending a summer as a NODA (National Orientation Director Association) intern is one of the best experiences a young student affairs professional can have. Few have the opportunity
to learn as much as possible in a few weeks of training and then jumping into an Orientation program. NODA describes their internship program as “match[ing] orientation, transition and retention professionals and host institutions with energetic, dedicated graduates looking to expand their orientation experience and connections.”
Becoming a NODA intern is a highly selective process; competition includes incoming graduate students or current graduate students from across the country. Applicants apply on-line and are interviewed over the phone or via Skype. JWU has a highly selective and coveted spot in the NODA intern world with New Student Orientation & Support Programs hiring three interns every summer: one to work with parents, one with the students and a third for operations. This year, more than 100 applications were received, resulting in a select number of interviews leading to offers for the three positions.
Kate Wasserman, from Springfield College, in Springfield, Mass., will be working with parents under the guidance of Nancy Hardendorf. She brings experience from Mount Holy-oke College and University of Connecticut and has great enthusiasm for assisting parents through this transitional time. Luke Akers, coming from Columbia College in Columbia MO., will be working with Beth O’Day coordinating the Student Program. His compassion, commitment and dedication to the growth and development of students will be a tremen-dous asset to the program. Kaitlin Winters will be attending the University of South Florida in the fall. Her drive, spunky attitude and maturity are qualities that will serve her well as she works in operations with Heather Kessler.
As you attend various orientation activities throughout the summer, look for Kate, Luke and Kaitlin. You will enjoy meeting them and hearing more about their experiences!
L to R: Kaitlin Winters, Kate Wasserman and Luke Akers
Study Abroad in South Korea: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
Imagine yourself as a guest at a wedding in a traditional Korean village resembling
those built over a hundred years ago. The sound of the musical instruments played during the celebration has captured your at-tention as you watch the bride and groom, in traditional wedding attire, prepare to meet for the first time.
Students participating in the South Korea study abroad can experience it first-hand. "It is an experience of a life-time," states John Varlaro, assistant professor in the College of Business. He explains that when planning a vacation, most people don't consider South Korea as their destination. The Study Abroad program in South Korea has been delivered
since 2005; however, this will be the second consecutive summer Varlaro has teamed up with his colleague from the Denver Campus, John Meredith, as the program's faculty advisors. According to Michael Waugh, director of study abroad, South Korea is the most popular summer abroad
program. Students learn about international
human resource management, Korean business practices, culture and multicultural management practices. Given the program's academic focus, students majoring in International Business or Management and/or concentrating in Human Resources are the primary student group; however, it is not limited to these areas of study.
With a background in international human resources and multicultural management skills, particularly East Asian Management, Varlaro has a vast amount of experience and knowledge to share. "The international experience allows us to not only be exposed to another culture but to ourselves." He strongly believes the program helps a student grow and by learning how to survive in a culture so different one can expect to have a different perspective upon returning to the U.S.
Students attend a meeting 4-5 weeks prior to departure to learn more about the country's food and culture and to interact with previous program participants. Upon arrival in Seoul, they mainly reside at Sejong University where classes are delivered by both JWU faculty and professors from Sejong University's internationally recognized MBA program. Students also take day and overnight trips to companies such as Hyndai Motors, Posco Steel, and Samsung, and excursions to Kyeongbok-gung Palace, the Demilitarized Zone and traditional Korean villages.
Valaro's general tip to students is "to be
prepared to be exposed and confronted with something different, but to be receptive to this difference and learn from it." To truly get an appreciation for another's culture, students learn to cook and eat a traditional Korean dish called Bibimbap which is a bowl of rice rimmed with sauteed vegetables, a bit of meat, and served with a fried egg on top and red chili paste.
He easily responds when asked about his most memorable experience from last summer's trip. "Upon my return from a faculty dinner one night, as I approached the courtyard where the students were gathered, I witnessed a moment of open conversation and personal bonding taking place among my students." What was most inspirational to Varlaro was that the moment was initiated by the students spontaneously. It is these kind of moments that make a study abroad program so much more than just an academic experience.
