USC Student Affairs

Learning Has No Boundaries

Student Affairs Fall Conference Presentation Summary
August 9, 2006

Breakout Session 1
Breakout Session 2
Breakout Session 3

Fall Conference Overview

?An inspiring sense of collaboration? ? that is how one participant described Student Affairs? fall conference, Learning Has No Boundaries.

On August 9, over 150 staff and faculty attended the conference, designed to offer on-campus professional development, provide updates on new programs and initiatives, and build excitement for the upcoming academic year. The event, which was organized by Kelly Nelson for the Office of the Vice President, also offered staff a chance to showcase their own research and areas of interest. Student Affairs staff members were joined by 40 guests from academic schools including the Marshall School of Business, Annenberg School for Communication, Viterbi School of Engineering and Thornton School of Music.

The program started with welcoming remarks by Provost C.L. Max Nikias and Vice President Michael Jackson. Provost Nikias spoke about the importance of a diverse education, stressing that all students, regardless of discipline, need a broad background in the arts and humanities. He also noted, that as a parent, he?s seen first-hand the importance of the work the Division of Student Affairs does. Dr. Jackson thanked division staff, in advance, for all that they will do for students in the upcoming year. Many conference participants remarked that the presence of the Provost reaffirms that Student Affairs is a vital organization at USC.

?Learning Has No Boundaries? lived up to its name with a selection of 15 programs organized into three sessions. On their evaluations, participants praised the diversity of the sessions and the quality of the presentations. Presentation topics ranged from working with today?s college parents to a photographic exploration of campus design and diversity to ?Bureaucracy Blues,? a musical parody of the difficulties international students face.

Breakout Session 1

• Helping Students with Eating and/or Body Image Concerns
  Presenters: Elizabeth A. Reyes and Kristy Morrell
Resources

1. National Eating Disorders Association Web site
2. University Park Health Center Eating Disorder Treatment Web site
3. Educators: Understanding Your Role e-article
4. Causes of Eating Disorders e-article


• Family Affairs: Working with Today's College Parents (pdf)
  Presenter: Lynette Merriman


• Creating an Identity for Student Affairs: Who Are We? (pdf)
  Presenters: Amy Johnson and Sue Vogl


• Visions and Voices: Exploring USC's New Arts and Humanities Initiative
  Presenter: Tara McPherson
Resources

1. Visions and Voices Web site
2. About the Initiative Web site


• Back to School Reading List: Learning From Recently Published Books
  Presenters: Carol Schmitz and Leah Schueler
Resources

1. Back To School Reading List (pdf)
2. Assessing Your Inner Wizard and Warrior (pdf)
3. ACUHO (pdf)



Breakout Session 2

• Choosing Civility: An Exploration of Being Purposefully Considerate (pdf)
  Presenters: Paula Swinford, Jenny Attanasio, Megan Davis, Kristy Morrell, Natasha Mmeje


• Building a Targeted, Culturally Sensitive Career Development Curriculum
  Presenters: Sumun Pendakur and Manisha Sharma
Resources

1. API Curriculum Template (pdf)
2. Suggested References (pdf)
3. Breaking It Down Series (pdf)
4. The Model-Minority Myth (pdf)


• USC?s Move Toward Becoming a Residential Campus
  Presenter: Dr. Michael L. Jackson


• How Campus Cultures Influence College Men's Gendered Behavior: Implications for Student Affairs (pdf)
  Presenter: Frank Harris III


• Bureaucracy Blues: Performed by the Office of International Services
  Presenters: Laurie Cox, Trevin Barnes, Gwendolyn Crowe, Cheryl Gilman, Nancy Gomez, Dixon Johnson, Dolores Montes, Tina Nguyen, Becky Peterson, Zach Williams and April Williams
Resources

1. Toward a New Foreign-Student Strategy (pdf)
2. International Student Enrollment Report 2005-2006 (pdf)

Breakout Session 3

• The Thursday Night Challenge: Developing a Viable Alternative to Alcohol on Thursday Night (pdf)
  Presenters: Matthew Nelson and Chris Zacharda


• A Home for All: A Photographic Exploration of Campus Design and Diversity
  Presenter: Scott Smith


• Self-Made Man, One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again, by Norah Vincent
  Presenter: Mona Cravens
Resources

1. Norah Vincent's Web site includes her biography, a review of her book, Self-Made Man, by the New York Times Book Review and an excerpt from chapter one.


• Updates on Student Affairs Construction Projects: Campus Center, Student Health Center & Parkside II
  Presenters: Patrick Bailey, Cathy DeFrancesco, Denzil Suite


• Stop Bias Now: Unveiling the Residential Education Bias Response Protocol
  (pdf), (poster)
  Presenters: Jonathon Hyde and Amanda Ebner