Can Summer be Far Away?

With the winter (hopefully) behind us and the onset of our annual commencement ceremonies in the not too

distant future, my thoughts turn to spring. My ideal seasons are spring and summer and this time of the year does bring with it new hope and an optimistic perspective for renewal as we look forward to longer days and warmer weather. For our students, many are in the throes of transition and indecision as

some will graduate, some considering major changes and some wondering as to whether they will be able to continue their education for various academic, financial, and other personal reasons. It becomes essential for all of us in Student Services to be mindful of these pivotal times in a student's life when our supportive counsel and sensitivity mean a tremendous amount as they grapple with such life altering decisions.

Many of us can look back and view our younger years as one of the most enjoyable and introspective times. As we know from our daily interactions with students, this may not be the case as they are experiencing academic pressures, relationship issues, financial concerns and their own identity. During this third term, I hope you will join with me as we renew our commitment and extend our efforts to insure that we are there to support students; understanding that our role can be instrumental in giving them the encouragement to pursue their dreams and exceed their expectations.

I paraphrase the Gerber Baby Foods slogan"...Students are our business, our only business..." and their success equals our success. I wish you all the best that the spring term has to offer.

Warm Regards,

Ron Martel, Ph.D. Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Collaborations

Student Conduct is reaching out to

other local colleges and universities

as part of a collaborative effort to

strengthen community affiliations.

The team recently met with the

student affairs staff from

Providence College to share ideas

and give feedback regarding

community service initiatives,

conduct hearing processes,

strategies for staying connected

with students, and much more.

These relationships with other

local institutions will strengthen the

services Student Conduct provides

encouraging students to become

contributing members in their

respective communities.

SPRING 2013NEWS FOR STUDENT SERVICES: Auxiliary Services, Facilities, Institutional Research, International Center, Student Academic & Financial Services, Student Affairs, and Student Communications

Connections

JWU GRAPHIC DESIGN BROCHUREby Alicia Newton, social media coordinator, Admissions Marketing

Admissions Marketing partnered with the School of Technology to promote select programs in the School of Technology. One of the projects, a digital brochure highlighting Graphic Design & Digital Media programming students and their projects, was designed by Diandra Sarno, a graphic design student and office assistant in Admissions. Kudos to Diandra and our technology students!Check it out at http://issuu.com/johnsonandwales/docs/jwu_graphic_design/1

Spotlight on.... Facilities Grounds Crew by Kris McNamara, director of student communications

Quick Facts:• 50 facilities team members stayed on campus

throughout the storm.

• Snow removal is completed in a priority order: residence halls, dining centers, Campus Safety & Security, acaemic buildings, and then administrative buildings.

• Facilities team members stayed in residence halls so they could work throughout the storm to keep external doorways and landings shoveled due to safety concerns.

• The biggest snow issue - where to put it! Outside contractors were on hand with heavy equipment to move snow to empty lots and other unused locations. Most snow on the Downcity campus had to be "trucked out" to Harborside.

• During the height of the storm on Friday, on the Harborside Campus, East, West and South Halls, the Wildcat Center and the Harborside Academic Center lost power. It did not come back on until Sunday night.

• JWU electricians actually chased down and stopped a National Grid truck to explain the issue on the Harborside campus and show them where it needed to be fixed. Once National Grid started the fix, it only took 30 minutes.

• Ocean State cleaners stayed in residence halls throughout the storm to keep common spaces clean.

• The wind was so strong, that the second-level, covered parking deck at Renaissance Hall had to be plowed due to all the snow blown into it.

• When clearing snow on the Downcity campus, the crews often clear sidewalks of non-JWU property in order for students to move safely around the city.

For many, a “snow day” brings thoughts of hot chocolate, sledding and comfort food. For some at JWU, however, thoughts turn to packing an overnight bag, stocking up on snacks

and preparing to be away from home. Recently, Kenny Crim (warehouse supervisor), Frank DeCosta (interim facilities operations director), Tony Enos (Harborside Campus property manager), Joe Scarcella (automotive services manager) and Norm Scherza (grounds crew supervisor) met to talk about their teams’ work during the February blizzard.

Preparing three days in advance, vehicles and equipment were checked and readied, supplies, gas and equipment were stationed at various points across the campuses for easy access, portable signage, flags and stanchions were removed and outside contractors were reserved for after storm cleanup. When it came time to ask for staff to remain on campus, DeCosta explained, “Those that could, did. 95% of the guys were able to stay; they just stepped up. When you think about being away from their homes and families, it says a lot about commitment.”

The crews remained out in the storm on the first night shoveling and plowing, only coming in between midnight and 2 a.m. when whiteout conditions hit. They slept throughout campus in residence halls and on cots in various locations. At 5 a.m. on Saturday, the teams were back out removing snow. Keeping equipment going throughout constant, heavy usage was difficult. Scarcella (who the team called the “MacGyver” of equipment repair) and his team worked hard to keep plows and equipment running. By later Sunday afternoon, enough had been completed that the teams could finally go home. As Scherza said, “Bottom line, they work hard because they want to get it done quickly. But, once they were done, they all had to go home and work on their own houses, still shoveling and removing snow and many had no heat or electricity.” The entire department reported to work Monday morning to continue the clean-up.