Some Surprising Findings in Residential Life On-Campus Living Survey
By Dameian Slocum, director of residential life and Tara McGee, associate director of residential life
One May 1, 2012, Residential Life presented "Our Residents: A Holistic View of Our On-Campus Students" through the Employee Development Institute. During the
presentation Residential Life shared data gleaned from the Educational Benchmarking, Inc. (EBI) resident satisfaction survey, an instrument currently used at over 1,500 institutions of higher education.
While the Providence Campus has participated in the survey in the past, this was the first time all four campuses deployed it. (Residential Life's presentation focused strictly on Providence Campus results. Fifty-seven percent of Provi-dence Campus residents com-pleted the survey in January. The survey gauged resident satisfaction in 19 key areas, ranging from satisfaction with hall and apartment staff, to programming, safety, diverse interactions within the hall environment and overall satisfaction with university.
Results regarding resident behavior were particularly enlightening. For example, nearly 40 percent of responders stated they do not consume alcohol at all, while 30 percent stated they drink less than once per week. In terms of consumption, the majority of responders indicated they drink very little, 65 percent consuming 0-2 drinks per event. This data contradicts the perception long held by many members of the university community.
This survey also revealed that resident's study habits are lacking, with 39 percent of responders stating they study less than five hours per week. In addition, results provided a surprising look at how resident students spend their time, with 67 percent indicating they do not work or work less than 10 hours per week. This information leaves the question looming: how do our residents spend their free time?
The survey uses a seven-point scale to measure satisfaction, with "0" being extremely poor and "7" being superior. EBI's objective is for schools to fall within the "good" range (4.54-5.61) for each of the 19 focus areas. Overall, results for the Providence Campus were favorable.
Some highlights for the Providence Campus, scoring at the high end of the "good" range, include: satisfaction with hall/apartment staff; satisfaction with Campus Safety & Security; respect of fellow residents; sense of community; diverse interactions; overall satisfaction with college/university. Scoring in the "excellent" category was tolerance in the residence halls.
Next steps for Residential Life will be to use the suggestions provided by EBI to move our program from good to great. Throughout the course of next year Residential Life will reach out to various departments in an effort to improve programming; to help students strengthen their skills with regard to managing their time; studying and solving problems; as well as to provide them with what they have indicated they want: more meaningful, personal interactions with staff and faculty.
Annual SuperStar Showcase Residential Life's 7th Annual Super-Star Showcase was a huge success raising $1,600 for this year's charity, Crossroads. Residents volunteered their talents and students, family and friends paid $5 for admission to the event which returned to the Schneider Auditorium on April 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances included singers, a pianist, a host of dance groups ranging from the pom squad to break dance crews and a special repeat performance from the HUB Musical.
The evening was lit up by multicolored "finger lights," which were given to everyone who entered the auditorium. A special and moving tribute to Whit-ney Houston was the show's finale, bringing the annual event to a close. It was a great night for a great cause.
A Look At Campus Dining By Steven Sandblom, director of campus dining
At the end of any academic year, it is natural to take some time and reflect
on the year's accomplishments. This year is no exception for Campus Dining which opened two successful new operations, Starbucks We Proudly Serve at the Yena Center and the Liberty Market in the Friedman Building. As a We Proudly Serve (WPS), at the Starbucks location, JWU can also serve all homemade pastries and local baked goods in addition to the Starbucks beverages that have been so popular on campus. Liberty Market is the new re-invention of Campus Con-venience. While many of the same go-to items are offered, this new venue provide an opportunity to incorporate sushi, fresh produce and many international foods.
With those two operations up and running, Campus Dining can now focus on two new projects. Harbor View dining center is in the planning stages of a major renovation. In addition to a new dining venue for students and staff, a savory
commissary, a bakery commissary and a catering kitchen, the renovation will also include much needed function space. Similarly, Weybosset Street Caf e will also experience some changes with the hope of providing comfortable lounge space for students to meet and grab some conve-nience items at the same time. Campus Dining continually strives to improve the student experience. For many, this means knowing the nutritional information of the food served. A new plan is underway to provide at least some of that informa-tion for fall 2012. This much needed project will enhance and inform the dining experience for all.
