My name is Sophie, and I am the PROMISE intern with Oregon State University’s Office of the Dean of Student Life. I am also a recent OSU graduate, and will be entering OSU’s College Student Services Administration Program next year with an assistantship in the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

This summer I am working on a variety of projects, with the foremost being a continuation of my work from the academic year. I had an internship with the Office of the Dean of Student Life during Spring Term,and I created videos for OSU campus resources (Dixon Recreation Center, Valley Library, Counseling & Psychological Services, Student Health Services and Office of the Dean of Student Life). As of this past week they are all captioned for accessibility, posted on YouTube, and are also posted on the up and coming new Dean of Student Life website (which should go live in a few short days). This summer I will continue making more resource videos and creating PDF “cheat sheets” for the existing videos.

Another large project I will be working on is updating the National Association of Student Personal Administrators Undergraduate Fellowship Program (NUFP) program at the OSU campus for the 2012-2013 year. NUFP is a mentoring program designed for underrepresented students interested in pursuing student affairs as a profession. I am updating a syllabus for a AHE 499 NUFP class, creating OSU-NUFP promotional material, connecting with current NUFP Scholars, and filming a NUFP informational video. For anyone interested in a future profession within student affairs and higher education please let me know by leaving a comment!

In short I have some exciting projects on my plate! I will also post the links to the YouTube videos soon in case anyone wants to spend a few minutes learning about some helpful campus resources.

Happy Monday 🙂

Summer term is in full swing in the Office of the Dean of Student Life. We are busily working on some exciting new projects for the OSU community. This summer we have two students working in the office, Sophie, who is a PROMISE Intern and myself, Jeffrey. This blog will be updated by us on a regular basis. We will also have some guest writers such as, Mamta- Dean of Student Life, Tracy- Associate Dean of Student Life, Kim- Student Life Coordinator and maybe some other surprise appearances. We are excited to share some of what we do with you all!

So once again, I’m Jeffrey and I am currently the Student Support Programs Lead for the Office of the Dean of Student Life. I am going to be a Junior in Human Development and Family Sciences & International Studies. This summer I will be working on some projects such as, finalizing and maintaining the Dean of Student Life website and blog, preparation work for the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP) for the OSU campus, Video Projects, the Everyone Matters @ Oregon State campaign and also some other small projects.

Last week I was at the NUFP Dungy Leadership Institute at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. This week I tried to be knowledgable with the projects that I am doing and coordinating with Sophie for tasks. I also finalized the website and it will go live next week, please check it out! We also started to brainstorm more video ideas which are all extremely exciting! That is pretty much what I have been doing this week! Check out the blog next week, Sophie will be kicking it off with what she is doing this summer!

-Jeffrey

Student Life has been a busy campus entity these last few weeks. Sorry for the hiatus, but read what Sarah has been up to lately!

I was given the opportunity to attend the Diversity Summit last week. I have learned about diversity in many of my classes here, but I was excited to learn more about the many different elements of diversity. It was inspiring to listen to the keynote speakers’ talk about their life experience and how their battles made them stronger individuals.

The sessions that were held throughout the 2 day conference had great content and helped me see aspects of diversity that I had not considered before. The session that had the greatest impact on me talked about the power of language. There are so many things that we say on a daily basis, without knowing, that determine our status and position in the world. Language can be used to empower people but it can also be used as a tool for dominance. I am currently making a conscious effort to eliminate words in my vocabulary that unintentionally put others down.

One of the main themes that I took away from the conference as a whole was the concept of intent versus impact. The things we say and do with good intentions can end up hurting others if we are not mindful of our surroundings and the people we are interacting with.

I am so glad that I was able to attend this conference. I have become much more aware of the numerous elements of diversity, even within Oregon State, and I am working hard to make sure the things I say and do have the impact that I intend on.

If you want more info on how the Diversity Summit went, make sure you check out their blog site: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/care/

Last week I switched from New Student Programs to Healthy Campus Initiatives. While working with HCI I am promoting the Be Well 5k Run, Walk and Roll that will take place on Friday, October 21st! I hope to see you all there! I am also working on the Take the Stairs Campaign. I am focusing on people taking the elevator going only 1 floor up or down in the Kerr Administration Building. I am excited to be working with Healthy Campus Initiatives and having the opportunity to see the many ways that we can positively impact our campus!

I am finding that many of the offices that I have worked with, or that I will be working with, are interconnected. A perfect example of how these offices all work together is the Community Care Team. I was invited to sit in on a meeting for the CCT and I enjoyed seeing yet another behind the scenes aspect of Student Affairs. The Community Care Team is a group of representatives from many areas of student life; they meet a couple of times every term to discuss upcoming and current campus events and make sure all offices are on the same page in order to best support the students here. There are so many resources at Oregon State that encourage healthy living and learning; the Community Care Team is here to make sure they are available for all students.