Each of these managers talked about the teamwork that was needed throughout the event. Beyond their own department, they mentioned working closely with Captain Sexton and Lieutenant DuPerry in Campus Safety & Security, Steve Sandblom in Campus Dining and all of the Residential Life staff. As DeCosta said, “Something that’s this large, you can’t get it done alone. You have to work together for the students to have the best possible experience.”

Pictured left to right: Joe Scarcella, Tony Enos, Kenny Crim, Frank DeCosta and Norm Scherza

It Takes a Village!In addition to Facilities, Residential Life staff (including RA's, RD's and Central Office) worked through the day and night to ensure

students had adequate resources available to them, as well as, activities and programs such as game nights, snowman building and movie viewings. When some buildings lost power, they kept students calm and safe, staffing the Friedman Center from Saturday evening to Sunday, where students could have access to heat and power. Residential Life staff worked with Campus Dining to provide food to buildings where students were unable to travel to dining halls.

Athletics did plenty of preliminary planning to cover all bases before the storm hit. Wales Fitness Center opened on Sunday thanks to Willie Edwards, fitness center director. Campus Safety & Security provided an escort for Willie to get to the fitness center and back home again. Willie was joined by two other dedicated staff members, Carlo Acquisto and Matthew Roche, who ensured that staff was available to safely open the fitness centers and gymnasiums to provide as many activities as possible for students.

Check out "By The Numb3rs" for Campus Dining statistics during Blizzard Nemo

Spotlight on ... @JWUDerekandSierra Student Communications by Diane Riccitelli, student services training coordinator

Student CommunicationsBy the Numb3rs

52:Average number of students celebrating a birthday each day

2,236:Number of happy birthday greetings sent to students since 2/4/2013

18,980:Number of projected birthday greetings each year

2770:Number of JWU Twitter followers

218:Number of JWU Tumblr followers

867:Number of JWU Instagram followers

"Creative, friendly, tons of energy, the “go to” people who know everything about JWU

and what’s happening around town”

These are words colleagues use to describe Student Communications Specialist, Derek Lavoie and Student Services

Social Media Coordinator, Sierra Barter. They can usually be found in the Richmond Building meeting with students, focused on their laptops or sitting on their exercise balls brainstorming an upcoming project. In addition to an office, they share the same enthusiastic and creative approach to work. When asked about the services that have them in such high demand, Barter explains that“individuals and departments who don’t have the tools or resources to reach a target audience can ask Student Communications for help.”

This team’s work can generally be separated into two categories: functional and operational notifications about student status and reminders, and general notices about campus happenings, fun facts and the latest news. Regardless, they work hard to analyze content and maximize delivery methods. They discuss and consider a wide variety of tools that include Wildcat email, jwuLink, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram or Vine. Barter states, “It is important to use more than one medium; everyone is different and checks one more frequently than another.”

Some of the campaigns that Derek and Sierra have worked on include JWU Goes Global, Wildcat Chats with President Runey and JWU Votes. They collaborate with groups such as Student Government, Campus Dining, Athletics, the University Involvement Board and Student Activities to help promote events. In addition, Barter spends time every day searching out JWU mentions in social media and working to raise JWU’s profile through retweets and conversations with such groups as Governor Chaffee’s office, Mayor Taveras’ office and national accounts like The X Factor and Start-Up America.

This academic year, they worked on two significant efforts: an inventory page of various JWU social media sites and a welcome video for new students. @JWU Social Media is a web resource that was developed for students, a place they can go to learn about available JWU social media sites. Primarily accessed via jwuLink, it can also be found through the JWU mobile app, various Facebook pages and directly at http://linkweb.jwu.edu/social/index.aspx?campus=pvd&view=component. Collaborating with Residential Life and Student Activities, the 2012 Wildcat Welcome video captured current students and staff giving practical and fun advice to new students. For Lavoie, this project stands out “It was lots of fun and zero budget. It was a great group effort and can be used for a few years.”

The team tries hard to focus on the “fun” side of things, knowing it will have a big impact on student engagement. Most recently, Lavoie developed personalized, email greetings to students on their birthday. In addition, they have created a series of Twitter announcements focusing on the lighter side of life. January’s “Global Belly Laugh Day” and February’s Groundhog Day postings garnered a lot of traffic and retweets from students.

The university is fortunate to have two talented and unique individuals in Derek and Sierra. They are passionate about their work and understand how important it is to the student experience. Lavoie sums it up best saying, “I feel fortunate to be in this area because I have the opportunity to connect with other areas. But, you don’t always need to know exactly what is happening in a department – just check their Facebook or Twitter pages. Knowing more is going to help you help students.”

Follow @JWUProvidence on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook!

Kathy DeCotis, director of auxiliary services training

The Teaching Assistant (TA) program provides opportunities for eligible students to work for JWU Auxiliary Services while

pursuing their degree. Through this program, students earn an hourly wage in addition to receiving a tuition scholarship while gaining valuable, hands-on work experience. TAs provide support for supervisors to help ensure the delivery of high quality service and products at the university’s hotels, restaurants, foodservice and retail operations. They also work closely with internship students, providing instruction, demonstrating techniques and answering questions, and are responsible for assessing a student’s progress and providing input into the student evaluation process.

