Take a moment to see what’s happening this week in the Division of Student Affairs.

1. Sign up for Bear Crew and House Calls – It’s never too early to volunteer to take part in Bear Crew and House Calls. Become a member of the Bear Crew and welcome incoming students and their families to campus by helping them move into their residence hall rooms. We are looking for volunteers from our current student body, faculty, and staff to help with Missouri State move-in on August 13-15, 2026.

House Calls 2026 will take place Wednesday, August 26, 2026, from 5:15pm to approximately 8pm. The House Calls program is designed to reach out to residence hall students and give them an opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, and administrators on a more personal level. By visiting individual rooms in the residence halls, volunteers can welcome students, help determine if they need any assistance, and answer any questions they might have.

Sign up here: https://forms.missouristate.edu/view.php?id=1538087

2. Esports Summer Camps – Missouri State is offering Esports Summer Camps, for children entering grades 5-8, beginning June 15.  Parents may choose from full day or half day camps, which are offered each week throughout the summer.  Facilitated by some of our National Championship team members, esports campers will play and learn more about variety of titles, develop teamwork and communication skills, and learn more about how esports can become a healthy, lifelong hobby.  For registration and date information, please visit www.missouristateesports.com.

3. Camp Claw Registration  2026 – Camp Claw is back for Summer 2026! Registration is open and we can’t wait to have your campers come join us! Rock climbing, pool parties, sports, games, and so much more!From June 8 to July 31 MSU Campus Recreation hosts week long day camps where your camper (age 6-12) will make life long friends and memories. Find out more on our webpage! Don’t wait, spots are filling up quickly! Register now

4. May is Mental Health Awareness Month – Employee Mental Health at Magers – Magers Health and Wellness provides mental health resources such as:

Mental health clinicians at Magers Health and Wellness Center

Licensed Professional Counselors (Primarily for Employees)

Visit https://health.missouristate.edu/MentalHealth.htm to see all Magers offers.

5. The Food Hall at Garst Dining Center is open for the Summer – This summer the Food Hall will offer a traditional breakfast each day along with your favorites for lunch and dinner – and a few new items in the coming weeks! As always, you can find our hours and menus at www.dineoncampus.com/missouristate

6. Ozzi Reusable Containers are here – Beginning this week we are launching our new and improved to go program at the Food Hall at Garst Dining Center. Ozzi Reusable Containers are a great, sustainable alternative to the old paper boxes, and will help keep our campus a little greener. There is a $10 deposit to buy-in to the program which will be refunded when you return your box at the end of the semester. When you return your dirty box, we’ll give you a clean one to use in its place and take care of the dishes for you. Find more information here or ask us about the program when you visit the Food Hall at Garst Dining Center.

7. DOSA Awards Nomination Process is Open – We are excited to announce the 17th Annual Division of Student Affairs Awards program. The deadline for all submissions is July 24, 2026.  DOSA Awards will be presented at the Annual Student Affairs All Staff Meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the PSU Theater to recognize graduate students and staff from within the Division of Student Affairs for exemplary performance during the previous academic year.

Visit the DOSA Award Website for more details.

8.NASPA Region IV-W Conference Call for Programs | OPEN – NASPA Region IV-W is excited to invite you to submit a program proposal for the NASPA IV-West Regional Conference, taking place October 25 – 28, 2026 at the University of Colorado Boulder.This year’s conference theme, Reimagining Student Affairs Together, invites us to reflect, engage, and grow together as student affairs professionals. We welcome proposals that center community, equity, innovation, and the lived experiences of our students and colleagues.

Submission Details:

• Proposal deadline: 10:00 PM MST on June 15, 2026.
• Submit here: Call for Programs

Whether you are a seasoned professional, new to the field, or a graduate student, your voice and experience matter. We encourage you to share your work and be part of this meaningful space.

9. Memorial Day Holiday – As a reminder, Missouri State will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Offices will open on Tuesday, May 26th at their regular time.

10. SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement & Registration) is only TWO weeks away! As hard as it is to believe, and for those of us in the New Student Orientation and Family Programs Office, it’s hard to believe, our 1st two-day SOAR session is two weeks from today, June 1st-June 2nd. We host two two-day sessions a week throughout June and July. Plus we have a one-day session on May 29th for students attending summer school, and a one-day session on August 13th for students that couldn’t attend any of the two-day sessions.

We are looking forward to welcoming new students and their family members/guests to campus, and showing off what makes Mo State the place for them! The students will be meeting other students they will be in classes with, meeting with their advisors, registering for their first semester of classes, and along with their family members, learning the ins and outs of financial aid, residence life, housing and dining services, or if they are commuting, getting resources available to them as they head to campus each day. Family members will be given many resources they can use to help their student as they navigate the transition from high school to college.

Plus we welcome family members into our Bear Family! Family members forget they are also going through a transition as their student starts college. Stop by on Tuesday/Thursday in the Level One Game Center and the Office of Student Engagement to visit the Family Lounge (11:20am-12:30pm)! The Family Lounge is a very cool place for family members to get some goodies such as the family calendar,  plus we have a special activity they can do for their student that let’s the student know they are thinking of them the first week of classes (it involves white boards, messages, photos and a Boomer but shhhh, don’t tell the students)! They can also wait for their student in the Family Lounge while their student finishes registering for classes.

Students and families will be all over campus this summer, so say hello, make them feel welcome, and show them every day is a Great Day to be a Bear!