May 2021 Division Update

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS

You’re Invited to the DSA Awards Celebration! We still have space at the in-person event but seats are going fast. Check your email for the announcement we sent out on February 25 and RSVP if you choose to attend in person.

Join the Texas A&M University System Student Affairs Symposium.

All DSA staff are invited to attend this annual workshop (virtually) to hear from featured speakers and other colleagues from across the system. The planning team from Texas A&M University - Commerce is excited to share a symposium tailored to a virtual format. This year’s symposium will feature three speakers associated with our theme; Resilience, Renewal, Return. All members of DSA are encouraged to register online.

E-mail symposium@tamuc.edu with questions.

THE MATTHEW GAINES SOCIETY

In honor of Black History month, the Matthew Gaines Society opened its first official recruitment cycle this past February. This was the culmination of over six months of work from the organization's leadership to determine the mission and future of the society.

The Society is dedicated to ensuring Aggieland is a home for all students. The Society’s members embody the inspiration they hope to instill in other students: that all Aggies can create positive change at Texas A&M University.

To further their mission, the Society recruited members who display a unique love for A&M and a willingness to support the success of other members of our Aggie family. New members will join current members in planning the inaugural events hosted by the Matthew Gaines Society and aim towards fulfilling the legacy of Senator Matthew Gaines. These events will occur in conjunction with the unveiling of The Matthew Gaines Statue in Fall 2021.

Congratulations to the newly selected members of the society:

Ariana Gonzalez ‘24, Political Science, Mission, TX
Hunter Syas ‘23, Biomedical Engineering, Beaumont, TX
Samhita Anapu ‘23, Public Health, Tomball, TX
Yasmine Byers ‘22, Psychology, Dallas, TX

Learn more about the strides these student advocates are making in honor of the former Senator.

CORPS OF CADETS

Cadet Tyler Bulthuis ’22 applies leadership skills he learned as a cadet as a member of the Texas A&M football team. Tyler is a platoon sergeant for Company E-1 and was a defensive back for the Texas A&M football team this season. His story serves as a stellar example and encouragement for others who wish to be involved in various organizations across campus. Read more of his story here.

Family Weekend was a great success for parents, family members, and friends who attended. On Friday, the Corps marched into Kyle Field, followed by the Aggie Band, which performed a halftime drill. The evening closed with the 2020-2021 Major Flag Awards presentation. Saturday, the Fish Drill Team, Ross Volunteer Company and Parsons Mounted Cavalry held special performances. Watch the recap of Family Weekend online.

Each year, the Major Flag Awards and individual awards are presented to cadets and outfits in recognition of the outstanding achievements throughout the school year. Despite having to operate in a COVID-19 environment, cadets rose to the challenges and succeeded in every way, showing a commitment to excellence. Congratulations to the cadet and outfit award winners!

OFFICES OF THE DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

The Offices of the Dean of Student Life would like to congratulate Dr. Kristen Harrell on her appointment to assistant vice president for the Division of Student Affairs. We are so appreciative for all the amazing work she has done over her years in Student Life. Dr. Harrell has served as associate director since 2010. In that time she has served as a key member of ODSL leadership providing guidance to our various offices. She has nearly two decades of experience with student conduct work, and has also served as the interim chair for the University Disciplinary Appeals Panel (UDAP), and campus administrator for Sexual Assault Prevention training. She will be missed!

New Student & Family Programs welcomes Mariah Patrick to the team! She is filling the communications specialist II position, which coordinates all marketing, communications, social media, websites and publications for the office. Mariah previously worked as a graduate assistant for marketing in Scholarships & Financial Aid at Texas A&M. She graduated from Sam Houston State, where she worked with athletics marketing.

