CONWAY, Ark. (December 3,
2021) – Hendrix College staff and students presented two separate workshops at
the recent 2021 NASPA Region IV-West Conference held in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, November 8-9 and virtually on November 10-11. As an organization for
student affairs professionals in higher education, NASPA holds conferences for
professionals, graduate preparation faculty, and graduate students.
Representing Hendrix College were
Director of Student Outreach Services (SOS) Christy Coker; economics major Reilly
O’Neill ’23, fall 2021 team leader of Student Outreach Alternative Resources
(SOAR); and computer science and health sciences double-major Alexandria Cade
’23, mentor-mentee liaison with SOAR for 2021-22. They presented on Realizing
Improved Student Engagement (RISE), SOS, and SOAR.
Coker introduced
RISE to the conference attendees by emphasizing the strong collaboration
between Academic Success and SOS in providing post-first semester support for
students who may not have done as well as they had intended. Incoming
first-year students are engaged from the moment they arrive on campus in all
aspects of independent living and academic responsibilities. Some students struggle
to retain the massive amount of information they receive in the first few weeks
of college. RISE provides the opportunity for students who are or have been
struggling to stop, take a step back, and regroup. In doing so, students discern
how to move forward in a positive manner without dwelling on past perceived
failures. Because the past is no longer a barrier, students can look forward to
their successes. RISE objectives include learning to re-think and re-establish
personal, social, and community goals; increasing introspection,
self-awareness, and self-acceptance; and organizing and strengthening time
management and study skills.
Coker, O’Reilly,
and Cade discussed SOS and SOAR, the relationship between the two, and outcomes
of the holistic program for students learning to “adult.” Many institutions of
higher education have expectations that teens arriving on campus automatically will
assume an adult role. The orientation provided upon first-year student arrival
to campus introduces, but does not have the ability to enhance, aspects of
adulting.
SOS engages all
segments of the student population with mentor services, resources, programs,
networks, intervention and/or prevention to increase successful and positive
student experiences throughout their time in the college community. A unique
and progressive program, SOS is designed to support students as they transition
from high school and home life to college and future life through a structured,
collaborative, and confidential process. That transition process requires
engagement and re-engagement in a continuous cycle via communication and
supportive programs. This transition begins with a holistic and total wellness
conversation between SOS and the student before connecting the student with
other avenues. Coker presented the construct and methodology of holistic
assessment and connecting students to people, services, programs, etc., both on
and off campus for personal, academic, and community growth.
SOAR is the
flagship program of SOS, with upper-class campus leaders who want to make a
difference in the lives of incoming students serving as peer mentors – not
academically, but personally, socially, and in the community. O’Reilly and Cade
are the co-team leaders for SOAR this semester and shared the process of
student recruitment, involvement, common practices, and appreciation.
With a team of 35
students, SOAR focuses on peer-mentoring through one-on-one conversations as
well as smaller, quieter on-campus events for those individuals not interested
in loud music or larger gatherings. Each SOAR member is certified to aid in
personal and social support with 65 hours of intense training in Mentoring 101,
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), safeTALK (suicide prevention and intervention),
Escalation/One Love (relationship violence signs and intervention), Emotional
Intelligence (EI/EQ), Title IX and Clery Act, Public Safety support, and
identification for substance emergencies.
SOAR also
oversees alternative events for students; collaborative events for students,
faculty, staff, and alumni; Second Saturday Suppers and Itza Pizza Nites for
when the Dining Hall is closed; holiday food pantry for students who remain on
campus during breaks; and off-campus events. By creating unique avenues, SOAR
provides a safe, enjoyable experience for students, helping first-year students
build a stronger, more fluid transition into college life and making SOAR a
refreshing haven of good friendships and lasting memories.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas,
Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading
liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change
Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its
academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a
fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.