A Monthly Newsletter Publication of NKU Student Affairs
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Student Conduct, Rights, & Advocacy, in partnership and collaboration with University Connect and Persist (UCAP), has developed a series of programs for faculty and staff across the university to assist in reducing barriers for student services and promote collaboration in supporting students with challenging circumstances. The series is designed to create conversation among service aligned offices and create connections among faculty and staff that will help reduce barriers for student support services.
The first two sessions were held in September and October, covering use of the Gold Folders distributed by Student Affairs and how to have post-midterm conversations with students, especially related to mental health support.
The next session in the series will occur on Friday, November 19, 2021, in UC 135 from 9:00am - 10:00am, and will focus on circumstances for which a student might request an incomplete grade, retroactive late withdrawal, and other associated processes.
All faculty and staff are welcome to attend.
By: Dr. Bob Alston, Assistant Dean of Students
A late assignment submission. An unexpected out-of-office reply right before a deadline. Not being camera-ready for a virtual meeting. For some, these moments may not give tremendous pause. Solutions can exist in a syllabus, a last-minute collaborative editing session, or creatively using a virtual background. For others, these may create stress-filled or emotional responses. They can leave potential helpers craving information. They can leave project members confused, concerned, and disappointed. Moreover, our responses are now layered in almost 2 years of COVID-19 impacts.
These moments of dissonance can create, or connect to, traumatic events for the people involved. The responses that student, staff, and faculty feel can be rooted in our own traumatic experiences. Traumatic events are subjective and individual to a person and they create organic impact on/in our bodies. Traumatic events can also create barriers to institutional integration (James, 2018). As NKU continues to enhance coordinated care for students through Success By Design initiatives, the Division of Student Affairs is collaborating with campus and regional partners to meet an identified need for resources and training to support students as they respond to trauma.
Coordinating individualized care works to both remove persistence barriers and support student sense of belonging in the communities NKU creates. Adopting trauma-informed practices in offices, classrooms, and social groups can enable NKU student retention and success, while also setting a foundation for how the NKU community connects with one another. Students, faculty, and staff contribute to the NKU community from their individual perspectives while seeking to align with NKU’s Core Values. In traumatic moments, even with these community expectations, we can fall short. Shalka (2017) shares four
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During Thanksgiving and Winter Break, Student Affairs offices will be closed on days that the University is closed. Hours of operation for community resources are below:
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Tues, Nov. 23
Buildings close at 10:00p
Nov. 24 - Nov. 27
Buildings closed
Sun, Nov. 28
5:00p - 11:00p
WINTER BREAK
Sat, Dec. 18
9:00a - 4:00p
Sun, Dec. 19
Buildings Closed
Mon, Dec. 20
7:30a - 6:00p
Tues., Dec. 21
7:30a - 5:00p
Dec. 22 - Jan. 3
Buildings Closed
The Campus Recreation Center will have adjusted hours during the Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Click here to see the hours of operation.
Strong Foundations, continued from previous page
actions and attitudes that can support trauma-informed responses to folx in our communities:
These foundational, seemingly common sense, interpersonal skills not only support NKU student success, but improve our responses to faculty and staff with whom we interact. When a survivor chooses a NKU community member to share their experience, our community then has a responsibility to support them and their recovery. We are fortunate to have a foundation of engaged community support for our students, and focusing on caring for one another through grief, loss, and the moments when these layers disrupt our NKU lives adds strength to that foundation.
For community members interested in learning more about how NKU manages student care, consider participating in Care.Consult.Connect. This series of conversations initiates a discussion about how student care is coordinated among service-aligned offices across the institution, created by Student Conduct, Rights & Advocacy (SCRA) in collaboration with University Connect & Persist (UCAP). In these sessions, the assembled staff and faculty will help answer questions and connect with others to reduce barriers for student support and services.
The next Care.Consult.Connect hybrid session is on November 19, 2021, at 9:00 AM, and will focus on student circumstances that may require a late withdrawal and/or tuition appeal. Through a community like Care.Consult.Connect, the barrier removal objectives of Success By Design, and by re-framing individual community member (and systemic) approaches to disclosures of traumatic experiences, we can create a community that focuses on collaborative care and away from requiring individual persistence through layers of trauma. We do, and can always improve how we, help each other succeed at NKU.
