November, 2020 | Georgia Southern University - Student Affairs E-Newsletter
Student Affairs Connection
Message from the VP- Dr. Shay Little
The Division of Student Affairs is an amazing team! With all that has happened in this unpredictable year and Fall semester, I want to express my overwhelming gratitude to be a part of this Georgia Southern community. A community that has shown time and again how much we care for one another, and for the students we serve.

I am grateful for your focus on keeping students first. With all the ups and downs of this semester, it would have been easy to sit back and just hope for the best, but we focused on our collective goal of providing our students with an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment. You have done this by creating innovative programs and initiatives and being resilient in everything you do.

Since we are now approaching the season of thankfulness, I encourage everyone in the Division of Student Affairs to take time this month to reflect on what you are grateful for in this pandemic world we find ourselves in. I would also encourage you to take the time to tell at least five colleagues that you are grateful for and appreciate them, their work and leadership.

Looking back on my own personal transition this year, I can say that I am grateful for all the challenges and opportunities that evolved. I am incredibly grateful for the welcome and support of the Division of Student Affairs. I am grateful for each of you, and it is a privilege to work in such a devoted and compassionate division at this university. Go Eagles!
New Face
Taylor Goody is one of the newest faces in Student Affairs at Georgia Southern. Goody now serves as the Facility Coordinator for the Armstrong Student Union, where she oversees and manages space set up and event services for the Student Union.

Goody is a Hinesville, Georgia native, and a Georgia Southern alumna. Now back at her alma mater, Goody says she is very excited to have the opportunity to work with students and help them grow in both their personal and professional lives.

Outside of her work life, some of Goody's favorite hobbies are painting, drawing and taking pictures. While she was a student, she was in a music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota, while she was on campus.

Goody says she loves the "small-feel" atmosphere of Georgia Southern, and being able to work with so many different people is an incredible bonus to her work.

When you see Taylor in the Student Union, around the Armstrong campus or just somewhere in the community, be sure to say hello to one of the newest members of the Division of Student Affairs.
Success Spotlight
Dr. John Egan- We are once again happy to announce another publication from one of our own in the Division on Student Affairs. John Egan, the leadership development coordinator at the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, will have his manuscript, "Exploring Undergraduate Leadership Program Attributes from the Alumni Lens," published in the College Student Affairs Journal. Congrats Dr. Egan!
Maurice Nelson-A peer within the Division of Student Affairs said, "Maurice consistently goes above and beyond outstanding service and education to our university. To date, he had facilitated more than 60 workshops and trainings on Inclusive Excellence while providing support to students in our mentoring initiatives. Under his leadership, MOVE program on the Statesboro campus has doubled in size and our Diversity Peer Educators have grown in the presence on campus. Students often bring their family members to meet him because of the work he does to help them feel supported and connected to campus. He certainly has a can-do attittude and gets the work done. Students, staff and faculty alike comment on his professionalism and work ethic. He truly works hard to make OMA shine."
Have colleague you think deserves recognition for what they are doing in and outside the workplace? Nominate them here and have their actions shared with the rest of the staff!
Little Convos with the VPSA Dr. Shay Little provides a space where staff within the Division of Student can voice their opinions, chat with peers and become more familiar with the Vice President. Dates and Zoom links will be sent out soon.
October Event Highlights
Familiar Face
Nikita Robinson is a mental health counselor and case manager at the Counseling Center, where she maintains collaborative relationships with community resources and helps supplement any therapy services to help students achieve success.

Robinson is a southeast Georgia native, and did both her undergrad and graduate school right here at Georgia Southern.

She says she loves the fact that in her job she gets to have a positive impact on the students at Georgia Southern, and that her coworkers, as well as the entire Division of Student Affairs commit to the common goal of helping students achieve success in every aspect of their lives.

Robinson is a mother of five, three of which are under the age of three, so she says she devotes most of her time to family fun. Her husband is a die hard Atlanta Falcons fan, so she has become quite the NFL fan herself.

Nikita loves the Georgia Southern community, and we are glad to have her with us in student affairs.
Upcoming Events
Office of Multicultural Affairs
  • Transweek of Remembrance: November 10-12
  • 3rd Annual Gullah Geechee Heritage Program: November 18
Campus Recreation and Intramurals
  • True Blue 5k: Register Here by 11:59 PM on November 7
  • Archery Date Night: November 19
  • Women's Firearms Fundamentals: November 21
  • CRI Fun Day (Armstrong): November 11
  • Worry Free Wednesday: November 18
Leadership and Community Engagement
  • Staff can still register for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education conference for free. Email Cami Sockow if you are interested.
Counseling Center
  • Click here to see all available upcoming workshops and open groups at our Counseling Center.
  • Safe Space Training: November 6 & 17
Office of Career and Professional Development
  • Education Virtual career Fair: November 4
  • Emotional Intelligence Workshop with St. Joseph's/Candler's Human Resources Team: November 6

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Call for Staff Grievance Appeal Nominations
The Department of Human Resources requests nominations of individuals for appointment to the Staff Grievance Appeal Committee. The Staff Grievance Appeal Committee consists of staff who serve one year appointments and may be renewed at the pleasure of their vice president.

To be eligible to serve:
  • A staff member must have at least 3 years of continuous service at GSU and have no active discipline in the previous calendar year. 
  • They should have the ability to listen to both sides of the grievance and determine if policy and/or procedures have been followed. 
  • They must be able to maintain confidentiality

Committee members are required to participate in periodic training sessions conducted by the Office of Legal Affairs to ensure their understanding of the process of handling appeals.

Please provide your list of nominees (minimum of 1, maximum of 5 pursuant to the size of your division) to Brooke Salter by November 12, 2020.
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GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS