ACPA Professional Preparation Commission Newsletter
Spring 2003

Chair: Cathy McHugh Engstrom, Syracuse University, cmengstr@syr.edu

Editor: Maureen E. Wilson, Bowling Green State University, mewilso@bgnet.bgsu.edu

 


\Minneapolis Convention Highlights

\New Directorate Members

\Calling All New Faculty

\2003 Commission Sponsored Programs

\ACPA Research Roundtables

\Big Read

\Convention Programs on Technology

\Research and Writing Awards

\Research Grant

\Common Acceptance Deadline

\Directory of Graduate Preparation Programs

\MMOGSISP

\Good News

 

Minneapolis Convention Highlights

 

Saturday, March 29, 2003, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Professional Preparation Informal Social -  Britt’s Pub

Brit's Pub is located 2 blocks from the Convention Center in downtown Minneapolis.  The address is 1110 Nicollet Mall and it is located between 11th and 12th Streets.  The commission reception will be held in The Long Room, which you can find by walking through the bar and turning left.

 

Sunday, March 30, 2003, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Directorate Meeting

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis-Greenway Ballroom G

All are welcome to come for all or part of the Professional Preparation Commission meeting. You do not need to be a directorate member to attend. Bring a full cup of coffee. We will have limited coffee and tea so space out your caffeine needs appropriately. J

 

Monday, March 31, 2003, 4:30-6:00 p.m.

President’s Reception (with Senior Scholars) in Presidential Suite.

You should be receiving an invitation from ACPA.

 

Monday, March 31, 2003, 6:00-8:00 p.m.   

Commission Carnival and Graduate Preparation Program Fair

 

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New Directorate Members

Submitted by Patrick Love, New York University

 

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Professional Preparation Directorate Body!

Myron L. Pope, Assistant Professor in Adult and Higher Education, University of Oklahoma

Robert D. Reason, Assistant Professor of Education, Penn State University

Kristen A. Renn, Assistant Professor and Coordinator Student Affairs Administration Program, Michigan State University

Dafina Lazarus Stewart, Assistant Professor, Higher Education and College Student Personnel, Ohio University

 

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Calling All New Faculty

Submitted by Ellen Broido, Bowling Green State University

 

SueAnn Strom and Ellen Broido invite all new faculty to join them for a New Faculty breakfast at this year's ACPA conference. For the last several years, under the auspices of the Commission on Professional Preparation (CPP),  first-year faculty (and that's pretty loosely defined) have gathered for breakfast on Monday morning. This year we'll be gathering at 7:00 a.m. (yes, awfully early, but programs begin at 8) at the hotel restaurant in the Hilton. Sorry, CPP will not be picking up the tab. Reservations aren't necessary; just show up. SueAnn and Ellen will be waiting at the entrance to meet participants. E-mail Ellen with any questions at ebroido@bgnet.bgsu.edu.

 

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2003 Convention Sponsored Programs

Submitted by Carol L. Patitu, Buffalo State, Sponsored Program Chair

 

10,000 Ways to Reach Students: Distance Education in Preparation Programs

Coordinating Presenter: Mark A. Kretovics, Kent State University

Additional Presenters: Stuart Brown, Studentaffairs.com; Will Barratt, Indiana State University

 

101 Things No One Told Me About Getting my Ph.D.

Coordinating Presenter: Shari Ellertson, Iowa State University

Additional Presenters: Ann M. Gansemer-Topf, Iowa State University; Hannah Clayborne, Iowa State University; Randall B. Ludeman, Bemidji State University; Robert Reason, The Pennsylvania State University; Florence A. Hamrick, Iowa State University

 

Formal Collaboration Between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs on Assessment

Coordinating Presenter: Gary D. Malaney, University of Massachusetts ­ Amherst

Additional Presenters: Joseph B. Berger, University of Massachusetts ­ Amherst; Elizabeth A. Williams, University of Massachusetts ­ Amherst; Marcy Roe, University of Massachusetts ­ Amherst

 

Professional Preparation Programs, Do We Practice What We Preach?