By: Health, Counseling, and Student Wellness
Fall is fast approaching. The welcome change in weather is evident as students wear sweaters and sweatshirts while the multicolor landscape of yellow, orange, red and brown emerges. With still only 24 hours in a day many are pushing limits being tempted to cram more into their day. The solution to overcoming this detrimental behavior could be three simple words: Reflect, Prioritize, and Recharge.
The staff at Health, Counseling, & Student Wellness would like to recommend you to reflect your last 48 hour schedule, or past few of school. Is your calendar busting with unfinished “to do” items? Are study sessions never ending while the line to Starbuck’s pick-me-ups expand? Do you often run late for classes or miss appointments? Is your school or work performance suffering? When was your last timeout from social media updates (Instagram, snapchat, Tik Tok, or YouTube)?
Prioritize Y-O-U for 15-30 minutes a day; have more time? Venture in to an exercise class at NKU’s Rec Center, these activities may relieve stress and frustration, promoting balance. Find a change of scenery, sit and listen to nature! Just “Be and Breathe”! Check in with old friends or family - fill your tank with laughter. These connections can provide that emotional support and encouragement needed overcome day-to-day challenges and maybe provide focus with redefined goals.
When one’s mental health is taxed the result can be a vulnerable and compromised immune system. Physical health may be impacted with the development illness and chronic physical symptoms. Recharge your overall health with a little TLC, adequate rest and hydration; edit that lengthy “to do list”, pairing it down to only necessary tasks or events. Simple modifications such as these may be the keys to completing the semester with the best possible outcome.
If you do become ill, call NKU’s Health, Counseling, and Student Wellness at (859) 572-5650. We are located at UC 440 and we're glad to discuss your concerns or symptoms, or to schedule an office visit with a staff nurse or counselor.
Ms. Lori Robbins serves as the Division Business Officer for Student Affairs. Lori joined the division earlier this Fall 2021 semester. Originally from Michigan, Lori lived in Arizona for 13.5 years, working at Arizona State University. During her tenure at Arizona State, she held a number of positions, ranging from grant support to grant accountant to departmental business manager to financial analyst to planning manager.
Lori is currently working on her third Masters degree: Legal Studies with an emphasis in Human Resource Management and Conflict Resolution. Lori also holds Masters degrees in Sustainable Leadership and Project Management and a Bachelors Degree in Business Law. Lori is married with two grown children, five grandchildren, and two dogs. She moved back to the Midwest to be near her kids and grandchildren.
Student Affairs is pleased to welcome Lori to the team!
Parents Attending College (PAC) has officially kicked off our annual Holiday Help Program. In order to qualify for the program you must be enrolled for classes at NKU during the Fall 2021 semester and a parent/guardian of a child under the age of 18. To sign up you can complete the wish list application on the PAC homepage nku.edu/pac. Upon receipt, PAC will create a holiday wish list specific for your family on Amazon. The link to your specific wish list will then be sent to your sponsor. The sponsor will only be able to view the city and state the gifts are being shipped to and the name you provide. All holiday gifts will arrive at your doorstep. If you have questions, please reach out to Amanda Johnson, adamsam@nku.edu.
University Housing will remain open over winter break and operate at normal business hours, except between December 22, 2021 and January 3, 2022. During that period, the office will be closed. All residential facilities will remain accessible for those who register to stay over winter break. The front desks at Norse Commons and Northern Terrace will remain operational during normal business hours. There will also be an RA on duty if you need help outside of normal business hours or when the office is closed.
All students who are staying for winter break need to register to stay. There is zero cost assoicated with staying over winter break. Students who are not staying for winter break will be expected to leave 24 hours after the last final, or by Saturday, December 18, 2021, whichever is sooner. Students who do not register to stay over winter break will have their card access turned off by Saturday, December 18, 2021, at noon. Card access will be reactivated on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 8:00am. Norse Commons and the Northern Terrace front desks will continue to operate over the break, as normal. There will also be 24-hour support from RAs and professional staff throughout the winter break.