Teaching Assistants, depending on their program, are placed in many sites at the Radisson Hotel, including various kitchen and dining room food & beverage positions, front desk rotations, housekeeping, night audit and guest services and reservations. Campus Dining utilizes TAs in several locations with experiences in kitchen rotations, bakeshop, purchasing and retails sales. The three Starbucks locations, Liberty Market and the university’s bakeshop commissary also employ these students. Although not part of Auxiliary Services, the Harborside campus is also staffed by TAs working in the Culinary Storeroom and Culinary Events departments.

Students must meet rigorous requirements to apply for the program; selected applicants then participate in a competitive interview process before final selections are made. With opportunities available for both domestic and international students, the Teaching Assistant program is a great way for students to gain experience and hone their skills while finishing their degree program.

JWU Invites Students to Share Their Opinion Eileen Richardson, institutional research analyst

On behalf of JWU, Institutional Research (IR) is once again managing the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE). This gives JWU the opportunity to learn more about student feelings regarding their experiences here. Some topics that questions cover include how students interact with faculty outside of the classroom, how much time students have to memorize facts vs. discussing ideas and their thoughts regarding a feeling of community on campus.

The survey results will help JWU improve curriculum and the student life experience. In the past, JWU used NSSE results to help inform retention efforts and adjust various interactions and student processes.

Not all students are invited to participate; the invitation was sent to a specific group across the four campuses. Students have until the end of May to participate. Those selected will receive reminders in the coming months asking them to complete the survey. Once complete, it will take some time for the

results to be provided to the university and then for IR and administration to review and analyze them. Stay tuned to future issues for more information regarding what students shared.

Johnson & Wales University Auxiliary Services Teaching Assistant Program

Pictured L to R: Eamonn Byrnes, student trainee, and Miriah Perez,

teaching assistant.

Shining Stars JWU's Liberty Market

Wildcat Care Packages

JWU care packages are a perfect gift for any occasion.

If you’re a parent or staff member looking to send a birthday basket (complete with a cake baked by JWU’s own culinary stars) or a "pick me up” or "congratulations” to a colleague, Liberty Market has it.

Care package options cover everything from birthdays, laundry essentials, healthy choices and balloon and flower bouquets. See the full brochure at www.jwu.edu/providence/dining/. Items vary depending on availability.

Call Liberty Market (401-598-3422) for more details.

During the December Holiday Break, a member of the JWU community, Professor Susan J. (Rosbottom) Cox from the Marketing department, passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. Sadly, Susan left behind an eight-year old daughter, Alexandra. After hearing the news and learning of a trust fund established for Alexandra, Student Academic and Financial Services (SAFS) immediately responded. Representing many team members, Maureen Coutu, academic counselor, proposed that the department's dress down collection be earmarked for this worthy cause.

Through the Dress Down Fund, managed by Gloria Ormonde and JoAnne Lefrancois, SAFS allows employees the opportunity to dress down on Fridays for a $2 donation. The money collected is given to various causes or charities throughout the year, many based on team member suggestions.

The collection for the Susan Joan Cox Revocable Trust took place over a three-week period with more than half of the team making donations over $2; some were as high as $20. A total of $450 was collected. Kudos to SAFS for helping a member of the JWU family and making a difference through donations to individuals and organizations in need.

Anyone interested in donating to this particular trust fund can make a check payable to "The Susan Joan Cox Revocable Trust" and send it to: The Susan Joan Cox Revocable Trust, c/o Corrigan Financial Inc., 747 Acquidneck Ave., Middletown, RI 02842.

__________________________________________________________________

Kudos to SAFS for Charitable Work!

"Tag Your Greens"Tarah Warner, nutritional analyst,

Campus Dining

Throughout March, Campus Dining featured a nutritional challenge in celebration of National Nutrition Month.

Salad lovers were encouraged to build their own salad at the salad bars at Snowden, Market Place, or Harborview, snap a picture of that creation and post it to the Campus Dining Facebook page or Twitter along with a brief description of ingredients. The salad creation with the most “Likes” or “Favorites” would win a Fruit Basket, created by Campus Dining chefs.

Pictured: JWU student, Amy Ryan winner of challenge

Recruiting Stronger Graduate School Candidates Ken DiSaia, senior vice president of enrollment management

Throughout FOCUS 2011, Johnson & Wales University made a strong commitment to increase undergraduate admissions standards, with the goal of increasing retention

and ultimately, graduation rates. By the end of FOCUS 2011, a record retention rate of 74.5% was achieved through the efforts of Academics, Student Services, Admissions and many other university departments.

During the last strategic plan, it was the goal to maintain enrollments in the Graduate School. When creating strategies for 2017: The Centennial Plan, the university decided to not only increase Grad School enrollments from 1,000 to 1,300, but to focus on recruiting stronger academically-prepared candidates. Prior to setting new admissions standards, additional data will be collected from Grad School applicants.

Currently, only the students' GPA and letter of recommendation are considered in the admissions decision. A model under consideration goes beyond these two variables and may consider things such as the institution where a student completed an undergraduate degree, grades in certain courses (i.e., Math), as well as their GMAT or GRE scores. Other decisions which the Strategic Enrollment Team has made in the short-term include not considering applicants for admission who have a GPA below 2.85, unless they submit scores which are greater than 450 on the GMAT or 146 on the GRE. If JWU introduces any new programs within the Grad School, students will be required to demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA to be considered for admission to them.

In an effort to recruit more JWU graduates, Admissions is developing strategies to increase enrollments in JWU's 4+1 program, through which students receive both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years. Admissions has a goal to increase enrollments in this program to 60 students in September 2013 from a current enrollment of 20 students.

A great deal of work still needs to be completed to meet the objectives of 2017: The Centennial Plan. As Admissions continues their work developing strategies for Graduate School enrollment, they will call upon colleagues from across the university to help accomplish these objectives.

Peer Mediators Claire K. Hall, J.D.,

director of student conduct

Recently, the Peer Mediators of Johnson & Wales University (PMJWU) completed a 12-hour training to prepare them to begin their work. The goal of the Peer Mediation program is to provide a safe space for students to resolve interpersonal conflict. Peer Mediators also work proactively to help students avoid conflict through educational programming. One aspect of PMJWU is that students acquire life-long skills for conflict resolution, learning to articulate concerns relating to the conflict at hand as well as acknowledging the concerns of others and developing realistic solutions to conflict. Meanwhile, student mediators will be practicing their skills of identifying mutual concerns and empowering their peers to resolve their differences effectively. If you know a student who would benefit from either becoming a trained mediator or going through the mediation process to resolve a current conflict, please refer them to Betsy Gray in the Student Conduct office. Be on the lookout for upcoming programs hosted by the Peer Mediators!

JWU Intercollegiate Dressage Team Receives Award for Winning Nationals

Crystal Taylor, assistant professor, College of Business

On January 19, members of the JWU Intercollegiate Dressage Team attended the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Convention and received an intercollegiate award

for winning the IDA Nationals in April 2012. Coach Crystal Taylor and team members Tierney Hassell and Jessica Mitchell represented the JWU Intercollegiate Dressage team in Louisville, Kentucky.

The awards ceremony for collegiate athletes who competed and won at a Nationals level was held during the USEF board meeting. During that meeting, the JWU team met many board members and had the opportunity to speak with David O'Connor, USEF President from 2004-2012 and U.S. Olympic Event Coach.

After the awards presentation, the team attended a luncheon and was invited to the Black Tie Gala Dinner that evening. “This was a very impressive event to attend and it was great to meet and network with many influential equestrian members”, said Coach Taylor.

The JWU “100 Mile Club”, a 10-week challenge to students, faculty and staff to walk 100 miles, proved to be a great success in its first year. Sponsored by Athletics, over 200 participants took this step towards a healthier lifestyle. Participants received weekly email blasts with a “Tip of the Week”. The JWU Athletics website will soon contain archives of these training tips under the “Fitness Programs” section. Thank you to everyone who participated! Athletics hopes to repeat the program soon and encourages everyone to join the club.

In photo from left to right is Jessica Mitchell(Senior at JWU), Crystal Taylor(JWU

Faculty and Coach of Intercollegiate Dressage team), Chrystine Tauber (USEF

President) and Tierney Hassell(JWU Graduate 2012)

100 Mile Club Reception Party held on

Feb. 15, 2013 in the Wildcat Center

(pictured L to R: Ryan Shehan, Carlo

Acquisto, and Corey Owen)

Athletics Winter Academic Report Mel Graf, associate dean of athletics

• 148 out of 341 athletes made the dean's list

• 14 students had a perfect 4.0 GPA

• 14 teams had a GPA of 3.0 or above (a department record)

• Highest team GPA was Women's Tennis

SPRING INTRAMURALS ARE A HIT!

Intramurals are in full swing for the spring with the following leagues: Outdoor Soccer, Indoor Soccer, Floor Hockey, 5-on-5 Basketball, Flag Football and Ultimate Frisbee.

Although registration for spring is closed, keep an eye out for our fall calendar to be published on the JWU website at the end of the term.

National Student-Athlete Day On Friday, April 12, JWU will recognize student-athletes for their work in the classroom, on and off the courts and in the community. This marks the 26th celebration of National Student-Athlete Day. The NCCA created this day to recognize the "outstanding achievements of student-athletes nationwide and the positive role they play in society." NCAA and JWU honors student athletes who have earned at least a 3.0 GPA, and are actively involved in outreach and community service.

Fan in the Stands

Arianna Dolock, head women's volleyball coach, Athletics

Johnson & Wales Athletics is teaming up with the Special Olympics of Rhode Island, hosting an event at the Wildcat Center to raise awareness throughout the JWU community about Special Olympics. The mission is “to spread the word to end the R word.”

For the past ten years the Johnson & Wales Volleyball program has worked in conjunction with Special Olympics of Rhode Island to put on a six-week skill and tournament style program for their athletes and partners. This year, at the conclusion of the program, JWU will host an All-Star game and skills competition as well.

Each JWU athletic team has donated a gift or item to give away at the event. They have also constructed a game for students and anyone who comes to the event to play. By participating, they can win raffle tickets for some great prizes. Any JWU club, organization, team, or Greek that wants to become involved can “adopt a team.” By coming to the event wearing that team’s colors then cheering them on, each team will see their fans and feel support throughout the competition.

Fan-in-the-Stands t-shirts will be given to the first 200 JWU students attending and each Special Olympic athlete will be given a Wildcat water bottle. Other fun giveaways include lanyards, bracelets, buttons and stickers.

Come to the Wildcat Center on April 24 form 6-8pm to show your support for these great athletes!