I am only with Healthy Campus Initiatives for a couple more days this week and then I am returning to work with the Office of the Dean of Student Life. I have learned a lot with HCI and I am happy that I am able to be a part of making this campus a healthier place.

Week 2 has been amazing! I am working with New Student Programs and Family Outreach for a week and a half! Working with New Student Programs and Family Outreach is very familiar to me because I have worked with them as a START leader for 2 summers and as an intern this past summer. I am working on the new student blog and creating a reception for the Parent and Family Association members to attend on Dad’s Weekend! I am really enjoying working on the Parent and Family Association reception because I have not had much experience in planning events. It’s interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes and how much effort is put forth to plan and carry out a single event.
Although it may seem like writing a blog is something small, it is actually a very important part of student affairs. I am learning how to connect to students through social media outlets. Things like facebook and new student blogs are a very effective way to keep students updated and aware of what is happening on campus. I was a little intimidated when I first found out I was going to be choosing the topics as well as writing about them, but I have found the whole process much easier than I envisioned and not only beneficial to the new students, but for myself as well.
On Tuesday I attended the “What is Student Affairs?” seminar and learned quite a bit. It was a great experience and it was insightful to hear about how professionals in this field got the where they are today. My aspirations to work in student affairs were solidified in the one hour that I sat and listened to them speak. When I hear these people talk about their experiences, talk to my supervisors and interact with anyone who works in student affairs, the one thing that stands out to me is that everyone wants to be here. I have not heard people complain about not liking their job or being upset over something they have to work on. The professionals and people above me do not see working in student affairs as a job, and neither do I. I am excited to come to work every day and I know that no 2 days will be the same. I start working with Healthy Campus Initiative on Wednesday and I am very excited to see this aspect of student affairs. It is different that the areas I have experienced previously and I know that I will be learning a lot!

My name is Sarah Bowman and I am a senior in Human Development and Family Sciences. I am an undergraduate intern with the Office of the Dean of Student Life. Throughout this term I will be working with the central office of the Dean of Student Life, New Student Programs and Family Outreach, Healthy Campus Initiatives, Child Care and Family Resources, Disability Access Services, Career Services and Student Conduct & Community Standards. My career goal is to work in student affairs; I’m just not sure which area I want to focus on yet. This internship will show me many diverse positions that all reside under the student affairs umbrella. My goals are to learn something new every day and make a positive impact on this campus! I love working with all kinds of people and a student affairs career seems to be a perfect fit for me!
This week my assignment was to create a display to represent the Office of the Dean of Student Life for the Beaver Community Fair. I decided to focus on the sense of community that Oregon State encompasses. I also wanted to bring awareness to the hundreds of resources that are available to all students on campus. Many students are not aware of all the resources here on campus to help them be successful in their years here so I think it is important to get the word out as often as possible. The fair went well and it was great to talk with the students that approached our table! I met a lot of people that are involved in student affairs and a few students that are interested in one day working with student life.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first week of my internship and I have met some amazing people so far! Working in the Office of the Dean of Student Life is something that I look forward to doing every day. It is amazing to see how much work goes into making the university a welcoming and supportive place for all students. There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that keep this campus going strong and I feel very fortunate to be meeting and working alongside the people who make it happen. I am so excited to expand my knowledge of student affairs this term and I look forward to sharing my experience with as many people as possible!

Happy new school year! The Fall can be such a wonderful and busy time that in our excitement to be back in the swing of things, we forget what self care and personal wellness looks like. I am always looking for ways to practice self care, so I thought it might be best to put my own wellness tips in a “Top Five” list. If your spirit is in- spired, I encourage you to try out these 5 tips for a month, and see how you feel.
1.    Get a plant for your living space or office space. Funny story, for almost the entirety of my life, I have never kept a plant alive, un- til I came to OSU. Making time to water the plant, and talk to the plant is not only healthy for you; it is healthy for the plant, too. On the flip side, I can always tell when I am not doing so well, because my plant tells me, by dropping her leaves. When I care for the plant, I am automatically caring for me..

2. Give and/or receive a big, hearty hug. Nothing is as healing as a snuggly hug. Some studies show that hugs can be therapeu- tic, and at least they allow us to remind ourselves of the people with whom we share meaningful connections.

3. Laugh out loud. There is truth behind the cliché that laughter is the best medicine. You relieve stress, you increase oxygen flow to your body, and you get yourself into a positive thinking mindset. Go ahead, make it a belly-shaking jolly laugh, for best results.

4. Eat breakfast. Like beyond ce- real breakfast. Honor your spe- cific dietary needs, and reconsider what you think of as breakfast food. I recently started eating boiled mung beans and rice with spices to my taste, for breakfast, and I find myself fulfilled in a way I never knew was possible.

