1. Mark your calendars for Research Presentation Day on Friday May
13th in Wing 102 & 104
2. Four candidates will be participating in interviews for the Assistant
Professor position in the SAA Department
3. Dr. Lozano will be the faculty advisor for the SAA Student Org next year
1. If you or someone you knows wants to order an SAA t-shirt the
deadline to order is April 22nd
2. Start sending in submissions of internships, job acceptances, and any
travel plans for the summer so the SAA Org can highlight it in the
newsletter!
3. Be on the look out for an Assessment survey to gauge your experience
with the SAA Org and Buddy program
4. Be prepared for the President and Vice-President election, which will
take place on April 28th
@UWLSAAORG
#saa705
#SAABuddies
Dr. Svoboda
Combining business with
pleasure
Women of Color student
summit
The Placement Exchange
As some of you know, I serve as the Research Coordinator for NASPA’s Socioeconomic Class Issues and Higher
Education (SCIHE) community. At the recent NASPA conference in Indianapolis, I was struck, as I always am, by
how much social class plays a part in professional organizations, “professionalism” (which I often experience as
code for “middle/upper class White norms”), networking, and the like. Despite our profession’s stated values of
diversity and inclusion, whenever I go to a conference, I see people being judged based on where they work,
what they wear (one person’s “business casual” is another person’s formal wear), how they speak, and even
what they eat. And, if I’m being really honest, I am the judger as often as I am the judged.
This year, I co-facilitated a half-day pre-conference workshop entitled, “Being Both: Integrating Working Class
Roots with a Middle Class Higher Education Identity.” The session was incredibly powerful, as people of varying
identities (age, gender expression, race/ethnicity, etc.) shared how out of place they feel both at home and at
work…whether they work at community colleges or highly selective private institutions. This is exactly the kind
of conversation I hoped to spark in my contribution, on SCIHE’s behalf, to the NASPA Annual Knowledge
Community Conference Publication. Class really does shape how we move through this profession.
After the conference, I received a note from one of the pre-conference participants. They said, in part, “I
walked away from the session and promptly to the bathroom where I cried. These tears were both of personal
and professional release and relief. I was so moved by a sense of belonging and understanding which I think is a
parallel process to that of our students the first time they encounter someone who gets them…We created a
place of healing and vulnerability where we could talk about so many issues I feel are ignored, simply because
they are uncomfortable and there are no easy answers.” I am humbled by the kind feedback and disappointed
to know this person has never felt their professional associations “got” them.
It makes me wonder: How do we honor professional associations as incredible spaces for learning and building
community…at the same time we critique the ways in which they (unintentionally) reinforce dominant norms or
narratives? How do we create space for many ways of being professional,
for many paths to networking/building community? How do we interrupt
classist and classifying practices, in ourselves and in our peers, knowing
this work is neither comfortable nor easy?
If you want to think about this more, check out this great piece by
Showing Up for Racial Justice on what middle and upper class whites can
do to develop their/our capacity for working across class: http://
www.showingupforracialjustice.org/cross_class_capacity_tool, or this
wonderful summary by Class Matters author, Betsy Leondar-Wright
(summarizing 40+ racially diverse activists advice for middle and upper
class folks of all racial backgrounds): http://www.classmatters.org/
resources/tips/. Regardless of your class background, I think you might
find some of the tips useful, and I would love to hear what more you
would add!
Over Spring Break, four Hall Directors in the UWRF cohort went with our supervisor to the monthly ATCCHA
(Associated Twin Cities College Housing Administrators) meeting at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Here, we
were able to participate in an activity that got us thinking about how we can use our own personal interests to
help our on-campus community.
First, we were asked to list what we would like to learn more about or are interested in learning in the future
(non-work related). Some of the things I listed were languages, learn a new instrument, writing and publishing,
etc. Next, we were asked to make a separate list of issues and student needs that need a solution in our
residence halls. Some of the things we came up with for UWRF were lack of engagement, managing university
systems, autonomy and self-reliance, etc. Lastly, we were asked to find a way to take one of the things from our
first list to solve an issue on the second list. This was very difficult- how could I use something like learning an
instrument to solve a problem in my hall?
Our facilitator, a Hall Director from Augsburg, gave an example of how she created a yoga program in her hall
that combined her interest in yoga with a concern in the hall of students dealing with depression and other
mental illnesses. The program was very successful and the students appreciated it. I thought about it, and
eventually came up with an idea that I shared with the whole group. Using my interest in writing and publishing,
I could create a hall newsletter that may help address the issue of lack of engagement in my hall. It’s a simple
idea, but most great ideas start with that! Overall, it was a very informational session that helped develop the
Organizational & Human Resources (OHR) competency. Using the resources we already have (our desire to learn
something new) we can use this to create something new and great.
On Saturday, March 5th, 2016, I and two other women of color from the UWRF cohort attended
the 3rd Indigenous Women and Women of Color Student Summit at the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities. This year’s summit theme was focused on ‘Igniting Leadership, Confidence, and Cultural
Strength.’ The day was filled with empowering and inspiring workshops facilitated by students,
professionals, community members and activists. The summit provided a strong sense of comradery,
as we engaged in thought-provoking conversations that revolved around multiple identities of women
of color, how these identities affect the learning, leading and living experiences of women of color
students, particularly at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), and lastly, how do these identities
affect how women of color see and work with one another? After attending this summit, a big
takeaway for me is that it’s important for me, as a woman of color, to speak up and make sure that
my voice is being heard because my story is important too. This experience of being surrounded by
indigenous women and women of color from all walks of life, served as a reminder that I’m not alone
in this journey…their struggle is my struggle— we’re in this, together.
"Remember that consciousness is power. Tomorrow's world is yours to build." -Yuri Kochiyama
The professionals in the program try to prepare you for what you think TPE is going to be like, but it’s
not the same. For entry level positions, TPE is mainly for those of you looking to go into residence life.
There are other positions and functional areas there, but they are smaller compared to residence life.
Some things you should know about TPE: it can be overwhelming, even for an extrovert like me. Pack
snacks! Sometimes all the interviewing can be energy draining, so bringing granola bars or veggies can
give you an extra pick me up. Always, always, always schedule at least a 30 minute break between
interviews. I didn’t do this for most,
which left me feeling exhausted and I
almost mixed up a few schools! I’m going
to be honest with you: this process sucks
sometimes. It is easy to be discouraged,
especially when you are a month after
your interviews and feel anxious. Remind
yourself that this is a long process, and
even if you’re not their first choice, you
will find a school to fit you. I believe in all
of you and thank you all for having an
impact on my journey throughout my
career at UWL.