JWU's 1st Annual Tailgate Party Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Attend JWU's first Annual Tailgate Party to be held at the new outdoor complex on the Harborside Campus. There will be an an ipad giveaway, t-shirts, personalized pennants, free hot dogs and refreshments.

Two JWU's Coaches Honored for Community Services by Dan Booth director of athletic communications

Johnson & Wales University head men’s basketball coach, Jamie Benton, and head women’s basketball coach, Corey Broillard, were recently honored for their work in the community. Benton and Broilard led a collection of men’s and women’s basketball players at the Feed 1,000 People event just prior to the December Holiday Break. The event's goal was to "Feed 1,000" people at the Rhode Island Convention Center. "Feed 1,000" is a developing non-profit organization founded by the owners of Pawtucket, RI based PMG, Inc.; i.e., Ray Jorgensen, Rich Santilli, and Robert Skeffington. The players donated their time to the event and helped collect warm coats, gloves, hats, scarves, toilet paper, baby wipes, chapstick and travel size toiletries to distribute the local community.

Four JWU Hockey Players Ink Professional Deals by Dan Booth, director of athletic communications

Four former Johnson & Wales University hockey standouts have inked professional deals since the completion of the 2012-13 season.

Goalie Matt Cooper (Perrysburg, Ohio) has signed with the Stockton Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League. Forward Danny Kaufman (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and defenseman Trevor Jewell (Muskegon, Mich.) signed with the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League while forward Jason Pietrasiak (Shrewsbury, Mass.) signed to play with the Augusta Riverhawks, also in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

JWU’s Colin Lenhardt Places Sixth, Earns All-American Honors At NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship by Dan Booth, director of athletic communications

JWU junior wrestling standout Colin Lenhardt notched a sixth-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championship, held at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena March 16-17. Lenhardt became the 11th All-American in the history of the JWU wrestling program. Competing at 184 pounds, he posted a 3-3 record for the championship.

JWU's Men's & Women's Basketball Team

JWU Hockey Goalie Matt Cooper

#6 - Colin Lenhardt, third from right

Students Take On the JWU Wellness Challenge

Colby Zongol, coordinator of health & wellness

Students from all over campus participated in Health Education’s pilot JWU Wellness Challenge. Running from September through January, it was a free wellness program

offered to students. Over the five-month period, students received information on nutrition, physical activity and other areas of wellness through bi-weekly module sessions consisting of a brief intervention, goal setting, a weekly curricula packet and tracking card, optional weigh in and health data collection and an incentive relevant to the week's topic. The program, aimed at all levels of fitness, provided opportunities to engage in the learned behaviors, such as workouts, relays, and other competitions.

Over 150 students participated in the pilot and self-reported positive results and behavior change. Almost 90% of participants reported achieving their personal wellness goal over the course of the program, and a majority of participants reported eating healthier, being more physically active, and becoming more knowledgeable about their personal health.

This successful program truly represented a collaboration among several departments, including Athletics, Campus Dining, Counseling Services and Residential Life. Additionally, students were able to make connections with health and wellness professionals from the surrounding community.

Next year’s JWU Wellness Challenge will once again launch in the Fall. At that time, be on the lookout for more information and recommend students make a truly positive change and take step toward a healthier lifestyle!

Spring Wellness Tips Colby Zongol, coordinator of health & wellness

Spring has just about sprung!

Here are two quick tips to keeping to feeling healthy and fit:

• The days are getting longer which means more hours of sunshine after work. Take advantage by taking a long walk or bike-ride in the afternoon to get your beach body into tip-top shape.

• Daylight savings time can sometimes throw off sleep schedules. Enhance the quality of sleep by winding down 1-2 hours before bedtime: do something relaxing like taking a hot bath, meditating, drinking decaffeinated tea or reading. Be sure to avoid electronics like a smarttphone, laptop, or TV at least an hour before sleep. Their light can actually trigger the brain to stay active and awake. For more tips on getting a quality night's sleep, visit http://www.cdc.gov/sleep.

JWU Spring 2013 Aerobics Classes are underway. Since the decision to offer classes free of charge, Athletics has seen unprecedented participation. Classes fill up quickly; Spin Classes accommodates nine participants on a first-come, first-served basis. New and ongoing aerobics classes are posted on jwuLink and JWU Providence Athletics Facebook. Hope to see you there.

Johnson & Wales University’s Providence Campus has 1,554 international students from 74 countries, with the most coming from China, South Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and

India. While this diversity brings a tremendous richness and depth to the community, differences in culture and language can sometimes create barriers and challenges when communicating. International Student Services recognizes and understands these challenges and has provided tips to help everyone improve interactions with international students.

1. Speak at a slower pace to allow time for students to translate and understand the words.

2. Pay attention to non-verbal communication such as, facial expressions and body language; these can often be as helpful as words to determine if the student understands.

3. Ask open-ended questions to facilitate better dialogues rather than questions that elicit a yes/no answer.

4. Avoid using slang or abbreviations. 5. Use written information and other visual aids to assist in explanations when

needed.6. Stay silent longer to allow the student time to think; remember not all cultures

embrace such quick responses as in the U.S. 7. Set assumptions and values aside and suspend judgment. Try to hear not just what

the student is saying but the meaning or intent as well. This may require asking a lot of questions. You will have more success in communicating if people know you are trying to understand them, rather than evaluate them.

