The Division of Student Affairs cultivates an inclusive environment to advance

students' holistic development through intentional learning and

transformative engagement.

A Message from our VP

Is it really the mid term mark for the fall semester?  Did Homecoming really already happen?   It feels like we were just kicking off a new year and now the weather has changed and we are just about half way through the fall term.


In August, we recorded a 23% increase in overall student attendance (as compared to August 2021) at events.  While unique student attendees decreased by 3%  (in my view due in large part to a significantly smaller first year class), we are using the Eagle Engage check-in feature 26% more than one year ago.  Students are responding to the work you are doing and our students are engaging in activities!  Did you know that in addition, the student attendance at Homecoming 2022 activities increased by 3000 attendees this year?  That’s right, more than 3000 more student attendees were recorded at events during Homecoming 2022.  (And, that is before we count the football attendance which will increase that number even more!)  All I can say is, WOW.  Keep up the great work engaging our students!


Last month, we kicked off the Division CREST leadership program where 15 of us are focusing on our leadership skills each month this year.  In addition, the Armstrong Task Force is in full swing reinventing curriculum delivery on the Armstrong Campus.  If you have questions or feedback about student engagement, don’t hesitate to contact Megan Feasel, the student engagement work group chair on the task force.  Last month, we also sent a group of GS new professionals to the new professionals workshop at Georgia College & State University.  I also enjoyed attending GS’s 40 Under 40 celebration with two of our own, LaShai Campbell and Marcya Barrerio.  They are in the 2022 class and make us all proud!


This month, look for new information about Celebrate Together Spirit Week coming the week of October 17 with enhanced activities around the Celebrate Together event to be held October 20.  I love seeing this innovation and change in programming championed by the Office of Student Activities, along with several other units!  Keep up the great work!


Thank you for all you do to make GS home to engaging campuses where students have opportunities to be transformationally engaged and learn intentionally through a variety of programs and initiatives.  I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter with a variety of opportunities for you to be involved and/or share resources with your students.


Go Eagles! 


New Professionals Workshop

Learn more about QPR Gatekeeper Training here


Register for QPR Gatekeeper Training here


Register for "Understanding Yourself and Others Through True Colors here


Join the journey of Alternative Breaks! Alternative Breaks is a student volunteer program that connects students to communities across the country. We are currently accepting applications for students to join us for Winter Break (December 11th through 16th), linked here.


This Winter Break will focus on wildlife rescue and nature preservation! Students who participate will meet new people, engage in leadership development activities, and earn 40 volunteer hours!


The cost of participation is $165 and we offer scholarships through the application process, as well as advisement on personal fundraising to cover the cost of the break. 


Visit our website to learn more!

Office of Student Wellness & Health Promotion

The office of Student Wellness & Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Response Team are facilitating and supporting several different events on both campuses for "It's On Us" week.


The "It's On Us" campaign was launched in 2014 by the White House in an effort to address sexual assault on college campuses. This campaign is defined as " a rallying cry inviting everyone to step up and realize that the solution begins with us. It's a declaration that sexual assault is not only a crime committed by a perpetrator against a victim but a societal problem in which all of us have a role to play.


We are reframing sexual assault in a way that inspires everyone to see it as their responsibility

to do something, big or small, to prevent it. We are asking everyone to create an environment,

be it a residence hall, a party, a club, a sports team, or the greater college campus, where sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported. We are raising awareness, holding ourselves accountable, and looking out for someone who cannot consent." 

Office of Leadership and Community Engagement

Counseling Center

Learn more about Counseling Centre workshops


Click here to learn about the Sleep Clinic


Click here to learn about QPR

Division Spotlight

New Staff Spotlight

Cecilia Dockery,

Assistant Director of Student Conduct

(SBO Campus)


Cecilia Dockery moved to Georgia from Northern Utah, where she served as the Director of Student Conduct at Weber State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in Aquaculture, but has been working in higher ed since completing her master's degree at the University of West Florida in 2013. She has worked in housing, conduct, and Title IX, and is excited to join the Conduct team at Georgia Southern. Outside of work she enjoys running, hiking, baking, and cake decorating. 

Taylor Elkins,

Coordinator of Student Conduct

(SBO Campus)


Taylor was raised in the small town of Cairo, Ga. During a school campus tour his senior year of high school, he fell in love with the Georgia Southern Campus and its culture. While in undergrad, he was a part of SGA, SOAR, and Southern Leaders. He earned his bachelor's degree in 2020 in Psychology from Georgia Southern, and his masters in School Psychology in 2022. He hopes to use his experience to educate others, especially new students, get acclimated to campus life and “know the code”. After hours he enjoys exercising, traveling, and spending time with his two lovely pets & fiance at home. 

Division Announcements

Nominations for the 2022-2023 University Awards of Excellence are now open! 

 

The University Awards of Excellence for Faculty and Staff are designed to identify and reward individuals who make outstanding contributions to the success of Georgia Southern University. Through this awards process, Georgia Southern will recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in performance and contributions to one area of the University’s pillars and values. Each recipient, excluding the team award winners will receive a $1,000 professional development funding along with a medallion. 


Click here to learn more and to nominate a deserving faculty and/or staff member.

Marvin Pittman Administration Building, Suite 1002

912.478.2796 | studentaffairs@georgiasouthern.edu