5. Breathe. Deeply. Fully. And then, fill your lungs some more. We have gotten complacent with the idea that our deep breaths are really deep… and often we have only breathed in about 2/3 of our lung capacity. If you feel inspired, try inhaling (and internally) count to a number that is comfortable to you, and then on the exhale, regulate your air flow to exhale for the same count as your inhale. Try this while closing your eyes. Don’t think about the laundry, or the next email. Just focus on your breath. Now do this for about 10 minutes.
So there you have it- 5 tips to fol- low daily, for the next month. Let me know how it turns out, and I wish you a glorious term!

Do any of you have habits that just stay with you, no matter how hard you try to work on them?  I certainly do.  For as long as I can remember,  I have struggled with my relationship with balance, so I tend to take on more than I might be able to handle.  As a result, certain things just don’t get done- like this blog.  I am so sad that that last time I posted to this blog was in DECEMBER!!!  While I can make excuses, there is no excuse good enough for you… only a promise to do better to honor you.

Some amazing things I have to share:

Black History Month was absolutely amazing.  Kudos to the students and staff in Intercultural Student Services, and the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center, for gifting our campus an ENTIRE month of activities!  I have never experienced such depth of amazing events for an entire month.  I learned about the Black Greek system, as well as Black LGBT leaders, and so much more.

I finally went to my first OSU Women’s Basketball game!  I have a daughter, and supporting  women’s athletics is really important to me.  I was lucky enough to be invited by Beth Rietveld as her guest during one game, and then as a guest of Kirsten Tilleman, one of the members of the team.  I haven’t had so much fun in a long time.  I truly love the competitive spirit of our team, and I particularly was inspired by the interdependent and optimistic approach of our women athletes during the game.  To me, our women showed up with a champion spirit that I hope I can instill in my own daughter.

I also had a chance to attend a leadership conference put on by the Memorial Union Program Council and The Center for Leadership Development, called “Life After College.”  I was so impressed with the attendance, and with the high quality of presentations from the Career Services office, Greek Life, and the Women’s Center.  It was a truly rich day.

The winter term is also a time when my own professional organizations have their national conferences, so I had a chance to spend some time in Chicago, for the NASPA conference, and also in Boston for the ACPA conference.  These organizations are ways for me to network with colleagues and mentors across my profession, so that we can learn better ways to serve students the way they deserve to be served.  I was also in Washington, DC for Gates Millennium Scholarship read, where I had the chance to read scholarship applications for  in partnership with the Asian/Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.  I am truly humbled by the the persistence of our students with modest/low incomes to attain a university education.

Oregon State University is such a special place, because our students are priceless.  Over the past year, I have really enjoyed serving, and learning from our Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU).  While our student government works tirelessly to improve the lives of students here at OSU, I want to highlight something that ASOSU has done for you recently.  As of Sunday April 4th, the Valley Library will be open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week because of a proposal by ASOSU.

Which brings us to today.  Friday.  Last day of Spring Break.  I come to you with a promise- a promise of better communication, more stories, more moments of hmmm.  I come to you recharged and ready for the upcoming Spring term.

m 🙂

Can you feel it in the air? That’s right… what you smell is the anticipation of final exams! When I was a student, the one thing that I wish that I had done differently was pace out how I studied/managed my time during the last week of class and finals week. It was not uncommon to find myself exhausted, and scattered due to excessive studying to make up for procrastination during the term. If ever a time to practice self care, NOW IS IT! If you find yourself stressed- take a moment, and take in a really deep breath, the kind that fills up your entire lung capacity, and then exhale while making a loud sighing sound. Do this 5-10 times. I guarantee, you will feel better. Also, I know you will be tempted to drink a lot of caffeine right now- try water instead! If you love your body, your body will love you, too…

I had the most wonderful day yesterday.  As a new person to Oregon, I am still getting accustomed to the continual rain, and the upcoming continual rainy season.  What I cherish most, is that this rain has transformed my sense of analogies… like the phrase, “when it rains, it pours.”  True statement… both in frustrating times, and in great ones.  Yesterday, literally, while it was raining, and pouring, I had the most amazing day full of amazing connections with our outstanding students on campus.  I had the chance to speak to a DPD class taught by Dr. Juan Trujillo, Linguistics, about my language background and how that background shaped my identity.  What an outstanding class, and outstanding students!  It is inspiring to see students make the meaningful connections, and develop inquiry around the things that make us who we are in our lives, and how we can cherish those elements in each other in a way that is authentic.

Later on in the day, I had the chance to connect with first-year students in a Fireside Chat (shoutout to the U-Engage students- woot!woot!).  While we did talk about Oregon State University, and how OSU serves our students, I think I cherished having this time to talk about wellness, managing a full job-full life in a healthy way, and the replication of botulism (you had to be there…).   From that event, I went to the grand opening of the International Resource Center, located in the MU.  If you haven’t visited the IRC, I highly recommend it.  Kudos to all of our campus community members that come together to create such a wonderful environment for our international and internationally-minded students.  So many students connecting with each other in such powerful ways.

As I walked home, in the pouring rain, I thought to myself, it can rain and pour like this every day if it means connecting with our amazing students.