Stepping back before moving forward

Yesterday was our annual summer meeting for the entire Division of Student Affairs, which is our staff’s kick-off to the fall term. About 120 people from across Student Affairs spent the morning committed to stepping away from their to do lists, e-mail, and projects to focus on the WHY behind what we do. We talked about how we can contribute to student engagement, create an inclusive environment, build community, and support students so they can be well and succeed. We thought about how to stay connected to our mission day by day, improving our own skills and knowledge so we can be better professionals for our students. And we pushed ourselves to be more creative with technology and our resources when meeting student needs.

It’s always hard to step away from our day-to-day tasks when there is so much to be done to prepare for the arrival of a new class and the return of our continuing students, but it SO important. Yes, we did a lot of work-- but you can’t get that many SA people in a room without also hearing a lot of laughter. (For all the time we spend together, we’re lucky we like each other so much!)

So come on, students—come on back! We’re refreshed and ready for another year, and we hope you are, too.