It never ceases to amaze me when the end of the semester comes around. In some ways it feels like we just started the school year and in other ways it feels like we should be finished with the entire year by now. The last day of fall classes will be December 7. Finals start Dec. 11, and then it’s time for students to take a break. We will still be here taking care of campus and preparing for the students to return in the Spring.
Last month we held the first Distinguished Lecture event of the year with author John Green. John Green is a New York Times bestselling author of Young Adult books, including Looking for Alaska, Turtles All the Way Down, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines and The Fault in Our Stars, the last of which became a major motion picture in 2014. Green talked about exploring literature and life and how we all experience these things in our own way.
The University of Arkansas and Student Affairs celebrates the achievements of first-generation college students for a full week each year. The week was filled with workshops covering everything from wellness to cooking on a budget. There were also resource fairs, advising, and celebrations. I had the opportunity to have lunch with about a dozen students who were selected from a drawing. First-generation staff member Eris, attended some of the events, talked with other first-gen students and staff, and has the story including the history of celebrating first-generation students.
Our Q&As in this issue go along with our main story; both our full time and student staff member are first-generation college students. Emery Gower is the associate director for the Office of Student Accountability, helping students navigate the conduct process and implementing outcomes that are educational and restorative for all involved. Victoria Aguilar is in her second year of graduate school, working on her Masters in Higher Education. Aguilar works as a graduate assistant for the Associate Dean of Students over Campus Life and plans to graduate in Spring 2024.
Megan Witherspoon Evans has been named the director of the Veteran and Military-Affiliated Student Center (VMSC). Evans, who has a background in housing and comes from a military family, is the second person to hold the position of director for the Veterans Center, which opened in July 2009. Her leadership experience in housing has prepared her to help students navigate campus life. Her excitement and extensive work supporting students make her the right individual to lead VMSC into the future.
Thanks for checking out the December 2023 issue of Student Affairs Bulletin. We will take a break from publication in January and be back in your inbox in February. If you would like more information on anything you see here, please email Scott Flanagin, executive director of communications at sflanagi@uark.edu.