Cafe Victoria

At the end of each school year, I have my student government officers complete an online survey asking them to share what they learned and what advice they would give to the next board. Out of 23 students, 11responded. Here is the results of 2 of the questions:

What did you learn while being part of ASB
1     everyone has something to offer
2     how to be more involved in shared governance.
3     leadership
4     I learned about Robert’s Rules and the structure of formal meetings. I also learned the effectively of students in creating a government for other fellow students.
5     That sometimes good work get’s interrupted by bad behavior
6     I learned how to work better as a group, how to use your resources, and how to help others other.
7     that there is more i can do for the students i represented
8     Once we can set aside all of the differences, ASB can be a great team and we help the community and look out for the students.
9     Being a leader requires a lot of patience and understanding not only on my part but also the entire board as a whole.
10     That I have a greater potential. College student government has a purpose. People can be too emotional about politics
11     I learned what it takes to hold a successful event on campus.

What advice would you give to the incoming board?
1     give thanks as often as you can
2     To keep emotion out of the board room and to approach this with a business like attitude.
3     listening to each other
4     Be respectful. Always listen to what others have to say and give them a chance to speak.
5     keep up the good work and always put students first before personal adgendas
6     Use ASB to it’s fullest potential, use the resources, the friendships, and the time you have in the office and working with the people and the students to better benefit yourself as well as others around you and on campus.
7     i wish them luck i think they will need it. they have alot going against this year lossing so many key members that many respected.
8     Learn to communicate to one another. Don’t have a secret agenda. Live life. It’s not me against you, we are all here for the same reason, representing the students.
9     Be open to the advice your fellow board members have no matter how much you agree. Hear everyone out and dont jump to conclusions. Make your decisions not solely on your own ideals but also based on the students you represent. Do not follow people on making decisions just because everyone agrees, but make your own decision based on what you believe is right. Be bold, be truthful, and most of all remember you aren’t just representing yourself, but your representing the campus.
10     Learn about procedure early on. Enjoy what you do,but do your job
11     Remember your duty is to represent the students and not to represent your own interests.

I recently was at the Community College Student Senate General Assembly in San Diego. During the Advisors reception, I asked everyone to describe this year of advising student government in one word. For me, my word was “new”. I’ve been advising community college student government boards for 7 years and as I come up to our last board meeting, I feel like this was my first year. In a way, that is great. Because the reality is ever student government is their own group. As the board changes, so does the advising. I’m learning that with Student Affairs, there is always something to learn, something to change and something to keep.
I learned- before I ask a board member to sign a contract about conduct, I need to ask them how they prefer to solve conflicts.
I would change- by putting my student workers first.
I would keep- taking my full lunch break, going to yoga, and checking in with my boss.

A new week starts tomorrow. In the world of Student Affairs, there most likely is a student event happening (for me, it is Day of Silence as well as the dunk tank at the MESA Fair), commitee meetings (I think I saw an email for a text book advisory committee I am part of), and the reality that the final weeks of the semester are fast approaching (5 weeks until finals). Recently, I have been asking the unverse for some sort of balance from the overwheming problem solving I’ve been doing at work. I am happy to say I finally feel a sense of balance. Working on a college campus, I can easly fill my days with advising students and thinking of creative ways to better serve, connect, and educate them. But now, I realize I am a better advisor when I can leave campus heading off to do something completly different.  I feel strong what I do yoga, finish a very long hike with my husband, call a friend. I feel balanced.

This semester I am observing Marci Sanchez’s Tuesday/Thursday 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Counseling 98: Learning Community Experience/Community College Experience. The Counseling College Success course is paired up with English 85 as part of the English Learning Communities. The ELC program has had excellent retention rates and has done my favorite student affairs thing; built community for those students. I decided to make time in my schedule this spring to observe because I learned over winter break that the graduate program I was part of less than a year ago added one more course requirement and changed the degree to Master of Science in College Counseling and Student Development. It originally was called Master of Education in College Student Affairs (CSA).  I am scheduled to take the additional course in summer of 2009.

During my time researching and writing about the field of student affairs, I discovered that I also have a passion to engage students about the college experience at the classroom level as well. I’ve really enjoyed sitting in her class. I hope down the road I can be part of the ELC teaching community or teach one of many counseling college success courses colleges offer.  I think understanding more of the faculty site of the house will make me a better college leader and advsor to students.

