An Interview with Greg Overend and Lisa Saverese
Office Location: Bartels Hall, Top Floor
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (open until 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays)
Contact: [email protected] or 203-479-4582
What can you say about the history of this office?
The Office of Student Activities began with Becky Johnson in the late 1980’s, when there were around 25-30 clubs and organizations at UNH. Since then, that number has skyrocketed from about 50 in 2003, around the time that Greg Overend became the Director, to over 150 today. To accommodate this dramatic increase, the office has expanded by adding Lisa Saverese to the staff about four years ago and bringing Andrew Mayer aboard over the summer.
Who comprises the staff?
Greg Overend is the Director of Student Activities and Lisa Saverese is the Assistant Director of Student Activities. Andrew Mayer serves as the Office Coordinator, and the office also has five graduate assistants. In total, the Office of Student Activities employs about 50 undergraduate students, in various places including the main office, the Bartels Info Desk, the Bartels Student Activity Center, and the New Hall game room.
What services does the office provide to students?
The Office of Student Activities oversees all of the clubs and organizations of the university. This includes initiating the recognition process for new clubs and organizations, signing contracts, managing the Co-Curricular Transcript, and overseeing the events they hold. The office directly advises the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) and the three campus media organizations: Student Committee of Programing Events (SCOPE), The Charger Bulletin, and The Chariot Yearbook. The office also oversees the operations of the Bartels Student Activity Center and the game room in New Hall.
Lastly, the Office of Student Activities plans and coordinates many events and programs, including Leadership Education & Development (LEAD), Student Orientation, Advising & Registration (SOAR), Welcome Week, Family Day, Midnight Madness, Twisted Thursday, Late Night Programming, the Snowball Semi-Formal, Spring Weekend, Senior Week, and more.
Is there anything else you would like students to know?
Students who want to be involved on campus, but don’t know where to begin are free to come into the office and browse the listing of opportunities on campus, as well as have any questions answered. You can also friend Stu Act on Facebook to receive updates on what programs and events are occurring on campus or check out the office website at www.newhaven.edu/studentactivities. Lastly, if you have an interest or activity that a club doesn’t already exist on campus for, it’s very easy to start one!