8. Try to get confirmation from the student that you have been understood. Ask the student to re-state some of what you have said. Remember to avoid asking yes/no questions since most students will say “yes” even if they don’t understand.

9. After listening to the student, paraphrase or repeat back to the student what you heard or may have thought you heard. When the student confirms that you have heard him/her correctly should, continue with the conversation.

10. Be alert to different meanings the student assigns to certain words, phrases or actions. If you think you may have misunderstood what the student is saying as a result, stop your conversation and discuss any points of misunderstanding.

Communicating Across Cultures Katie Gilbertson, director of international student services

At YOUR ServiceCritical Moments of Service are Opportunities to Excel

The words vacation, tax refund, and candy

usually evoke pleasant thoughts. The word

complaint, however, usually conjures negative

reactions such as “oh no”, “yuck” or sighs of

exasperation. Yet, moments of complaint, if

handled properly, can lead to higher student

and guest retention and positive word of

mouth promotion.

Complaining students or guests are emotional

and want others to know they are upset. Before

trying to correct the problem, though, follow

these steps:

1. Listen until they exhaust their complaint.

Interruptions, excuse making, and or

indifference will increase their emotional

state.

2. Express empathy. Empathy means putting

oneself in their shoes, validating their

feelings of frustration, and disappointment

with words.

3. Offer a sincere apology. Once they realize

their complaint is heard and understood,

accepting an apology carries more power to

calm their agitated emotions.

Only after the student or guest realizes they

have been heard and understood can they

begin to accept potential solutions to the

problem.

4. Offer them two solutions to the problem.

Choices take thinking, and thinking will then

take precedent over their emotions.

5. Finally and most importantly, notify a

manager as appropriate. An effective

manager will offer empathy, apology and

be sure the student or guest is happy with

the solution and follow-up with ways to

avoid further issues in the future.

International Center Welcoming Committee

L to R standing: Volunteers Sompetch Katisomsakul (Thailand), Megat Zairi

(Malaysia), Muhammad Zamir Ahmad Zaki (Malaysia), Xuan Zhang (China) and

Emri Hamidi (Turkey). L to R sitting: Volunteers Giang Phan (Vietnam) and Sarra

Sandali (Morocco), Joanne Yen Gilbert (International Student Advisor), Yadira

Campos Andino (New Student -Ecuador), and volunteer Sooin Ji (South Korea)

Social Media Zone Tips from Sierra Barter, social media coordinator

• When sharing a URL from another site or blog: when you paste it into your Facebook status update, once the preview pops up, you can then delete the URL you just pasted. This will still share your link, but will keep your profile looking less cluttered.

• NEVER click on a Twitter Direct Message (DM) link that alludes to someone “writing/blogging something about you.” This is a virus that when clicked on will send a message to all of your followers.

• It’s important to use the same username for your social media sites. It helps your personal “brand” and allows other users to find you on different platforms

JWU Works to End BullyingHannah Fegley, MSW Intern, Counseling Services

Bullying doesn't end in high school. Researchers have found that 15% of college students reported being bullied and another 22% reported experiencing cyberbullying (MacDonald & Roberts-Pittman, 2010). Being a victim of this behavior can have long lasting

impacts, including reduced self-esteem, increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, and isolating behaviors. As a welcoming community, the university works diligently to put an end to bullying on campus.

One way to address bullying in the JWU community is to intervene when witnessing such behavior and encouraging victims to report incidents to Campus Safety & Security, either through a formal report or the Silent Witness Program. Everyone can model positive behavior in their own actions, treating peers the way they themselves would want to be treated. No one can stop bullying on their own, but the JWU community can work together to notice, intervene and report incidents of bullying.

There are many on-campus resources for students and staff to utilize:

• Campus Safety & Security is available 24/7 for students wishing to file a report regarding bullying, a crime, or a questionable incident (401-598-1103).

• Silent Witness Program is an online, anonymous reporting system for Campus Safety & Security.

• Counseling Services provides free and confidential counseling for JWU students (401-598-1016)

• The Nondiscrimination Coordinator is available for students who are victims of bullying and harassment as a result of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or disability (401-598-2716)

MacDonald, C. Roberts-Pittman, B. (2010). Cyberbullying among college students: Prevalence and demographic differences. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9,

2003-2009. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.436

Building Traditions at JWU

Diane Riccitelli, student services training coordinator

It’s an exciting time to be a member of the JWU community as the university plans for its 100th birthday in 2014. With ongoing preparations for this Centennial Year, there is great opportunity to re-evaluate the past and invent the future. According to Marie

Bernardo-Sousa, senior vice president of student services, “We are at a point in institutional history that allows us to look in the past and honor the traditions that speak to the JWU student experience and to work with students, faculty and staff to establish traditions that speak to the mission.”

Building traditions is important in higher education, particularly at JWU. “Tradition provides a common context for student, faculty and staff. A memory all can relate to and having experienced strengthens the relationship between the graduate and the institution” says Bernardo-Sousa.

Jeff Fitton, director of event programming & standards, explains that plans for the Centennial will take place over a 16-month period, from September 2013 through December 2014, at all four campuses. In addition to new events, the plan is to raise the bar on traditional events on campus, including Convocation, Family Weekend, and the new Founder’s Week which will encompass Wildcat Wahoo and Student Awards.

