It has been six weeks since the start of the academic year, students are adjusting to a new normal and the university is prepared to help students with this transition and provide specific resources.
Last week, the Beckerman Recreation Center hosted the first Student Support Day. Representatives from academic and student affairs offices set up tables in the Rec Center to speak with students throughout the day about what they can offer.
Ashley Dunn, associate dean of the office of students, created the event which brought together student and academic offices to be a resource for students to use.
“We know that getting access to resources on campus for students can be difficult, and sometimes they go to an office thinking that they’ll get their answer, and they really need to be in another office,” Dunn said. “We want to eliminate that, so we thought having all the resources in one area in the building would really eliminate the need to sort of bounce around and you could get your questions answered.”
There were two zones set up in the Rec to provide organization for the event. Zone one included student affairs offices like ChargerRec, Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) and the Residence Hall Association.
Students could talk to the leaders of each organization to understand what each one provides and how they can get involved.
The CSELO table offered an iPad that showed students how to access Charger Connection which is the website that shows when and where different events are going on throughout campus.
“We’re hoping to spread all of the great opportunities we have on campus for students to get involved in our many organizations,” said Chris Cheslog, assistant director for Recognized Student Organizations and Operations. “We’re here to help make sure the students can find an organization that can be a home for them on campus.”
CSELO oversees the Recognized Student Organizations (RSO) on campus, student orientations and Greek Life.
The Career Development Center offered pamphlets and instructions on how to upload resumes to Handshake.
“We are really hoping to help students with improving their resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, anything of that sort,” said Maverick Melchiore from the Career Development Center. “Additionally, we’re really trying to have students get their Handshake account, set up, uploading your resumes to handshake.”
The Career Development Center allows students to schedule appointments to review their resume and help with any other future career needs.
The event offered a wellness hub that offered mindfulness activities for students attending. One table included writing a positive affirmation for someone and taking one from the board for yourself. Fidget toys and positive affirmation stickers were offered as free giveaways.
The other side of the Rec Center was a consultation zone where students could meet one on one with specific offices to ask them questions with some more privacy. Offices in the consultation zone included dining services and Counseling & Psychological Services, also known as CAPS.
“We don’t want you to be a junior learning that these things exist, we want you to be on your first day knowing these things exist but feeling like you actually can get a hold of people and get an answer,” Dunn said. “It’s intimidating to email someone, sometimes it’s scary to walk into an office or you’re not sure if they’re the right place, so this was the way to put a face to the need and ensure people got the connection.”
Dunn said she hopes Student Support Day connected students with the right resources sooner rather than later, so offering events similar in upcoming semesters or academic years will help make these resources aware to students.