Coordinating Presenter: Melanie Rago, University of South Florida

Additional Presenter: John V. Moore, University of South Florida

 

Teaching the Foundation: One Philosophy, A Thousand Courses

Coordinating Presenter: Merrily S. Dunn, University of Georgia

Additional Presenter: Leanne Lewis Newman, Baylor University

 

Experiential Techniques in Diversity Education: Two Approaches with One Purpose

(Co-Sponsored with the Standing Committee for Multicultural Affairs)

Coordinating Presenter: Keith E. Edwards, University of Delaware

Additional Presenters: Vivian A. Yamada, University of Delaware; Karri N. Van Blarcom, University of Delaware; Genevieve J. Conway, University of Delaware; Stacy L. Schneider Bingham, University of Delaware

                       

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ACPA Research Roundtables

Submitted by Larry D. Roper, Oregon State University

 

The ACPA Senior Scholars is sponsoring an ACPA convention program to assist masters students, doctoral students and other professionals who are pursuing research. The purpose of this program is to promote a culture of scholarship in student affairs and assist new researchers with coaching on key aspects of that process. Whether you are searching for a topic or stumped with how to turn your dissertation into a publishable article, we invite you to join us in these conversations.

 

Facilitating Research in the Profession

Program # 227

Location: Minneapolis Convention Center - 200 G

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 1, 2003 - 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.

Facilitators: ACPA Senior and Emerging Scholars

 

Participants will have an opportunity to join two different roundtable discussions. Each discussion will be 30 minutes in length.

 

The table topics will include:

        1)      Getting Started, Identifying A Researchable Topic

        2)      Searching Scholarship And Generating Research Questions

        3)      Designing Qualitative - Interpretive Studies

        4)      Designing Quantitative Studies

        5)      Turning A Study Into A Publishable Project

 

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Big Read

Submitted by Fiona MacKinnon, Bowling Green State University  

 

As a special feature of this year's convention we invite all attendees to join in a common reading experience of Parker Palmer's book, Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. To further the reflection and the fellowship we have launched our own on-site book club by creating Conversation Corners throughout the convention. We extend the invitation to all attendees to share with others the ideas, the insights, and the opinions that stimulated the search for individual truth and guidance after reading Let your life speak.

In the day-to-day whirl of student affairs it is rare to have the opportunity to take time out for oneself. It is rare to have the chance to read a book like Let your life speak that validates the inner voice and says, "I must listen to my heart and my soul if I am to be who I really want and need to be." So, the Conversation Corners will, in essence, be about creating spaces in which we can share, in a safe way and in a safe place, what we have read and heard. It is about raising up our ability to hear our OWN voices, rather than finding meaning based on what others' believe. The Conversation Corners will be places where we can "seek to understand" how the reading affected others--as a way to find meaning for the self. Most certainly, the Conversation Corners will not be places to judge, to decide, or to come to any kind of consensus.


With our focus on spirituality in student affairs and the academy this is a good time to invite our students to join with us as we reflect on Parker Palmer's insightful notion of vocation and its special meaning to us as individuals. Join us at the convention for this unique, common reading experience.

 

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Convention Programs on Technology

Submitted by Will Barratt, Indiana State University

 

Will recommends three programs that will serve students well and might help faculty. They are based on research and practice with students at ISU.

 

Pre-Convention Workshop 05: Developing Effective Student Affairs Websites

Saturday, March 29, 2003

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Minneapolis Convention Center, 200 A

This workshop will guide participants through the web site development or re-development process. Designed for everyone involved with the student affairs web site on campus, from entry level professional to senior management, from beginner through advanced designer, the workshop is based on experience evaluating, designing and teaching about student affairs web sites. Participants will be using a web site development workbook to guide them toward developing an integrated web site plan. http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/desaws

 

Technology I: High Tech/High Touch? Evaluating Student Affairs Web Presence

Monday, March 31, 2003

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Minneapolis Convention Center, 103 B

Student Affairs web pages vary tremendously in every respect. The program presenters developed an evaluation tool for student affairs web presence examining the four dimensions of web site Content, Quality, Relationships, and Student Learning and Development. This evaluation tool was applied to 10 similar institutions and the results will be reported in this presentation. Participants will learn about the elements of effective, and ineffective, Student Affairs web sites. http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/sawp/

 

Technology II: Integrating On-Line and Interpersonal Residence Hall Communities

Monday, March 31, 2003

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Minneapolis Convention Center, 103 B

 

Using existing campus software and servers, on-line communities were developed as an experimental one-year program to integrate on-line and the residential communities in a first year hall. With the mission of enhancing interpersonal interaction, web pages, chat rooms, discussion boards and more have been used to enhance interpersonal community building. Participants will learn how staff developed the virtual communities and how students used these communities during this academic year. http://blumberghall.indstate.edu/ and http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/e-res

 

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Research and Writing Awards

Submitted by Michael Ignelzi, Slippery Rock University and Susan R. Jones, Ohio State University

 

Each year, the Professional Preparation Commission acknowledges the outstanding scholarship of graduate students in higher education and student affairs programs through the presentation of research and writing awards.  We are pleased to announce this year’s winners. Recipients will be recognized at the Commission social on Saturday, March 29, 2003, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Britt’s Pub at 1110 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.

