Skagit Valley College’s Post

CSAM or Careers in Student Affairs Month is a month-long initiative each October to celebrate the field of student affairs and the people in it. This week we want to celebrate Ellicia M., Ed.D. Student and Assistant Director of Athletic Mental Health at SMU. 📘 What do you do and why is it important? I have the privilege of working with our student-athletes to help them break the stigma of seeking help, find ways to process and channel emotions, and learn new coping strategies to help them continue to perform their best in their sport, and remain focused in the classroom. I also focus on implementing new outreach programs to find different ways for student-athletes to engage with counseling. Counseling helps provide student-athletes with a safe nonjudgmental space that allows them the opportunity to process the stress and demands that come with being an elite student-athlete. Focusing on the wellbeing of student-athletes helps them feel more supported on campus which helps to increase positive views on the campus community, leading to a healthier campus culture, and increased retention rates. 📕 How will pursuing doctoral education help you with achieving your career goals? As someone with deep roots in Student Affairs, pursuing the EdD has helped prepare me for additional leadership opportunities, policy and program development, and administrative roles that continue to support overall student wellbeing. 📘 What advice do you have for people looking for a new career to get involved in student affairs? Join a professional association, and begin to network with individuals doing the work you are interested in. 📕 What is the best part of your job? The Students! I love connecting and learning more about their stories and where they want to go.

College life as a working, walk-on, non-scholarship D1 student-athlete looked a lot like this: ☕ Wake up 📚 Go to lectures 🏥 Visit the training room for pre-practice tape and ultrasound/stem treatment 🏐 Practice, where I worked 150% to out-hustle and earn a spot 🏥 Visit the training room for post-practice icing, where you'd wrap every joint in saran wrap with a giant ice bag underneath 👩🔬 Go to 2+ hour anatomy, chemistry, and physics labs with dripping ice bags 👩💼 Non lab day? Non-game day? Off to Chili's I went to work my waitress shift and close the restaurant 📚 Home by 10 pm to start homework Rinse and repeat daily for 5 years Seeking out on-campus support systems and resources was nearly impossible for me, and it is for many students, athletes or not. It's critical that you offer academic support that's available 24/7, to meet students where they are. In the gym, on the road, at work, in the training room, at home late at night writing that 3-page paper, at home with children, you name it. This is the future of non-traditional student academic support. #Grammarlycanhelp #247writingsupport #Aiisthefuture #academicsupportofthefuture

In the fast-paced world of student affairs, the commitment to fostering student success is both a privilege and a challenge. However, the intensity of our dedication can sometimes lead us toward burnout, diminishing our ability to serve effectively. It's vital to remember that self-care isn't selfish—it's essential. By integrating self-care practices into our daily routines, we not only enhance our own well-being but also reinforce the importance of balance for those we mentor. Let's commit to making self-care a non-negotiable part of our professional ethos in student affairs.

This paper from Mollie Dollinger and my upcoming special issue of AEHE is a must read for all in the academic integrity space.

In my education and career to date, I've had many opportunities to help teach people and it's something I strongly value in my role as an educator. One of those opportunities was as a peer tutor during my undergraduate at YSU. On campus, the university had "The Center for Student Progress" and one of the resources offered at the center was tutorial services where undergraduates who had completed courses at the university were available through appointment as tutors for students who were struggling. Our task was to work ourselves out of a job. "We will never be short of clients," our supervisor said. "New students will always come through our doors, but our goal is to make sure people leave here understanding how to learn on their own." I really enjoyed that job as a peer tutor, getting to know all the other tutors in different subjects and working with our tutees. During orientation, we were asked to give examples of how we might describe our own learning perspectives. How would you connect with someone who is struggling? "I've had times in my life where I struggled with a topic," I explained. "There have been times I've needed some extra help, spent time doing supplemental work instead of going to recess, or had to spend extra time working late into the night. There were moments I felt embarrassed about needing extra help, but I value those experiences because every struggle or challenge I face makes me more empathetic to others who are having a difficult time. It puts me in a position where I can help someone else. That's why I'm here." That's why I'm here. If learning was easy, we wouldn't have institutions focused on education. We wouldn't have educators. We wouldn't develop methods aimed at supporting the learning experience. Keep trying and ask for help when you need it. Education is a journey and the only time you fail is when you choose to stop moving forward. Some of the most important lessons are learned through the struggle.

How to address and challenge student cheating and find the right balance between supportive academic integrity approaches and adversarial approaches? In a highly recommended paper in an upcoming issue of Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Cath Ellis and Kane Murdoch have adopted a responsive regulation approach to create a pyramid model with a hierarchy of escalating responses to cheating, matched to levels of student “willingness and ability to do the work of learning.” “The phrase 'work of learning' acknowledges that, while it is possible for students to outsource the work required to produce many assessment artefacts, it is impossible to outsource learning itself… Learning is embodied and like other embodied things - such as sleep, nutrition and exercise - it cannot be outsourced… At the base are those who are willing and able. Higher up are others who at various times and in various ways can’t and at the top others who won’t… The ultimate aim of the enforcement pyramid is to encourage improvement by creating downward pressure so that as many students as possible move out of the top levels into the lower levels, as much of the time and in as many contexts as possible, thereby minimising both risk and cost. That students can be 'pressured' to move both up and down the pyramid is another reminder that students can bring different selves to different learning opportunities at different times and contexts... Generating this downward pressure requires that the tip of the pyramid has a penalty with severe enough force.” The paper is available here https://lnkd.in/gw8ZsijG

College presents you with exciting new circumstances, like the freedom to explore your passions, making personal and professional connections, and the rigors of academic pursuits. However, sometimes it can be overwhelming. Here are some realistic goals you can set to help you stay on track. #UGrad #GoalSetting #StudentSuccess #CollegeLife #HealthAndWellbeing #mds https://lnkd.in/gkwEVawa

Huge #casestudy drop! 🎉 The amazing Wanda Hayes and Lauren Soden from Sunshine Coast Grammar School have shared their thoughts about Study Work Grow in a video to us. There were so many insights revealed in this (and a whole lot of laughs 😂) Thanks Wanda and Lauren for your wonderful support 🙏 If you do #careerdevelopment at your school and want to look at other programs for this year or next, then this is the case study for you: #careers #pathways #higschool #secondaryschool #careersprogram #curriculum #careerclusters #teachingresources #ponder #clusters #careeradvisor #careercounsellor

When I first partnered with a medical career program a few years ago, they were facing a serious problem. One of their programs had a placement rate of 12%. The program was at risk of shutting down. Despite having a strong career placement department, they couldn’t move the needle. They needed help—fast. We started by calling and surveying every graduate from the past three years. We asked where they stumbled and why they struggled to find employment. We learned about the local job market and identified the gaps between graduation, board exams, and employment. Next, we made changes. We integrated board documentation requirements directly into the curriculum, ensuring students were qualified and ready to sit for their exams the day after graduation. We mapped this out strategically through the program. We offered targeted workshops to build up weaker skills. We also covered the costs of live scans, passport photos, and other licensure hurdles that complicated the process. The results? Within one year, the placement rate jumped to 42%. The next year, it was 67%. By the third year, we reached 82%. This is what happens when you listen, learn, and act. It's about more than just curriculum—it's about creating real, lasting change. How are you addressing gaps in your own to ensure student success?

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