Tag: UTK College Student Personnel
UTK Attends SACSA Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC

UTK Attends Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC

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More than 40 University of Tennessee Knoxville students (undergraduates and CSP – College Student Personnel), faculty, and Division of Student Life practitioner-educators recently attended the 2018 SACSA Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC (November 3-5, 2018).   Below are several highlights from the annual conference.

  • Tanisha Jenkins (ELPS Doctoral Candidate; Director, UTK Office of Multicultural Student Life) presided over the 2018 conference serving as SACSA President.
  • Luke Sciuilli (Cohort 2019), Aaron Dixon, Karen Boyd, Talisha Adams, Kelly Phillips, Kerri Lovegrove, Abby Grogan, Danny Glassman, Lori Smith, and David Ndiaye presented at the conference.
  • Luke Sciulli (Cohort 2019) and Madison Merrifield (Cohort 2019) finished 1st in the Case Study Competition. Each received a $150 award.
  • Karis Hill (Cohort 2020) and Olivia Stevens (Cohort 2020) finished 2nd in the Case Study Competition. Each received a $100 award. (There were 13 teams in the case study competition).
  • Jheri Wills (Cohort 2019) was the first SACSA Presidential Intern and chaired the Graduate Student Symposium.
  • Dorian McCoy was awarded the SACSA/CAS Ted K. Miller Award for Excellence (to recognize outstanding accomplishments in advancing standards of practice and quality assurance in educational programs and services in higher education).
  • We had approximately 30 members of the Vol Nation attend dinner Sunday at the Flying Fish.  Thanks to Abigail Brumfield for organizing. Tanisha Jenkins hosted a reception in the Presidential Suite after dinner (just for the Vol Nation).
  • Chris Ndiritu (Cohort 2018) chaired the Undergraduate Symposium.
  • The UT Baskets auctioned for $155.  For the second consecutive year, the UT Baskets generated the most dollars for the SACSA Foundation. Basket 1 auctioned for $100 and Basket 2 auctioned for $55.  Thanks Karis for “putting together” the baskets.

Big Orange College Tour

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Has anyone ever told you to “never judge a book by its cover”? Well, I’m adding to the phrase: never judge an institution by its type.

College Student Personnel Universities VisitLast week, my graduate program of College Student Personnel spent three full days visiting Belmont University, Fisk University, the University of Tennessee at Martin, and West Kentucky Community Technical College to learn about how these institutions worked. While I will probably wait a while before hopping on a bus again, I am definitely thankful for the chance to see my learning in action. Meeting with student affairs professionals, asking questions, and looking behind-the-scenes at how students are served at each location allowed me to build a better picture of this field I’m learning about at the University of Tennessee.

The biggest lesson of the trip, though, was that my preconceived notions of what I thought I’d see were so wrong. My assumption that a small, rural community college wouldn’t be as impactful for students as a large, urban institution was shattered. I realized that, sometimes, tradition and a tight-knit community makes for a group of amazing student leaders. And I’m going to take this lesson into the rest of my career. As I continue my education at the University of Tennessee, I’m going to look for the gems within the University that make this institution amazing. I can’t wait to find them.

Story written by Madison Merrifield, graduate student in the College Student Personnel program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. 

Chris Ndiritu

CSP Student Receive SACSA Graduate Student Award

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The College Student Personnel Program located in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is proud to share that our 2018 Cohort student, Chris Ndiritu, has been awarded the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) award for Outstanding Graduate Student for 2017.

Chris Ndiritu, Recipient of the SACSA Graduate Student AwardChris has demonstrated “academic achievement, campus involvement and potential for significant contributions to the Student Affairs profession” per the qualification guidelines for the award.  While working towards his degree, Chris is also an Assistant Hall Director for Hess Hall.

The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences congratulates you Chris!  Read more about the SACSA; an organization “providing cooperative assocation and professional development for professionals engaged in college student affairs work.”