During the Student Affairs Committee meeting, the Board of Regents received presentations Thursday, Feb. 7 from the Student Affairs Professional Development, Diversity and Community Involvement (DCI), and Residence Hall Association (RHA). These brief presentations consisted of an overview and updates that each organization has improved to help better the student community here at Eastern.
The Professional Development Committee expressed how professional development goes beyond just staff and faculty here; this committee is dedicated to servicing the students as well. The mission and vision of the Professional Committee reiterate providing quality development opportunities for all and achieving their professional and personal goals, including those in Academic and Student Affairs.
Julia Heck and Sean Woolf expounded upon how Professional Development Committee has taken a LEADS focus: Leadership, Ethical Professional Practice, Assessment, Evaluation and Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Student Learning and Development. “We really try to incorporate those on a level with not only our students but the work that we do with each other as colleagues,” Heck explained.
Diversity and Student Involvement here on Eastern’s campus presented upon “Moving Forward Together Through Strategy.” Director Steven Bryant expressed how the team at DCI has worked effortlessly to improve servicing all their programs and resources such as the Center of Multicultural Affairs, the LGBTRC, VISION, and the Women’s Resource Center. “By implementing this new process, we can create better efforts,” Bryant said.
Residence Housing Association recently restructured its process and created a new plan on conducting matters within the housing communities. On RHA’s list of restructuring, it has teamed up with organizations, such as Student Government, to create new initiatives and have received feedback concerning those matters.
In March, annually, RHA has Little Sibs Weekend, a time when residents’ siblings age 18 and under have the opportunity to stay on campus for a short period of time. As RHA plans for this annual event, this year’s theme will be “Carnival.”
Concluding the presentations, Student Body President Candice Crutcher gave a statement concerning new issues arising on campus with the status of housing being prioritized and how students are facing issues with on-campus housing such as Westview/Cornell, Wise, and Downing. Due to the changes in weather over the past two weeks, there have been multiple complaints of flooding, power outages and low temperatures in almost every residence hall. Student Government plans to compile all the data received within the next few weeks and updates will be given out at further notice.
