August

For many, August is the time of warm weather, backyard BBQs, and vacations, and a time of rejuvenation and reprieve from the grind of daily work, long days and busy careers. It is a time to slow down your work life. In Student Affairs however, August is a month of significant communication with students, to-do lists and other preparation for what is the busiest time of the year, the start of a new academic year. It is not only a busy time but a time for productive reflection. It provides time for consideration and assessment of the previous year’s recruitment, retention and learning outcomes and the opportunity to make better, to improve, and to embrace the opportunity that comes with welcoming a new class – hoping that you can make their experience better than those that have come before them while embracing all their diverse needs, talents and experiences.

The current climate of higher education tests the diversity and value of student programming and services. We are challenged to increase both program participation and scope, and it is common for these increased demands to be implemented by striving to do more with less. The success of these endeavors does not only depend on our students, it is also contingent on our departmental staff understanding the goals of the unit and ensuring that our institution partners, leadership and senior administration are aware of the scope of our work and the significant planning that occurs to ensure that students are appropriately serviced. Using August as a planning milestone in the academic year can facilitate an opportunity to communicate the valuable connections and partnerships Students Affairs departments have throughout our institutions.

There are a number of key aspects to maximizing this opportunity:

Identify your partners in student success

Student success is everyone’s responsibility. In that statement Student Affairs professionals should find the promise in partnership in developing an effective network to support and collaborate in the work of our department. There is no better time to engage partners than in Orientation activities. Whether it is our institution student unions, student recruitment office, academic advising or faculty, make an effort to engage all parties and identify the value in their participation. Once identified it is crucial to clearly identify the partners that have been engaged to ensure the collaboration in the event has been recognized.

Ask yourself – are you improving from last year?

This August do you know if you are doing any better than last year or have you identified specific items that need to be improved? If the answer is yes, put an evaluation plan in place to ensure there is value in these new improvements. If the answer is no, reflect on how the events and programs that you are implementing can be evaluated.  

What do you communicate and how?

Effective communication is crucial to many facets of higher education. Our institutions are large, complex organizations and identifying how we communicate our departmental success to senior administration is an essential element of any communication plan.

Identify success for your department

Success is hard to achieve if your staff don’t know what it is. There is intangible success in any role or department and there is no time more important to identify it than at a time that you know you’re staff will be working hard. I have also always found that once success is defined it is always easier to celebrate once it is achieved.

Some of these items may seem more long term and they are however there is no more important time to start to address these items than August, a month that prepares us for an exciting start to what we have the opportunity to make a great academic year. It is always important to realize that it will only be as good as we make it!

Good luck!

Angie Clarke is the Director, Student Affairs for the Marine Institute Campus of Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. She holds both a B.Sc. (Biochemistry) and a M.Ed. (Post-Secondary Studies) from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is currently a doctorate candidate in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Calgary. As the Director of Student Affairs, has responsibility for Student Support, Placement Office, Student Recruitment and Health and Wellness.

Email: angie.clarke@mi.mun.ca

Twitter: @angclarke

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/angclarke