Understanding its importance, President Runey charged the Student Government Association (SGA) with creating a taskforce on campus traditions. “The SGA is working closely with Student Activities to establish a vision of campus tradition at JWU,” states Scott Lyons, director of student activities. A new event that was recently established as a result of their work, the Celebration of Lights, is a holiday celebration in which students and faculty gathered to enjoy food, music, and the lighting of Gaebe Commons. The Countdown to Commencement, a celebration for everyone to join in congratulating graduating students, was first introduced in Spring 2012 and is scheduled again for this year.

Athletics joined the initiative by launching the 100 Mile Club, a fitness walking/running club, which was popular with both students and staff. JWU’s first Annual Tailgate Party is planned for the spring in conjunction with opening the new athletic fields. These new events complement some popular activities that the university has hosted for many years, including the Snoball dinner-dance, Battle of the Campus, Midnight Madness and Late Night Breakfast.

Bernardo-Sousa explains that JWU employees are an important part of keeping the JWU spirit alive as they can help spread the “JWU story” to each year’s new students. Students enjoy hearing about the history of the university and interacting with faculty and staff who can share this information with them.

Have an idea for a new event or the start of a campus tradition? Send an email to Scott Lyons (slyons@jwu.edu).

JWU Pom Squad performing at Family Weekend 2012

Student Financial Services Has Job Openings Student Financial Services (SFS) has two open positions. Do you know someone who might want to work at JWU?

Let them know to check out the JWU employment site, work.jwu.edu, for more details.

Alexandra Rossett, assistant director of residential conduct

On Friday, March 22 the excitement started early. Students from across campus had been working hard for almost two months to ready their teams for the 2nd Annual Res Life Rumble Dodgeball Tournament.

The event, originally scheduled for Friday, February 8 and rescheduled due to Winter Storm Nemo, started with the first group of students arriving for check-in at 8:30 a.m. Within a half hour, all 12 teams had representation, with 167 students playing in the tournament from, South Hall, East/West Hall (combined), Harborside Village, Harbor View, Xavier Hall, Imperial Hall, Snowden Hall, McNulty Hall, Renaissance Hall and The Cove/Tau Epsilon Phi (TEP) fraternity (combined). The DJ, Residential Life’s own James “Skip” Gross, queued up the music and the tournament was off and running.

There were some great battles throughout the brackets and many matches needed all three games to declare a winner. The South Hall team won the runners-up bracket and played against the faculty/staff team consisting of Kathleen Drohan, Colby Zongol, Claire Hall, Catherine Calise, Arianna Dolock, Alexandra Rossett, Ken Conti, Matthew Fannon, Jacqueline Coale, Sierra Barter, Adam Cairns, Matthew Gregory, Douglas “D.J.” Osier, and Tarah Warner. The staff team was cheered on by the JWU Cheerleaders and Willie the Wildcat, but was quickly defeated in a best of five games by South Hall; who won the first three games.

The winners bracket championship was comprised of Xavier Hall and the defending champions, Snowden Hall. Xavier started out strong and looked as though they could win but in the end Snowden Hall took back the trophy for a second Rumble Championship in a row. South Hall was awarded the Spirit Stick for their positive energy, sportsmanship and great fans, who were there from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. cheering them on.

Overall, the tournament was a great success and students are already planning their t-shirt designs for next year along with new strategies to duck, dip, dive and dodge!

Let's Rumble!

South Hall vs. JWU Faculty & Staff at the 2013 Res Life Rumble

Welcome to JWUInternational Student Services• Ardit Hysag, student assistant (Albania)

Study Abroad• Kara Baker, student assistant

Transportation• John Freeman, bus driver

Promotions and Position ChangesCampus Dining• Rachel Breemer, manager, City Burger• Justin Clair, kitchen shift supervisor, Snowden• Zachary Creasia, joined City Burger as professional staff• Shawnee Stephens, assistant manager, City Burger

CongratulationsInternational Student Services• Alison Howard-Yilmaz, international student advisor, and her husband Ugur on the birth of their daughter, Sofia Tate, on March 21.

Student Academic & Financial Services• Jaime (DiPaola) Wager, student services associate, on her wedding that took place on February 23• Jacqueline Yates, student academic counselor, and her husband Matthew on the birth of their daughter, Grace Jacqueline, on March 19

Student Activities• Jessica Grady, assistant director of student activities, and her husband Sean on the birth of their son, Lowell Patrick, on January 20.

Campus HappeningsAthleticsHome games:(*=Northeast Athletic Conference Game)• Men's Baseball Wed., April 10 at 3:30 p.m. vs. Emerson* (double header) Sat., April 13 at 1 p.m. vs. Rivier* (double header) Sat., April 20 at noon vs. Saint Joseph's (ME)* (double header) Sun., April 21 at noon vs. Suffolk* (double header)• Men's Tennis Sat., April 6 at noon vs. Albertus Magnus* Mon., April 8 at 4 p.m. vs. Gordon Tues., April 16 at 3:30 p.m. vs. Clark Sat., April 20 at noon vs. Emerson*

• Women's Softball Sat., April 6 at noon vs. Lasell* (double header) Fri., April 12 at 3:30 p.m. vs. Anna Maria* (double header) Sun., April 14 at noon vs. Albertus Magnus* (double header) Thu., April 18 at 3 p.m. vs. Roger Williams (double header) Sat., April 20 at noon vs. Emmanuel* (double header)• Golf Hosts Wildcat Spring Invitational Sat., April 20 & Sun. April 21, all day