As this academic year comes to a close, it is clear to see that Campus Dining has a busy summer ahead preparing for the new year. Red Sauce, Snowden, and all three Starbucks will be open this summer. Stop in for a meal or a quick beverage. The staff will always be happy to see you!
JWU Commencement2012On May 17, the Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate School celebrat-ed its 26th commencement exercises and on May 19, the undergraduate colleges celebrated their 98th commencement exercises.
Did you know...
• more than 9,500 parents,
guardians, friends and family
members attended the morning
commencement ceremony on May
19 and more than 7,500 gathered
for the afternoon ceremony?
• 155 staff provided more than
1,162 combined hours of on-site
assistance for the three
commencement ceremonies?
• JWU prints 2,600 programs
for the Alan Shawn Feinstein
Graduate School ceremony and
15,000 programs for the
undergraduate ceremonies?
• that through the live web-stream
via the Athletics website, 683
people watched the Graduate
School ceremony, 921 watched
the Hospitality and Culinary
ceremony and 412 watched
the Business and Technology
ceremony?
• each student that attends
commencement receives a free 5x7
photo if they fill out an information
card the day of Commencement?
• the Dunkin Donuts Center is
booked through 2017 for our
undergraduate commencement
ceremonies?
• there is no guarantee on reserv-
ing the location for the Graduate
School ceremony until PPAC final-
izes its show schedule for the year?
John Parente: Doing the Right Thing All the Time
The long time face of Johnson & Wales University Athletics, John Parente, began his
career at JWU in 1995 when he was named the sports information director. He rose through the ranks to become the institution's director of athletics in 2001
and added the title of executive director of athletics in 2011. He served for four years as the commissioner of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) from 2006-2009. He was named the GNAC Executive of the Year in 2011 after guiding the department to the Commissioner's Cup on the men's and women's side, the first time in conference history for this accomplishment.
Under his leadership Athletics has been extremely successful with 29 conference championships and 20 NCAA appearances. His mantra, "Do the Right Thing," is the department's cornerstone and is best exemplified by the accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and within the community. A member of the American Legion Executive Board since 1986, Parente was inducted into the Rhode Island High School Baseball Hall of Fame in June, 2004, and has been a part of two national youth baseball governing boards. He is a member of both the West Warwick High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Rhode Island American Legion Hall of Fame and the Words Unlimited Hall of Fame.
As was recently announced to the university community, Par-ente will be transitioning from his role as executive director of athletics in July. JWU has truly been fortunate to have such a dedicated leader and both our athletic programs and the university as a whole has benefited from working with him.
JWU Wrestling Squad in Top-Three Academic TeamThe Johnson & Wales University
wrestling squad recorded a team grade-point average of 3.462 this season which ranked them third amongst NCAA Division III Wres-tling Programs. It marks the third straight year that the Wildcats have been in the top-five nationally for team GPA.
JWU, the defending 2011 National GPA Champions, were honored at the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Associa-tion Championship and Hall of Fame Banquet, held at the University of Wisconsin-LA Crosse Center on Thursday, March 8.
To be awarded this honor, teams must meet criteria according to the NWCA (from its 2011 news release on the academic awards). The team GPA is calculated as an average of the top 10 students on each team. At least six of the 10 chosen must have competed in the NCAA qualifying tournament, while the other athletes must have competed in at least 50 percent of the teams scheduled contests.
"We are so proud of our team with their academic success" said Associate Head Coach Brian Allen. "The coaching staff at Johnson & Wales has made a committed effort to not only produce the top wrestlers in the nation, but to produce the finest
student-athletes." There was also individual success as senior captain John Do-
naleski (Belleville, N.J.) and junior Joseph Pronk (Mansfield, M.A.) were also named Academic All-Americans. Donaleski, a two-time Academic All-American and Pronk are the 20th and 21st Academic All-Americans in the programs history.
Senior Capt. John Donaleski Junior Joseph Pronk
John Parente and Jamie Marcoux at the 2012 JWU Athletics Hall of
Fame Banquet where John was inducted into the Hall.
