! !

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Gregory Blimling and hearing about his path into the wonderful field of student affairs. Here is what Greg had to share with us...

What experiences contributed to your interest in student

affairs?

My interest in student af fa irs stemmed from my undergraduate years where I participated as a student leader on campus [Indiana University]. I was an ambassador for the university, a member of the varsity debate team, I gave tours of the campus and helped with various recruitment activit ies for high ach iev ing s tudents i n spec i a l programs. What convinced me that I probably should be in student affairs was my first [graduate] assistantship working for the Dean of Students at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. I had the wonderful opportunity of working for a man by the name o f Hugh Wol f and completing many projects with him. I had such a great experience that I became invested in student affairs.

Did you attend graduate school directly after you

completed your Bachelor’s degree?

When I graduated, I was not sure that I wanted to go directly into a Master’s program. I had applied to go into the

Peace Corps and was accepted. I was prepared to go teach English in Korea. I came within 30 days of leaving the country before some faculty members at Indiana convinced me to decline the offer. They thought that I

belonged in graduate school and thought that I should delay going into the Peace Corps. I listened to them; I returned my plane tickets, and ended up going to graduate school [Indiana University]. I applied for Master’s degree programs in two areas: College Student Affairs Administration and the second one was Cross Cultura l Communicat ions and Sociolinguistics. I liked both programs so well, that I entered both at the same time and took a double course load.

What various positions have you held throughout your

career?

In searching for my first job, I went through the placement at the ACPA convention. I accepted my first position at Bowling Green State

University in Ohio as a Hall Director. I was in that position for a couple years before accepting an offer at Western Illinois University as an Assistant Director of Residence Life. I also ran the student conduct system for the entire campus. I was in that position for a couple years and then began looking at other options. I was interested in moving to a more central administrative role. I took a position at Louisiana State University as the Associate Dean of Students, replacing a wonderful man by the name of Arden French, who was retiring as Dean of Men after 41 years. After three years as Associate Dean o f Students , there was reorganization and I was promoted to the Dean of Students. In my fourth year as Dean of Students, LSU gave me an administrative sabbatical to work on my Ph.D. I entered the Ph.D. program in higher education at Ohio State University, completed the coursework and left ABD (all but dissertation) after the one year. I returned to LSU as Dean of Students, completed my dissertation, and stayed there until 1990 when I was invited to be the Vice Chancellor for Student Development at Appalachian State University. Appalachian is a wonderful school located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I was there for 14 years before I was recruited by Rutgers in 2004 for the position of Vice President for Student Affairs. And now I am here, in the Graduate School of Education, as a faculty member.

Faculty Spotlight: Q&A with Dr. Gregory Blimling

CSA GAZETTE

Continued on page 4

MARCH 2013! ! ISSUE 3

Interview Days 2013INTERNSHIP SITES

Career Services

Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities

College Avenue Dean of Students

College Student Affairs Program

Housing and Residence Life: Student Leadership and Special Programs

Housing and Residence Life: Training and Personnel

Housing and Residence Life: Assistant Residence Life Educator

Housing and Residence Life: Community Standards

Housing and Residence Life: Hall Director

Senior Dean of Students

Student Conduct

Student Life: Sorority and Fraternity Affairs

Student Life: New Student Orientation

Student Life: New Technology & Conference Planning

Student Life: First Year Programs & Event Planning

Student Life: Programming

Vice President for Student Affairs

Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance

Rutgers Newark: Student Development

97Applications

48Interview Days

Attendees

298Interviews

Who applied this year?

In-State Applicants! 43Out-of-State Applicants!52International Applicants! 2

2

In accordance with the Council for Graduate Schools’ resolution,

candidates have until April 15th to accept or decline their offer.

#RUCHANGEMAKERS WEEK

February 4th kicked off the first day to the first ever Changemakers Week at Rutgers University. This Student Life sponsored week of events highlighted the various individuals

and companies who have helped bring about positive change within their communities.

Krista Kohlmann, Program Coordinator for Student Involvement Community Service Initiatives, and Kristin

Cothran, Associate Director of New Student Orientation and Family Programs, were the creative geniuses behind this week of events. With the help of their CSA graduate interns,

Charles Kuski (’13) and Alyssa LaPatriello (’13) and undergraduate Psychology major and Director of the Student Volunteer Council, Henah Parikh, Changemakers Week became

a reality.

The week began with TOMS Style Your Souls, an event in which students were able to preorder TOMS shoes for only twenty-dollars, and decorated them while watching the documentary

For Tomorrow: The TOMS Shoes Story. Changemakers Week also featured inspiring lectures from Adam Braun, CEO of Pencils of Promise, Inc. (PoP) and Stewart Ramsey, co-founder

of Krochet Kids International (KKi). PoP works to enhance

educational opportunities for children by building schools in underprivileged areas. Today PoP has built over 70 schools. In addition to his lecture, Adam Braun participated in an “Inside

the LeadersStudio” interview sponsored by The Jersey Alliance, and was interviewed by Kathleen Kerr, President Elect of ACPA. KKi takes social entrepreneurship to a new level and works to empower communities through creating jobs and

offering mentorship, in an effort to break the cycle of poverty. Stewart, along with co-founders Kohl Crecelius and Travis Hartanov, taught women in Uganda how to crochet, and now

over 150 people living in Uganda are able to provide for their families and plan for the future.

