It’s always a bittersweet moment when a long-time staff member retires from the University. We are both happy for them to move into a different phase of their life and sad to see them go. This is certainly the case with Mary Alice Serafini, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and executive director of the Pat Walker Health Center. Mary Alice has touched the lives of so many students and staff over the last 30 plus years. She has always been committed to the student experience and helping students learn about and take ownership of their own health and wellness. We recently had a wonderful retirement celebration for Mary Alice. Her last day was March 31, and we already miss her presence.
Our Q&As in this issue come from Wellness & Health Promotion, located within the Pat Walker Health Center. Asher Morgan is the Wellness specialist and has 13 years of service with the U of A. They started here as a Graduate Assistant in the Division of Student Affairs and has been a staff member in Pat Walker for more than a decade. Asher is passionate about student wellness including mental health and works every day to help students understand how to be advocates for their own well-being. Tiana Williams is a Graduate Assistant in Wellness and Health Promotion as a Wellness Coach. She is working towards a degree in clinical mental health counseling, with plans to be a mental health counselor upon graduation. Tiana embraces change and growth and encourages other student to do the same, especially during their college career.
The Global Greeks program, which started on this campus as a collaboration between Greek Life and International Student and Scholars, is expanding into a Study Abroad experience in Greece. The idea for the Global Greeks program came from undergraduate students who were part of Greek Life and the Associated Student Government more than a decade ago. It was created to connect international students with students involved in Greek letter organizations. The program is now expanding outside of the U of A campus to a Study Abroad experience at the American College of Greece in Athens.
Being part of professional associations and attending conferences are some ways that university staff keep on top of trends in Higher Education. The Association of College Unions International held its annual conference in Chicago in March, and was the first time it had been held in-person since 2019. Conferences are also a great way to share information about the excellent things we may be doing to a larger audience. Rob Stagni, Arkansas Union director, and two others representing the Union attended the conference. Rob made two presentations and all three presented on “Working With Your Hyper-Involved Students.”
We hope you enjoy the April 2022 issue of the Student Affairs Bulletin. If you have ideas for stories or would like to have more information on anything you read here, please email Scott Flanagin, executive director of communications at sflanagi@uark.edu.