Welcome to JWUAthletics • Arianna Dolock, head women’s volleyball coach • Dave Kulik, head men's soccer coach• Numar Lopez, head women's soccer coach
New Student Orientation • Luke Akers, NODA intern student programs• Kate Wasserman, NODA intern parent programs • Kaitlin Winters, NODA intern operations
Campus HappeningsAthletics (Season Openers)• Fall teams return to campus on Aug.18 • Cross Country Saturday, Sept. 8
at Roger Williams Invitational• Women’s Tennis Tuesday, Sept. 4 at Bridgewater State Thursday, Sept. 6-Home Opener vs. Curry• Women’s Volleyball Friday, Aug. 31-Saturday, Sept. 1 at Western Connecticut State Friday, Sept. 7-Saturday, Sept. 8 Home Opener Host JWU Invitational• Women’s Soccer Friday, Aug. 31-Saturday, Sept. 1
at RPI Invitational Wednesday, Sept. 12
Home Opener vs. Emerson• Men's Soccer Saturday, Sept. 1
Home Opener vs. Eastern Nazarene
International Student Services• RISD Museum, June 29 at 10 a.m. Come visit the art museum at one of the nation's most highly regarded design schools, Rhode Island School of Design, $5 per person.• Waterfire, July 21 Join the I-Club to enjoy the lovely views of the river as artists set a series of 100 bonfires that pass through the rivers downtown. We will meet at Gaebe Commons at 7:45 p.m. and go to the river together.• Culinary Arts Museum, July 27 We will meet at Gaebe Commons at 10 a.m. for a taste of one of JWU's most popular majors.
New Student Orientation
• Summer Orientation dates Session I: Monday, June 18-Tuesday, June 19 Session II: Thursday, June 21-Friday, June 22 Session III: Monday, June 25-Tuesday, June 26 Session IV: Thursday, June 28-Friday, June 29 Session V: Monday, July 9-Tuesday, July 10 Session VI: Thursday, July 12-Friday, July 13 Session VII: Monday, July 16-Tuesday, July 17 Session VIII: Thursday, July 19-Friday, July 20 Session IX: Monday, July 23-Tuesday, July 24 Session X: Thursday, July 26-Friday, July 27 Session XI: Monday, July 30-Tuesday, July 31
• First Year Experience (www.jwu.edu/Event/Providence/Orientation)
Find Your Place: Providence Aug. 29-Sept. 2Criminal Justice in R.I., Aug.31-Sept. 2Designing Providence, Aug. 31-Sept. 2Chef's Choice, Aug.31-Sept. 2Newport or Bust, Aug. 31-Sept. 2Retail in R.I., Aug. 31-Sept. 2
Residential Life• RD Training: July 9-12• GA Training: July 30-Aug. 3• HRA Training: Aug. 6-10• RA Move-in: Aug. 11• RA Training: Aug. 12-20• FDM Training: Aug. 20-22• RA In-Hall Prep/Training: Aug. 21-31• New Culinary Student Move-in: Sept. 1• New Business/Hosp/Tech Student Move-in: Sept. 2• Returning Student Move-in: Sept. 3 Student Activities• Student Activities Fair, Monday, Sept. 3 6-9 p.m., Gaebe Commons• Family Weekend, Oct. 12-14 Student Conduct• Panelist and Advisor Training-Early Sept.•Student Financial Services• Freshman Student Payment Deadline: July 20• Returning Student Payment Deadline: Aug. 10
Spotlight on... Curriculum/Graduation Team By Diane Riccitelli, student services training coordinator
If there was ever a category for “unsung hero” at JWU, the Curriculum/Graduation team in Student Academic Services would surely receive a nomination. Their contribution
to our students’ success is significant, yet unknown to many. This team, led by Cheryl Shatz, university curriculum coordinator, is involved in the curriculum process from the initial stages when faculty propose ideas to the final approval from the University Dean’s committee. The seamless transition of approved curriculum decisions to our students is managed by this team for all campuses via the student’s degree audit in the Grad Planning System|GPS.