Health Promotion’s Green Dot Institute will be held virtually June 1-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The Green Dot Institute is the official training to become a nationally certified facilitator for the Green Dot bystander intervention curriculum. Applications are due May 14. Learn more at tx.ag/GDI2021

The LGBTQ+ Pride Center will host Rainbow Relaxin’ Days April 30 through May 7. The program includes simple activities, held virtually this year, to help students de-stress from final exams. Learn more at tx.ag/RRD2021

Student Media received 23 awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The Battalion's Cori Eckert '22, was named Designer of the Year among all of Texas' college publications and was one of six first-place awards. The Batt Signal podcast with Brady Stone '22 and Camryn Lang '20 swept the top two places as did the Opinion Desk for column writing by Joshua Howell and Sam Somogye '21.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Over 2,500 members of the Panhellenic community virtually celebrated scholastic achievements, philanthropic commitments, and involvement through the "Progressing Panhellenic" program. Highlights from the year include:

$689,000 raised for philanthropic organizations
30,000-plus hours of community service completed
85% of the community involved in student orgs outside their chapter

The Department of Student Activities is pleased to celebrate the success of several notable staff and student award winners:

Dr. Melissa Shehane, Distinguished Achievement Award
Bradley Burroughs, New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community - NASPA NOW Award
Natalie Parks, First Panhellenic woman elected as Student Body President and recipient of the Melissa A. Williams Outstanding Collegiate Award

The Texas A&M Student Government Association (SGA) has received the 20-21 SEC “Rising to the Challenge Award.” Awarded to only one school in the SEC through the SEC SGA Network, this award was given for SGA’s efforts of assisting in the response to COVID-19, facilitating student input and representation during the ongoing university transition, and operating to provide aid to those students impacted by the winter storm.

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life virtually hosted the Inaugural SEC Fraternity & Sorority Life Student Leadership Summit April 8-10. The purpose of the summit is to educate the next generation of fraternity and sorority leadership, assess past practices and current climate, review current conference standards, and renew member institutional commitments to Southeastern Conference standards.

Recent program highlights include:

Inaugural Advisor Summit: 190 virtual attendees
The Big Event: 10,098 students participating at 1,329 job sites
Collegiate Panhellenic Preview for potential new sorority women: 450 attendees (more than double their normal attendance!)
Conference on SGA: 140 attendees from domestic and international locations
Aggie Recruitment Committee Whoopin' Weekend: 185 attendees

RESIDENCE LIFE

Residence Life has won the STARS Top Performer award through the Office of Sustainability. Congratulations to the department, especially to Brandon Carlson, Kristianna Bowles and Carol Binzer, who also received awards for overseeing initiatives and reporting for STARS, helping to uphold the university’s ranking.

Facilities & Operations is delighted to announce Alex Beckford as the Residence Life Outstanding Student of the Month. Since spring 2019, Alex has been exemplary. Always on time, she is a real team player. She has a positive attitude, providing excellent service to customers. Alex graduates this May with a B.S. in psychology and begins nursing school this fall. Congratulations, Alex!

Congratulations to MK Futrell, who is serving as an environmental champion for the Girl Scouts. She's an environmental delegate to the next international Girl Scouts’ meeting in Europe. MK is a member of the Sustainable Aggies Living Learning Program and will be a peer mentor in the coming year. Additionally, she is an Aggie Eco Rep.

Congratulations to these student members of our Res Life staff, who are in the spotlight for excellent work:

Bulletin Board—Privilege (Bri Leo)
Co-Program—Appelt Hall spikeball tournament
Door Decoration—Succulents (Jaedyn Medrano)
Program—Valentine’s Day cards (Natalie Solis)
Resident Advisors—Cat Study, Dessare Sysavath, Jannatul Mawa and Red Farson
Wildcards—Kassidy Giles
Academic Peer Mentors “Blues Clues & You!” and booth at DeStress Fest

Fall housing is once again booming. Nearly 1,600 returning residents requested to remain on campus and we have about 8,000 new housing applications, including 800 on the waitlist. Fall housing assignments will be released in mid-May. Summer housing will be at White Creek Apartments. We anticipate about 150 students for summer session I and up to 550 for summer session II, including Gateway.

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Group RecXercise classes from April 30 through May 27 are FREE and open to faculty, staff and TAMU affiliates! Download the Rec Sports App from the App Store or Google Play to register for fitness class of your choice. You may also use spring RecXercise all-access passes for these classes.

