The Department of Housing and Residential Education was recognized during the fall 2021 CSUSB Convocation with a President’s Staff Award for Team Achievement. The President’s Staff Award for Team Achievement is designed to encourage, recognize, and reward employees for involvement and participation in a specific project, initiative, or event by a team (department or division) that supports one or more of the following attributes: collaboration, innovation, responsiveness, service, and teamwork.
Dr. Daria Graham, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, co-authored the chapter “Centering Social Identities and Reflection” in the book Advising and Supporting in Student Affairs. The book is a practical guide that helps student affairs professionals do the perpetual reflection needed to sustain themselves in the profession. It brings into focus essential aspects of professional development, such as how to raise your self-awareness, how to reflect on your personal and professional identity, and how to do so in the context of the standards and competencies of the profession.
Dr. Molly Springer, Associate Vice President of Student Success and Educational Equity, co-authored the chapter “The Transformational Change Agent Equation: Reziliency of Native American Women in Leadership Roles in Higher Education” in the book Black and Brown Leadership and the Promotion of Change in an Era of Social Unrest. The chapter focused on transformational change within oppressive environments, addressing institutionalized racism stemming from a colonial history of education. It identified barriers including operating in an oppressive work environment which can sometimes render us invisible and silent for self-preservation, threats to our positions from taking a stand against racial or cultural inequity, and resisting assimilation strategies created by structural racism.
Summer Steele, director of GEAR UP and Cal-SOAP, earned the Commitment to Social Justice Award in May. Commitment to Social Justice Award is presented in recognition of outstanding work in fostering diversity and social justice education, competency, and/or action among students, staff, and/or faculty. The Staff Commitment to Social Justice Award recognizes a full-time professional who serves as an example to others through a commitment to diversity and social justice beyond the scope of one’s full-time professional responsibilities.
NASPA’s NOW Professional Recognition recognizes the exceptional contributions from new professionals and graduate students within NASPA. Launched in 2017 in partnership between the New Professionals and Graduate Students Knowledge Community and the NASPA Central Office, the NASPA NOW Professional Recognition recognizes the impact that new professionals and graduate students have upon the student affairs profession. Each year, 25 participants are selected as winners in categories aligned with the NASPA Pillars, Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation, and Inquiry, as well as a fifth category of Impact.
Aimee Vaquera, Confidential Aide to the Vice President of Student Affairs, earned the NASPA NOW Professional – Impact Category Award on March 23. IMPACT NASPA NOW recipients in the Impact category support the mission and strategic plan of NASPA through service to the organization on a campus, regional, or national level. Through their commitment to NASPA, this year’s recipients have made significant impacts on the field of student affairs and higher education.
Jacob Chacko, Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion, earned the NASPA NOW Professional – Inclusion Category Award. Recipients in the Inclusion category seek ways to ensure access, voice, acknowledgement, opportunity, and participation at all levels of student affairs and higher education. Through their work, the 2020 Inclusion recipients have created spaces and championed underrepresented communities.
Agustin Ramirez, director of the Veterans Success Center, and Marci Daniels, director of Services to Students with Disabilities, presented at the 44th annual Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) Conference, Equity & Excellence: Access in Higher Education, on July 21. Titled Exploring Vocational Mentorship: A Method to Improve Graduation Rates among Disenfranchised Students, the interactive session explored two vocational mentorship programs constructed to improve graduation rates by fostering a sense of belonging to professional networks for two historically disenfranchised student populations: those with disabilities and military veterans. Participants learned how to build congenial relationships between faculty, students, and professionals focused on vocational preparation and intellectual skills development and how mentorship can counteract discrimination.
Summer Steele presented at the Siembra Mobile Webinar Series held Oct. 8, 2020. Titled Keeping The Dream Alive: The Fight To Stay on The Academic Pathway, the presentation focused on how higher education administrators and students effectively collaborate, identify, support, nudge, and communicate to help students achieve their dreams.
Summer Steele presented at the National Council for Community and Educational Partnership, Capacity Building Workshop on Feb. 21. Titled How to Mobilize GEAR UP Students, Educators, and Families through Storytelling, the presentation covered a six-step process on how to build a storytelling culture in a GEAR UP community, school, or classroom that connects and inspires all members. Participants learned how to build connections, empowerment, and empathy between staff, students, and parents.
Summer Steele presented at the Westop Annual Conference on March 8. Titled Pre-College Programs: Partnerships that Work, the presentation focused on how the Office of Pre-College Programs narrows the opportunity gap for first-generation students using an equity framework partnership model, high-impact practices, timely intervention, and rigorous evaluation.
Summer Steele presented at the National Council for Community and Educational Partnership, Capacity Building Workshop on July 19. Titled Exploration Lab: Navigating the GEAR UP Match, the presentation focused on the challenges and solutions relating to the GEAR UP match requirement.
Summer Steele presented at the National Council for Community and Educational Partnership, Capacity Building Workshop on July 21. Titled Developing Student Ownership: How Parents and Caregivers Can Help Children Become Life-Long Learners, attendees learned how to develop effective and efficient learning opportunities for families that will build their capacity to empower their child to be as successful as possible.