GPS is designed to assist students in planning and tracking academic progress towards graduation. The Curriculum/Graduation team uses their system and curriculum knowledge, along with brainstorming sessions, to create a user-friendly degree audit, ensuring students are aware of all academic requirements, options and opportunities for their program. The team’s work assists academic counselors, faculty advisors, department chairs and others who provide academic advising. This combined effort aides with retention and helps students maintain satisfactory academic progress. The team’s involvement in curriculum management will also support the innovative program development initiative of 2017 Centennial Plan.
Another core responsibility is graduation processing for the Providence
Campus. Student degree audits are reviewed approximately one month prior to the term in which students are expected to graduate. By auditing records for expected graduates during the term, the team communicates with students guiding them in what they need to do to stay on track for graduation. Additionally, four weeks into the term in which they are expect-ed to graduate, students are notified of their completion status. After a term ends, and upon final review of degree audits, the team closes-out graduates and orders diplomas. In fact, the closing out of spring graduates is underway right now.
In 2012-2013, this group will also play a role in finalizing the implementation of Courseleaf. With this online catalog management system, curriculum will be proposed, monitored and approved online by members of the college and university curriculum teams.
When you hear about new academic programs being implemented, students understanding what courses to take and graduates receiving diplomas think of this group of dedicated individuals and take a minute to thank:
4,000Number of curriculum requirement blocks (areas) for degree audits man-aged within the five campus' systems
900Number of courses maintained in Banner Catalog
7,000+Number of audits reviewed for graduation annually by the Providence team
2,324Number of degrees awarded in 2011-2012: •AS248 •BS1687 •M.A.T17 •MBA346 •M.Ed.4 •Ed.D.22
_____________________
Did You Know...• Commencement and
graduation are not the same thing?
• Graduation refers to a student having completed all program requirements? (A student's graduation date refers to the term in which those programs were completed)
• Commencement is the cer-emony in which degrees are conferred?
• Diplomas are awarded once it has been determined that students have completed all program requirements and cleared any holds on their account?
Student Conduct By The Numb3rs*Conduct hearings are still underway so current year stats are not available
1,226Number of conduct hearings at the Providence Campus AY 2010-2011
306.5Average number of hearings per Conduct hearing officer annually (when fully staffed)
1: 8.95Ratio of conduct hearings to student population at the Providence Campus
101Number of 2010-2011 Providence Campus suspensions 20Number of 2010-2011 Providence dismissals from the university
11.2%Estimated percentage of Providence students on Providence Campus who have been involved in the conduct process
_____________________
Did You Know...
Student Conduct
• works with Student Activities to provide a process for student orga-nizations (e.g. fraternities, sororities, or clubs) that have violated the JWU Student Code of Conduct?
• relies on a team of volunteers throughout the university to help them fairly adjudicate any violation of the code that could result in suspension
• leads a peer meditation program to foster greater civility on campus
Spotlight on... Student Conduct
By Korina Ramsland, director of gender equity center
Student Conduct is not a place most students wish to visit. Director, Chris Zacharda, Ed.D., jokes that, “although we have a mean reputation, we are really nice people, and constantly
looking for ways to improve our services.”
Along with Zarchada, Joyce Motta, Sheree Bowker, Betsy Gray, briana Sevigny, and Jeff Hill comprise the Conduct team. They work to help students explore outcomes of their behavior through preventative training. Additionally, they provide educational programming and mediation services for students, case consultation with staff, faculty and parents, and enforce the standards set by the Student Code of Conduct through the hearing process. The team works to foster an educational environment by upholding standards that contribute to a community in which learning can thrive and also holds students accountable when the choices
they make have negative impacts. Contributing to the goal of
Strengthening Student Engagement as part of the 2017 Centennial Plan, Stu-dent Conduct helps students explore what it means to be a contributing citizen and understand the personal impact of their choices. JWU's student conduct process is based on a develop-mental, rather than a punitive model. This developmental model enables the Conduct team to speak with students, and ask questions that can influence at-titudes and subsequent behavior: helping them make better decisions in the future.