Since being part of Marci’s class I have learned:

• what needs to be in a syllabus such as information on learning accommodations, attendance policy, late work policy and grade chart.
• how to use Career /Personality assessments such as CareerDimension.com and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)
• how to write class objectives and be flexable at the same time.
• teaching “College Success” really comes down to helping students understand why they are in college in the first place and helping them to over come the fears they carry with them about learning.

I’ve been noticing something new about myself in the last couple months. I’m discovering my own style of leadership. But at the same time, I’ve felt uneasy about showing it. One side of my leadership style is that I want everyone around me to have the same kind of energy and excitement as I do. I want them to follow through and aim to do great work. But the reality I’m facing is that what might be a priority for me, might not be for that person.  I saw this poem on my co-hort’s member Tira’s blog. It rings true to what I’ve been feeling lately.  Thanks Tira for sharing!

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered
Forgive them anyway
If you are kind People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives
Be kind anyway
If you are successful, You will win some false friends and some true enemies
Succeed anyway
If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you
Be honest and frank anyway
What you spend years building, Someone could destroy overnight
Build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, They may be jealous
Be happy anyway
The good you do today, People will often forget tomorrow
Do good anyway
Give the world the best you have, And it may never be enough
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway

You see, in the final analysis It is between you, your self, and God . . .
It never was between you and them anyway

During Lent, I remove the candy from my candy bowl that sits on my desk. I’ve discovered, that when working at a Public College, it can be a challenge to work in the Spirituality. In away, taking away chocolate for 40 days creates a conversation about religion can trigger a fun reminder that they need to pencil in some faith on their must get done list.  I am not sure if I will make it to mass today. My local Catholic churches are still not advertising mass times on the Internet. In my heart, I will keep today’s daily word meditation.

Today, I learned the important lesson of loving the place you call home. I had a very Student Affairs day. It was filled with catching up on unanswered emails due to being out sick on Tuesday, getting in a 30 minute lunch before running off to a committee meeting to than turn around and advise an extra long student government meeting . As I was driving home, I got the craving for Thai Food and went down to the Sonoma Plaza. As I was walking to the restaurant, I realized how much I love Sonoma, and in away, I can’t do all I do with college students without having a place I love to call home.

We must refuel. To be our best to ourselves, to our students, to our staff, we must have a place, a way to refuel.

This past Saturday, I joined 16 student government officers for a day of leadership and team building at Westminster Woods in Occidental. At the beginning of every spring semester, I work with two board members to plan a one day mid year leadership retreat.  For the spring retreat, I’ve always used Westminster Woods Confrence center but never their ropes course. All I can say now is the ropes course is a must! Any time you get a group of people to play games, solve problems and climb trees; you are bound to have a changed group. And that is what happen to my  group. Thanks Westminster Woods! I am excited to see how my group acts this week. Monday night, we’ve got The Big Game with Napa’s Women and Men basketball teams playing neighbor rival Solano Community College and Club Rush on Wednesday and Thursday.

Lately, with the news on California budget cuts and the unknown of what the next two years will bring to Higher Education, I’ve been wondering;
-If there are no jobs, how will our students pay for their classes? Or their housing?  How will they be able to stay in school?
-If they are predicting that more people will need to come back to school for job training, why do we start offering less courses instead of more?
-If colleges are having to cut back, why are we not asking what is best for the students?

This past weekend, I and seven other students attended the Fall General Assembly sponsored by the Student Senate of the CA Community College (SSCCC). It was held at the Double Tree Hotel in San Jose. My new favorite thing is Double Tree Chocolate Walnut cookies. Soo good! My other new favorite thing is this whole idea of the Student Senate General Assemblies. This was my first time attending the annual conference. I usually would send two students by themselves. This year, I decided to join them. I am really glad I did and that we sponsored more then just two students.

The Student Senate group of student leaders really impressed me. Through out the assembly, my students joined many other students from 74 out of the 110 community colleges to write resolutions, attend workshops, run for senator-at-large positions (there were 25 candidates alone!) and vote on 22 different resolutions. The resolutions address counseling needs such as more freshmen seminars, support towards equity and diversity regarding the Umoja Community and AB540 programs, decreasing international student fees, student involvement at the Board of Trustee level and Environmental/Sustainability issues. There were 6 resolutions alone addressing sustainability issues! My students alone presented 5 resolutions.

As I watch the students’ debate, take action and network across college campuses, I kept thinking that the media needs to be here. Today’s community college students are putting a new face to who the community college student is. The community college student is no longer lost or unmotivated. Today’s community college students are serious about their education. They are willing to learn and can be an inspiration for us all.

To find out more about the action being taken at the CA statewide level by community college students, visit the Student Senate web site at www.studentsenateccc.org