Campus Dining• Traditional Southern BBQ Wed., April 17, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Snowden and Harbor View• Earth Day Mon., April 22, Campus Dining will have a special menu consisting of sustainable proteins, local foods, and "dirt and worm" Dessert Cups. There will be a drawing open to all customers at Market Place for a sustainability themed basket. A second drawing for a sustainability themed basket will take place at City Burger and is open only to customers who purchase a Veggie Burger on that day.• Cinco De Mayo Sun., May 5, 4:30-7p.m., Snowden and Harbor View Gender Equity Center• April is Sexual Awareness Month Contact Counseling Services or GenderEquity@jwu.edu for program information • Ryan Cassata Performance and Transgender Workshop, Thurs., April 18 at 6 p.m., Intercultural Center• MissRepresentation, Mon., April 22 at 6 p.m., Wildcat Lounge

Health Services• Workshop with OhMegan!'s Megan Andelloux Mon., April 29, 7 p.m., Pepsi Forum

Residential Life• SuperStar Showcase (to benefit the Red Cross), April 17 at 8 p.m., Schneider Auditorium

School of Arts & Sciences• Campus Reads: Wally Lamb, She's Come Undone,Wed., April 17, at 7 p.m., Schneider Auditorium

Student Academic Services• Summer Term Course Cancellation Date Fri., April 5• Fall Term Course Registration Date Fri., April 19 (undergrad day & CE; Graduate) Go to ww.jwu.edu/providence/ student life/academic services/course registration/registration dates.

Student Activities• Skylar Duo Concert, April 12 at 7 p.m., Wildcat Lounge• Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays, April 13 (tickets $20) • Wahoo Concert Tickets Go on Sale, April 15 (tickets $10) • Beach Bingo, April 29 at 8 p.m., Wildcat Lounge• Found Footage Festival-Comedy, April 30 at 9 p.m., Schneider Auditorium• Spa Day, May 1, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Wildcat Lounge• Wahoo Concert, May 3 at 7 p.m., Wildcat Center, Main Gym Featuring 3 bands: 3LAU, NewBoyz, and TIMEFLIES (preview on youTube: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HsUwzdsal8&fe ature=youtu.be&a)• Wahoo Carnival, May 5 at 10 a.m., Harborside Campus• Wahoo 3K, April 12 at 7 p.m., Wildcat Lounge• Leadership Awards Reception, May 7 at 5:30 p.m., Pepsi Forum• Leadership Awards Ceremony, May 7 at 7 p.m., Schneider Auditorium Student Financial Services• Summer Term Payment Deadline Fri., May 3• Freshman FA Awards mailed Mon., March 18• Returning FA Awards mailed mid-April• Health Insurance Waiver Process begins Mon., May 13• Fall Invoices mailed Mon., May 20

Pictured L to R: Meagan Sage, Ashley Garceau and Anthony Lopez with Wildcat Willie

Balloon Entrance at the UIB Superbowl Party on Feb. 4

Over 1200 students attended One Ton Sundae on Jan. 30

CONNECTIONS PHOTO ALBUM

UIB Executive Board at the Student

Activities Fair on Jan. 11

General Board from Snoball on Sat., Feb. 3

General Board Members scooping ice cream at One Ton Sundae on Jan. 30

Fraternity and Sorority Leaders at the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) Conference hosted in

Hartford, CT Feb.21-24, 2013

Nemo Luau Party with JWU students Gieromme

Joy Nuarin (left) and Alex You (right)

Linda Robinson (SAFS), Kim Buxton-Hamel (SAFS), Senior Vice President Marie Bernardo-Sousa and Kris McNamara (Student Communications) helping out at the Late Night Breakfast with Wildcat Willie and Tony the Tiger on Feb. 18

Student Activities Winter Fair held on Fri., Jan. 11

Veteran Orientation Leader Taylor Levesque won Outstanding Undergrad Student Presentation the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) Region IX conference held Feb. 22-24.

Suicide Wing Eating Contest from the SuperBowl Party during Winter Week on Sun.,Feb. 4

Toppers at One Ton Sundae on Jan. 30

Orientation Team Retreat held on March 23-24 at the Environmental Education Center, URI Alton Jones Campus

By the Numb3rs

During Blizzard "Nemo":

3:Number of sanders used

11:Number of plows used

12:Number of snow blowers used

6:Number of Toro power shovels used

4:Number of miles of sidewalks cleared between both campuses

48:Number of hours power was out at the Harborside Campus

1280:Number of boxed lunches Snowden prepared

100:Number of Campus Dining staff that assisted

3100:Number of hours worked by Campus Dining employees

750:Number of students who enjoyed a continental breakfast prepared by Harbor View staff at the CCCE building

BLIZZARD "NEMO"February 8-10, 2013

Photo of the Wildcat Center taken during Blizzard "Nemo"

Thank you to everyone who helped out on this spring edition of the newsletter. We appreciate the articles, pictures and information. Thanks again!

Newsletter Team:Diane Riccitelli, student services training coordinatorKathy DeCotis, director of auxiliary services trainingKorina Ramsland, director of gender equity center

Kris McNamara, director of student communications