Congratulations and best of luck to our graduate assistants, Nicholas Baxendell, Mereyah Cage, Ryan Madison, Georgia Orgain, and Kaleah Torgerson for earning their masters’ degrees!

Now is a great time to experience the great outdoors! Outdoor Adventures offers a full line of camping gear, including tents, sleeping bags and cooking supplies. In addition, we rent outdoor sports equipment and watercraft such as canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Contact outdooradventures@rec.tamu.edu or 979-845-7035 if you have any questions.

Keep fit at our new Polo Road Rec Center! Amenities in the strength and conditioning room include free weights, machine/pin select strength equipment, cardiovascular machines, and a turf area for exercises, medicine balls, and stretching. There is an activity room for fitness classes, locker rooms, towel service, and free, day-use lockers. Visit our website for information.

DISABILITY RESOURCES

Dr. Amanda Kraus, a nationally-recognized leader and speaker on disability and social justice, will present the talk, "Everyday Ableism: Unpacking Disability Stereotypes and Microaggressions," on May 13 at 1:30 p.m. as part of the Accessibility in Aggieland webinar series. Read more about this talk and the entire series online.

Melissa Perez Figueroa shared her experience as a personal trainer to lead an adaptive workout and stretching routine with members of Aggie Adaptive Sports. Learn more about the organization and see upcoming events on Facebook.

Tracey Forman co-facilitated a session on job searching with a disability in collaboration with the TAMU Career Center. You can find more resources for disabled job seekers online.

Erika Wise and Justin Romack presented a talk on assistive technology and universal design for Dr. Whiteside’s SPED 414 class. Our team is always eager to share resources and insight when you request a presentation online.

MUSIC ACTIVITIES

All Music Activities ensembles were able to perform in-person concerts at the end of this semester. The bands and orchestras performed at the College Station city parks. The Singing Cadets performed at Rudder Theatre, and the Century Singers and the Women's Chorus performed at A&M United Methodist Church. Thanks for everyone's support in helping our students experience a live audience.

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and the University Wind Symphony each made recordings in the fall of 2019. We are pleased to share those with all of you:

Listen to the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Listen to the University Wind Symphony

After 40 years of service to the university, Col. Jay Brewer retired at the end of April. You can view the recorded ceremony on our YouTube channel or Facebook page.

BECKY GATES CHILDREN'S CENTER

Our Spring Scholastic Book Fair is here! Shop our fair to help us earn books for tiny hands in the classrooms.

We celebrated Week of the Young Child April 10-16 with fun-filled activities. The first years of a child’s life are the period of the most rapid brain development and lay the foundation for all future learning. Children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional, and language and literacy development are built on a foundation of children’s positive interactions with adults, peers, and their environment (National Association for the Education of Young Children).

We celebrated 38 children during our Pre-K Graduation on April 30. They are ready to begin kindergarten in the fall!

UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES (UART)

A celebration of Mississippi’s rich musical heritage, “A Cast of Blues” features resin-cast masks of blues legends by visually-impaired artist Sharon McConnell Dickerson. On display at Stark Galleries from Jan. 28–May 21 tx.ag/blues

A tradition since 1999, the “Architecture Faculty Biennial” features works of art from the faculty in the College of Architecture, ranging from paintings to pinhole camera images to digital animations.On display at Stark Galleries from March 23–May 14 tx.ag/arch21

“In Full Bloom” examines nature through fine and decorative art forms that express their appreciation through brilliant color, creativity, and the capacity to see the world with fresh eyes. On display at Forsyth Galleries from April 20–June 18 tx.ag/bloom

A student-curated exhibition, “The Global Power of WWII Propaganda” shows political art with a focus on Germany, Japan, and the United States’ outlooks of the global climate before, during, and after the war. New on display at Forsyth Galleries. tx.ag/WWII

*Photo credit: Barbara Klein, “Mute,” pigment print framed.

MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER

The MSC Visual Arts Committee wrapped up Artfest 2021 at the end of April, but you can still visit the exhibit online!

MSC Aggie Cinema is streaming! You heard that right! Stream all your fan-favorite Arthouse, Blockbuster and Classic movies and so much more on aggiecinema.tamu.edu. This streaming service is open to all Texas A&M students.

We would like to welcome several new employees to the MSC family and Division of Student Affairs:

Jessica Gant Shafer, program coordinator
Haylie Zavodny, development officer
Sharon Irwin, business associate

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

We’re hosting a virtual crisis communication workshop on May 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for DSA leaders and communicators. Our presenter is Dr. W. Timothy Coombs, a Texas A&M professor who specializes in crisis communication. If crisis communication falls within your job description and you did not receive an invitation but would like to attend, email Veronica Gonzalez Hoff.

What's your story pitch? We're gathering DSA-related story ideas this summer for fall and spring semester content. Do you have a great story idea and a little extra time to help us craft it into a written narrative for a press release, TAMU Today story, website feature, My Aggie Story video, or our Student Affairs Insider donor newsletter? It could be a great story about one student, a DSA program, a recent donation, assessment results that shine a light on a student organization, or a staff profile. Email Veronica Gonzalez Hoff with your ideas so we can work with you to promote DSA.

Dr. Danny Pugh hosted a dinner for the Texas A&M National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is part of a collaborative umbrella organization composed of historically African-American fraternities and sororities. Check out our Flickr channel to view photos from this and other Greek life events, as well as images of the Yell Leaders, Family Weekend Yell Practice, the Maroon & White game, and The Big Event.

DSA Staff Development Committee

Mark your calendars on April 7 for the DSA Monthly Program, “ Developing Student Employees into Employable Leaders.” Author, speaker, and student affairs professional Dr. Adam Peck will be our featured speaker, and staff will be invited to join a break-out session of their choice. The workshop is a great way to learn applicable practices for developing students, as well as dialogue and learn from colleagues in smaller groups!

Looking for funding assistance on your next online professional development opportunity this summer? The application deadline for the Professional Development Grant is April 23 for opportunities taking place in June to September. Examples include but are not limited to online-only conferences, webinars, seminars, workshops, lectures and certifications. Watch for an email that will provide details.

VETERAN RESOURCE & SUPPORT CENTER

The Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center at Texas A&M has joined the Council on Military Transition to Education (CMTE). In partnership with 14 other leading universities, CMTE connects service members and veterans to quality higher education and provides feedback to the Department of Defense for the Transition Assistance Program curriculum.

The VRSC is proud to announce that Monteigne Long, assistant director of the TAMUS Office of Veteran Services, was elected co-chair of the NASPA Veterans Knowledge Community. Her term as co-chair-elect will begin next month during the NASPA Virtual Conference. Monteigne will be serving as co-chair alongside Dr. Janine Wert from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Congratulations, Monteigne!

A survey conducted by The Texas A&M University System and Operation College Promise found that 30 percent of colleges and universities have reduced funding for veteran-support programs during the past year, and some schools have eliminated their support offices entirely. Read the article by Military Times.

INTRODUCING REVEILE X!

MAY NEWS FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS

THE MATTHEW GAINES SOCIETY

CORPS OF CADETS

OFFICES OF THE DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

RESIDENCE LIFE

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

MULTICULTURAL SERVICES

UNIVERSITY CENTER & SPECIAL EVENTS (UCEN)

STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

DISABILITY RESOURCES

MUSIC ACTIVITIES

STUDENT LIFE STUDIES

BECKY GATES CHILDREN'S CENTER

UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES (UART)

COUNSELING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES (CAPS)

MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

DSA Staff Development Committee

DSA Committee on Student Learning in the Co-Curricular

The VRSC is a proud supporter and host of the Warrior-Scholar Project each summer. In this video created by The Association of Former Students, student veteran Russ Treider'21, shares his story on the impact of the program in his life.

VETERAN RESOURCE & SUPPORT CENTER

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