 

BURNS B. CROOKSTON DOCTORAL AWARD 

Reynol Junco, Penn State University

"Assessing an online training program's ability to change the attitudes of faculty and student affairs staff towards students with disabilities"

 

GERALD SADDLEMIRE MASTERS RESEARCH AWARD

Emily B. Mann, University of Rhode Island

"Latino college students' experiences at a predominantly white institution"

 

ROBERTA CHRISTIE AWARD

Sara Bleiberg, New York University,

"A case for mixed-sex university housing policies"

 

NEVITT SANFORD RESEARCH AWARD

Elisa S. Abes, Ohio State University                                                               

"The dynamics of multiple dimensions of identity for lesbian college students"

 

Catherine A. Buyarski, University of Minnesota,

A study will be conducted of an organizational merger of academic and student affairs divisions at a four-year public institution.

 

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Research Grant Awarded

Submitted by Deb Liddell, University of Iowa

 

The Commission Research Grants Committee is pleased to announce a $700 grant to a University of Georgia research team to study the job expectations of recent doctoral graduates.  The team, comprised of Merrily Dunn, Diane Cooper, and Mark Dadonna, will study several aspects of expectations including perceptions of career development, gains in status, positions, salary, and skill attainment.  They will also pose questions to recent graduates regarding their perceived benefits from doctoral study, and suggestions on curricula.

 

Thanks to those who reviewed proposals. That team included Will Barratt, Raechele Pope, Flo Hamrick, and Deb Liddell.

 

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Reminder About Our Common Acceptance Deadline

Submitted by Deb Liddell, University of Iowa

 

Graduate program faculty members are reminded that that at our 2002 Professional Preparation Commission meeting, we passed a resolution supporting the Council of Graduate Schools policy (endorsed by over 350 institutions) stating that graduate students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support, including assistantships, prior to April 15 each year.  

 

To what does this apply?

This obligates us, as graduate faculty and program directors, to ensure that neither current nor prospective students are pressured to accept offers of scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, and assistantships prior to our agreed-upon common date of April 15.  It is our duty as faculty and program directors, to inform on-campus employers of this policy, and to help them act ethically and abide by this April 15 deadline.

 

What if a student wants to commit earlier than April 15?

Offers of financial support may be made at anytime, along with encouragement to respond prior to April 15. However, we cannot insist upon a response to the offer until April 15. If a student is ready to commit to an offer, he or she may do so at any time.

 

We’ve always done it our own way. Why is this a problem?

For several years, reports have emerged that applicants to some graduate programs are pressured to accept offers of admission and/or offers of assistantship prior to interviews at other campuses. In some cases, prospective students are being told that they must make a decision on an assistantship offer within 24 hours. In other cases, deliberation time is granted, but it is very early (February) in the admissions season.

 

Why should we care about this?  We don’t have a common standard on other issues of admissions.

The most compelling reason to care about this is that it models bad practice for aspiring professionals entering the field. We should not be in a race for students. We should want for them no less than we would want for the new professional who is about to launch a career from our programs: that they will take their time, collect the information they need about their fit to their next institution, visit the campuses they are interested in, and get a sense of their future classmates and mentors. 

 

The other reason we should care is that, from an ethical perspective, it compromises the ability to make informed choices and erodes the autonomy of students. This seems, then, a potential breach of ethical practice. 

 

Finally, it violates the agreement endorsed by over 350 institutions in conjunction with the Council of Graduate Schools (see attached for list or visit http://www.cgsnet.org/PublicationsPolicyRes/resolutions.htm#resolution1 to read the resolution), that states that students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support including assistantships prior to April 15. 

 

For those reasons, we seek support and enforcement of this resolution.  We further hope to educate our professional community of preparation faculty, assistantship employers, and prospective students about our collective rights and responsibilities in the admissions process.

 

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You're On-line in the Directory of Graduate Preparation Programs

Submitted by Michael Coomes and Janice Gerda, Bowling Green State University

 

Mid-spring is decision time for graduate students planning to begin programs in the summer and fall of 2003.  One of their best (and most accessible) tools for comparison is the Directory of Graduate Programs Preparing Student Affairs Professionals, so you might want to consider updating your program information.  Some categories of information change frequently (tuition and fees, student demographics, faculty lists) and prospective students will notice and appreciate updated information.  Don't get caught showing 1998-99 demographics.  Come on into the 21st century!  Be on-line and up-to-date!