Unfortunately, a common part of Student Conduct is adjudication of conduct violations. If a case moves to a panel hearing, then the department depends on employees from throughout the university to assist them.
Over the next year, Conduct plans to explore trends and patterns of student behavior, work with other area institutions to develop mentoring and internship programs for JWU students and graduate students in higher education, and expand their mediation program. These initiatives will promote students developing skills necessary to effectively and respectfully resolve conflict, embrace JWU community standards, and foster institutional pride through student engagement.
YOU can volunteer to be a Conduct Panelist. Talk to your manager and contact Jeff Hill ([email protected]) to
inquire about training.
What is an Exit Interview?
By Joelle Perrone, student loan default coordinator
An exit interview is a loan counseling session mandat-ed by the Department of Education. During the interview, student borrowers are made aware of their Rights and Responsibilities of borrowing loans, their total loan debt and the importance of repaying their loans and protecting their credit.
Student Financial Services (SFS) staff work with students individually in the computer lab, both Downcity and at Harborside, to conduct these sessions over a two week period. The individual attention that each student bor-rower receives helps them prepare for repayment on their Federal loans and understand their repayment obliga-tions. In order to receive a cap and gown for the Com-mencement ceremony, students must complete their exit interview.
SFS has conducted more than 1,948 exit interviews for students graduating in winter and spring.
iGrad...Now Available!
By Lynn Robinson director of academic & financial services
iGrad is an interactive Financial Literacy tool. Imple-mented on June 1, this on-line product offers videos, articles, and games to engage students and help them better understand the student loan process, credit and how to prepare for the future.
Please encourage all students that work in or visit your department to log on to iGrad via jwuLink and have some fun while learning about these very important topics.
iGrad is also a great tool for employees! We all can utilize the Investing module to help plan for our retire-ment too.
Check it out at igrad.com/schools/jwu
Wildcat Wahoo 2012By Meagan Sage, associate director of student activities
As we come to the end of another year, Student Activities and the University Involvement Board are proud to reflect on another successful Wildcat Wahoo.
Wahoo is a tradition on campus that is known by many, but has taken different shape over the years. It began in 1988 as the "Griffin Getdown." At that time, the event was mostly concentrated on the concert (the first year featured artist Meatloaf ), with food and some games.
This year's Wildcat Wahoo consisted of three parts: the Wahoo Carnival, Wahoo 3K and Wahoo Concert, all three of which drew different audiences.
The Wahoo Carnival took place on Saturday, May 5 from 2-8 p.m. on the Harborside Campus. Featuring rides, games, food, music novelties, and more, this event drew more than 3,800 students, faculty, and staff (higher attendance than last year and with more students attending than guests).
Despite the rainy morning, the JWU community came out for this tradition and enjoyed unlimited rides on the Zipper, Gravitron and YoYo Swings. Those who entered the carnival were given tickets for free refreshments including beverages provided by Pepsi, and traditional carnival snacks. Attendees were also given tickets for a number of novelty programs, and could choose from airbrush tattoos, photo magnets, airbrushed pennants, spin art Frisbees, or shutter shades, as well as the opportunity to win some great prizes.
A new perk of this year's Wahoo carnival was the addition of several local food trucks, including Rochet Food truck, Fancheezical Grilled Cheese truck, Bravo Wood Grilled Pizza and Mama Kim's Korean BBQ truck. While this food was not free, it was a huge success. All four trucks reported having a great experience and agreed that they would return again next year.
On Sunday, May 6, the University Involvement Board (UIB) hosted the first annual Wahoo 3K Run/Walk. The UIB worked collaboratively with Professor Kathy Drohan and
the SEE department to plan this event. UIB was pleased to have 130 participants registered for the race, a great turnout for the first year. Proceeds from the entry fees were donated to sending local children to Camp Ramsbottom. The winners of the first annual Wahoo 3K, and winners of $100 VISA gift cards were: Patrick Leary, assistant professor in The Hospitality College; Candace Denning, associate director of residential education; and students Laura Furfaro and Grant Gaydos.
Wahoo Weekend culminated with the Wahoo Concert, featuring hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco, on Sunday, May 6 with more than 1,200 attending. Those in attendance reported that this was one of the best performances JWU has hosted for the Wahoo Concert in years. With a full band, and an incredibly high-energy show, Lupe Fiasco put on a great performance, leaving students dancing, cheering, and having a great time.
Student Activities launched a survey to Wahoo Carnival and Concert attendees to gauge satisfaction with the programs and views on the importance of Wahoo as a tradition at JWU. The feedback has been very positive. UIB and Student Activities are proud to have hosted another successful Wildcat Wahoo weekend and look forward to continuing the tradition in the future. See you there next year!
JWU works to Combat Substance AbuseBy Catherine Calise, LICSW, AOD specialist, counseling services
Sometimes it is easy to expect students to either act like adults or treat them as
the children they no longer are. Research shows that the brain continues to develop throughout adolescence and into the early 20s, affecting judgment and decision making (Winters, 2008). University life provides students with opportunities for cognitive development and continuing learning outside the classroom. Decisions students make regarding alcohol and other drug (AOD) use also have a lasting impact on their personal development and their developing brain.
The same curiosity and experimentation that drives academic suc-cess can also lead a student to AOD use. Drugs and alcohol disturb the brain’s communication system and interfere with the way nerve cells send, receive and process
information. Alcohol and Other Drugs can mimic naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, which leads to abnormal messages being transmitted (NIDA, 2010). AOD use may also have adverse and long-term effects on the natural maturation of students’ brains.
Drugs stimulate the area of the brain that produces pleasure (also known as dopa-mine). Despite the risks associ-ated with drug use, the pleasure
response is real; when something makes us feel good we want to keep doing it. Eventually, due to the drug’s interference with the brain’s natural activity, more of the drug is needed to affect a pleasure response, leading to the cycle of addiction and building a tolerance for the drug. Students who currently abuse drugs do have the potential to avoid permanent damage to their brain if they reduce or abstain from use.
JWU Counseling Services added a licensed counselor as the new AOD specialist in August 2011 to help support students struggling with addiction. Alcohol Screenings are offered for students several times throughout the year along with various education programs and workshops held in the residence halls. All incoming
students are required to take the online AlcoholEdu course which is designed to challenge students' expectations about alcohol while encouraging them to make healthy and safe decisions. However, studies suggest that the most effective way to curb problem drinking is to offer alternative late night events. Student Activities, Health Services, residential staff and other departments already offer an array of alcohol-free programming which helps to replace problem behaviors, like pre-gaming (drinking alcoholic beverages before going out) and binge drinking, without students realizing that the part of the program’s goal is to limit his or her exposure to alcohol.
Be on the lookout for the new alcohol social norms campaign, promoting the fact that not all students take part in excessive alcohol and drug activity, rolling out this Fall! To learn more or if you need to make a referral for a student please contact Counseling Services at 401-598-1016.
National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2010, August).
Drugs, brains and behavior: the science of addiction.
Retrieved on April 24, 2012, from www.drugabuse.gov/
publications/science-addiction/drugs-brain
Winters, K.C. (2008, June). Adolescent brain &
drug abuse. Retrieved on April 24, 2012, from www.
tresearch.org/adolescents/NewTeenBrainWriteup.pdf
Changes to the Student Health Insurance PlanBy Kris McNamara, director of student communications
University policy states that all registered, undergraduate day students, both domestic and international, and all international gradu-ate and doctoral students attending Johnson & Wales University are required to have health insurance coverage that is accepted in the
United States. Students who are required to have health insurance and have coverage through another means (i.e. parent’s health insurance or an employer program) may opt out of/waive the university’s plan. With the waiver option, students no longer have to pay for the university insurance if they are covered through another option.
Students who are required to have health insurance are charged for it. If they do not need the university plan, they can complete the waiver on the University Health Plans (UHP) website (www.universityhealthplans.com/). If students do not waive the insurance by the deadline, then the charge will remain and they will be enrolled in the plan for the year.
Employees can also access the UHP website to learn more details about plan coverage and access the university’s FAQs.
