This week in Student Affairs at Missouri State – February 3-February 9th!
Spotlight on Savannah Culver, Assistant Hall Director, Freddy House, Graduate Assistant in the Student Affairs in Higher Education Program (SAHE)
Tell us about yourself: Hi, my name is Savannah Culver. This is my first year at Missouri State and I currently serve as the Assistant Hall Director in Freddy House (Best House!). I got my undergrad degree in Mathematics at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). I call Gulfport, Mississippi home but have lived all over the United States. Despite moving around a lot as I kid, I still love to travel and have been to 3/7 continents so far.
Why did you choose to pursue a degree in student affairs? I stumbled into Student Affairs after working as a desk assistant and then a resident assistant (RA) throughout my 4 years of undergrad. Once I realized I could do what I loved in my RA position as a full-time career, I dove head first into student affairs! I really loved the SAHE program at MSU because of the emphasis on assessment and research since I do still love math too. After graduation, I plan to stay in Residence Life for a while before hopefully moving to administrative positions and maybe even teaching in a SAHE program.
Tell us about your practicum in the Office of Student Affairs. My practicum this semester is with Dr. Siscoe in the Office of Student Affairs. It is unique in that I get to explore a little bit of all the functional areas throughout the semester. I will be creating brochures for the office, doing research on staffing models for some upcoming projects, and helping develop agendas for Student Affairs Council meetings along with whatever other opportunities come my way. Since I have primarily stayed in Residence Life for my student affairs experience, working in the Office of Student Affairs allows me to explore bits and pieces of all the functional areas while allowing me the experience of seeing what higher administration does.
Favorite Missouri State Tradition: I love when the PSU Bear Statue is dressed up for different events! It’s adorable to see her dressed in graduation regalia and football jerseys.
Fun Fact: I know a decent amount of American Sign Language and hope to be fluent one day!
***5 items to proofread before you hit send on that email – EAB article
Whether you’re sending a project update to your boss or commencement information to the senior class, your emails help shape how your colleagues and students perceive you. And one seemingly innocent typo can hurt your reputation.
***Volunteer to help at Admitted Student Day – Admitted Student Day (April 4, 2020) is an opportunity for our admitted students to come to campus, take care of Bear Business, meet with members of the college they are interested in, and visit with other students that will be attending Missouri State in the Fall. As always, a program of this magnitude needs volunteers. Volunteer to help at this event here: https://www.missouristate.edu/admissions/dosavolunteersforasd.htm The deadline to volunteer is February 17th.
***Ursa Experience Crowdfunding – Six years of the Ursa Experience at Missouri State and every year, it’s more exciting, more fun, and life changing. Yes, life changing for the new Bears that attend Ursa! Abby Falgout, a 2018 Ursa Experience attendee and a 2019 Ursa Experience student facilitator says, “The URSA experience is a great way to make friends right off the bat! I learned a lot of information about MO State that was extremely helpful during my first semester. Ursa also encouraged me to step out of my box and made me more comfortable with being on my own in a new city. It might seem crazy that the URSA experience can do all of this in just a few short days, but it truly changes you.” Your support of the Ursa Experience will provide financial assistance for students that otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend this transition program. Every dollar donated directly helps a new student attend this great engagement camp! To learn more, visit https://www.givecampus.com/giueye. Your support is greatly appreciated.
***Consider joining a team/committee in Student Affairs – The Division of Student Affairs supports the idea of shared governance through its philosophy and support of various leadership teams. Staff are encouraged to actively participate in one or more of these smaller work groups in order to help strengthen collaboration and cooperation. Find out more about the committees and teams here: https://studentaffairs.missouristate.edu/committees-and-teams.htm