RA recruitment is fully underway. The information sessions have occurred and the application is live. If you know of student leaders who would be strong mentors for our communities, please encourage them to apply before the deadline (December 3, 2021; 11:59PM).
NKU Housing was widely recognized at the Kentucky Association for Housing Officers (KAHO) annual conference. The staff won every award except for one! Please take some time to congratulate the following staff members:
2021 will be the 29th Annual meeting for the Norse Leadership Society (NLS) Fall Retreat. Outside of Homecoming, the Norse Leadership Society retreat is the second longest running tradition at Northern Kentucky University. Since its inception in 1992, almost 3,000 unique individual students have participated in the program. In 2010, the Center for Student Engagement conducted research on the impact of the retreat and found that, among many positive indicators, 95% of students who attended the retreat went on to graduate from NKU and became more engaged alumni.
The purpose of the retreat is to bring students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community leaders together not only for leadership development, but also to gain lifelong relationships and to build a true connection with NKU. Students return from the retreat with a unique support system with their peers and with the faculty, staff, and alumni who led the retreat. This has given students more knowledge about campus resources, assisted with their major selection, improved academic performance, and benefited their future careers. We have had many students make connections at the retreat and then go on to intern or work with their retreat leaders.
For 2021, 110 students will be attending the retreat, and for 102 of them, this will be their first time attending. The retreat will help students face their fears, overcome obstacles in their life, and provide them with a community of support when they return to campus. Students will be asked to expand their comfort zones and address things that are holding them back. To ensure proper student safety, two counselors from NKU Health, Counseling, and Student Wellness will also attend the retreat.
Participants this year are 52% students of color; 55% female, 34% male, 10% non-binary; and 38% are members of the Greek community.
Student Affairs is excited to announce that Ms. Priscilla Ayala has been hired to fill the role of Unit Director for the Center for Student Inclusiveness/Director of Latino Student Initiatives effective December 1st. This is a new position designed to provide oversight for African American Student Initiatives, LGBTQA+ Student Initiatives, and Latino Student Initiatives.
Ms. Ayala received her Master of Science, Student Affairs in Higher Education from Missouri State University and comes to us with over 10 years of higher education experience, most recently from the University of Arizona. Her work has focused on building collaborations with DEI campus and community partners to ensure a support system for students as they foster a sense of their self-identity and belonging during their academic careers.
Ms. Ayala is a first-generation college student and a daughter of Colombian immigrants with a passion for assisting students to build community, create a sense of belonging, and develop the skills and motivation necessary to achieve their goals. She plans to be on campus beginning December 6th and is looking forward to getting to know everyone and joining in the work we are doing to help our students have the best experience humanly possible.
Upcoming IM Sports
Karaoke Night - Ready to sing your heart out? Mark your calendars for Karaoke Night on Tuesday, November 16, at 6:00p in the Student Union, room 104!
Personal Training Sale
Now is the best time to Fall back into Fitness. Get 10% off all personal training packages from November 1 - November 30. Use code: FALLFITNESS#2021
10% Off Annual Memberships - Last Chance!
Get 10% off all annual memberships and a free CRC tumbler when you renew or sign up! The sale ends November 20, 2021. See the Membership Services desk to purchase your membership.
COVID-19 cases have continued to decline in our region while vaccination rates have risen. NKU Health Services has contributed to that increase by administering 875 COVID-19 vaccines since April 2021. And though this is impressive, their work is not finished. While still having doses of the Pfizer vaccine available for those who need it, Health Services has begun giving flu vaccines to prepare our campus for an uncertain flu season. A flu vaccine clinic held on October 27, helped to protect 335 individuals. Additional doses are available by appointment for those who missed this opportunity.
World AIDS Day
December 1 is World AIDS Day. In partnership with Health, Counseling, and Student Wellness and FUEL NKU, Kentucky Finding Cases will be providing free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing in SU 108 from 11:00a until 3:00p. For those who are tested, a $20 Kroger gift card will be provided (while supplies last).
End of Newsletter
This newsletter was created by David Berland on behalf of NKU Student Affairs. Please direct questions, comments, or updates to berlandd1@nku.edu.
Northern Kentucky University
832 Lucas Administrative Center
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Phone: (859) 572-6447
Fax: (859) 572-1310