 

If you are already listed in the directory, your updates are FREE.  Information submitted by January 31 is guaranteed to be on-line by the ACPA conference, but we will make efforts to update pages as soon as we can after receiving revisions.  Please send updated information to webmaster Janice Gerda, gerdaj@bgnet.bgsu.edu.

 

If your program is not currently listed in the Directory, please consider adding it.  The cost is $50 for unlimited updates.  Please e-mail Michael Coomes at mcoomes@bgnet.bgsu.edu. He will reply by e-mail and attach a template or questionnaire to be completed and returned electronically. After completing and forwarding the template, the page will be placed on-line with limited access for review before being linked to the rest of the Directory.  The institution requesting inclusion in this directory will need to also fax or mail a hard copy of the web page with a check for $50.00 (payable to ACPA). Our receipt of the hard copy will indicate your final approval of the webpage content.

 

Questions or concerns about this procedure should be directed to Michael Coomes at the above e-mail address, or by calling 419-372-7157.

  

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MMOGSISP

Submitted by Ellen Broido, Bowling Green State University

 

Bowling Green State University's College Student Personnel and Higher Education Administration programs, along with the Bowling Green Student Development Association (BGSDA) and the Bowling Green Higher Education Administration Doctoral Students organization (BG-HEADS), is pleased to host the 2003 meeting of the Midwest Meeting of Graduate Students in Student Personnel (MMOGSISP).  We wish to invite all mid-western (very loosely defined as "reasonable driving distance from Bowling Green, Ohio") graduate students in student personnel and preparation-program faculty to attend the conference, held on the campus of BGSU, October 15-17, 2003. We promise good ideas, good company, and good humor.

 

This year, in addition to the usual tracks for masters students and preparation-program faculty, we will offer an third track for doctoral students, both those in college student personnel programs and those in higher education administration or counselor education/counseling psychology programs who have a focus in college student development and administration. This track will overlap partially with the faculty track for those doctoral students considering faculty careers.

 

A call for programs as well as information regarding registration, hotels, and keynote speakers will follow later this spring. For further information, contact Ellen Broido at ebroido@bgnet.bgsu.edu.

 

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Good News

\       The following people were selected as Senior Scholars by ACPA: Len Baird, Ohio State University; Dea Forney, Western Illinois University; and Carney Strange, Bowling Green State University.

\       The following people were selected as Emerging Scholars by ACPA:  Katie Branch, University of Rhode Island; Scott Brown, Mount Holyoke College; Christine Cress, Portland State University; Jenny Lee, University of California, Los Angeles; Kristen Renn, Michigan State University; Matthew Wawrzynski, Indiana University.

\       Kathleen Manning, Associate Professor at the University of Vermont, is spending the spring 2003 semester teaching at Beijing Normal University in China.

\       In January, Robert Reason joined the Penn State University faculty as an Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Higher Education, He is also co-coordinator of the College Student Affairs program (and that’s great news to his new colleague Daniel Salter).

\       At Ohio State University, Susan Jones was surprised during class by OSU’s president and presented with the Distinguished Teaching Award. As a result of that award, she was part of the half time show for that championship football team of theirs. (Go Bucks!)

\       Anna Ortiz has a new job as Associate Professor (with tenure) of Student Development in Higher Education at California State University, Long Beach. She can now be reached at aortiz6@csulb.edu.

\       Tracy Davis (Western Illinois) and Deb Liddell (University of Iowa) are the recipients of the Commission on Assessment's annual award for outstanding journal article on assessment for "Getting Inside The House: The Effectiveness Of A Rape Prevention Program For College Fraternity Men."  It appeared in the Jan/Feb 2002 issue of Journal of College Student Development. 

 

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This newsletter is distributed electronically only. An e-mail announcement is sent to all members of the Professional Preparation Commission and to the CSP-Talk listserv.

 

 

 

Professional Preparation Commission Home Page

 

To join the Commission or change Commission or Standing Committee memberships, click here: https://acpant.acpa.nche.edu/member.nsf/activity+change+form

 

 

 

ACPA Home Page

 

 

To update your address on your ACPA membership, click here: https://acpant.acpa.nche.edu/member.nsf/address+change+form

 

 

2003 Convention Home Page

 

 

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Updated: March 18, 2003