In addition to these empowering social entrepreneurs, the CSA

graduate students demonstrated how they are Changemakers. Alyssa and Charles, along with Daveena Cowell (’13), Nina Duong (’13), Kol Greathouse (’14), Mike McCormack (’13), Nicole Ponticorvo (’13), and Tricia Torley (’13) all participated

in “Make a Scene, Cause a Commotion, Start a Movement” and performed random acts of kindness. The group spent Wednesday afternoon surprising students by paying for their

lunch. Learn more about Changemakers Week here. How are you a Changemaker?

“Be the Change”: Changemakers take over Rutgers

3

On Cohort Cubed’s first day of Introduction to Student Affairs, Patrick Love said, “I am more concerned about your job search than you are.” Since that moment, I looked forward to the last semester of grad school with anticipation, a little bit of fear, and a lot of excitement. Throughout the four

semesters of the program, we have been able to reflect on the curriculum and our experiences in preparation for the job hunt.

As I search for a job, the best tool that I have made is a spreadsheet used to organize all the information about different institutions and positions. A few members of Cohort 2.0 recommended this tool to best prepare for interviews. On the spreadsheet, I listed the non-negotiables (i.e. location, strong professional development, undergraduate supervision) as the top row. As a position comes up that interests me, I add it to the list. The spreadsheet not only allows me to better organize my application materials, but also forces me to analyze and research the position. Because not all of the job characteristics are readily available on the department website, I will need to investigate. I can reach out to a peer that may be at the institution, or I can ask these questions at professional conferences or placements. For example, the ability to teach a course, like an RA course, is something I would like in my position, but may not be mentioned in every job description.

Your resume is often touted as the most important document during the job hunt—the make or break between getting your dream job and unemployment. To a degree that is true, but employers take an average seven-second look at your resume. That misplaced comma in the third line will not be the reason

you do not get the job. As Patrick Love says, the resume is to get you the interview. That being said, a strong resume will help you get that interview. With all the great experiences on your resume, it is vital to make sure it is on point. The easiest way to do that is to have as many eyes on it as possible. A fresh review of your resume will make sure that the misplaced comma in the third line is corrected. Warning though, everyone has an opinion about what a resume should look like. Make your resume appropriate for the position you are applying to, and do not always listen to what the critics say.

Writing cover letters proves to be the most daunting part of the job hunt. As tedious as it may be writing a cover letter for each job you apply to, it is necessary. I wrote a strong cover letter that could easily be modified and edited based on the mission and position. The caveat to that is making sure you submit the right cover letter to the right position. The feeling of dread that runs through the pit of your stomach when you submit your Rutgers cover letter to Louisville is the worst.

During my summer internship at Florida State, I had the opportunity to meet with a variety of administrators and talk about higher education. I asked each of the practitioners for advice on the search for job one. Hearing from professionals that not stressing is the most important thought to have helped put me at ease. I vividly remember the FSU Director of Housing telling me, “it’s not a question of getting a job. It's a question of deciding on which job you will grace with you being there.” That statement grounds me when I get too stressed out. And it applies to all of us.

Mike McCormack is a Hall Director and in his second year of the CSA Ed.M. program.

On the Prowl: Hunting for Job One

What have your experiences been like with professional

associations, especially your affiliation with ACPA?

I joined ACPA and NASPA in 1974. While I was a part of these organizations, I was involved in number of professional activities. One of the most interesting of these was serving as Editor of the Journal of College Student Development. I served as Editor for 9 years. At that time it was the most widely subscribed research journal in higher education and the only tier one research journal in student affairs. When I resigned as editor, I recruited someone who was a very strong scholar and excellent editor. That person is Flo Hamrick. She did a wonderful job as editor. I continued to be involved in ACPA. I co- chaired the committee that wrote the Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs, and I served as a Senior

Scholar for ACPA. I was elected to be the President of ACPA in 2003 and served as President my first year as the VPSA at Rutgers. The Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs document started while I was President. I recall recruiting Patrick Love to work on that document. Patrick is an excellent scholar and did an extraordinary job on the document.

What advice would you give aspiring student affairs

professionals?

The first piece of advice that I would share is that I found student affairs to be a very rewarding career and I have enjoyed every position that I have had. I never entered any position thinking about what I wanted to do next. When I became a hall director, I was satisfied being a hall director, until I realized that I could do more. I never started out thinking that I

wanted to be a Vice President for Student Affairs and never thought that I would spend 22 years as a VPSA. In fact, the idea on being a VPSA did not appeal to me when I first entered the profession. However, as I developed more skills, gained more experiences, and gathered more knowledge about how student affairs operated, I felt more confident about moving forward with my career. I think that people need to think about where their skills are and not where they want to be 30 years from now.

The other piece of advice that I would offer is that it is not just about what you do, but it is also about what you know. The true professional is knowledgeable about what they are doing and the theories that apply. Knowledge and experience combine to create professional judgment and ultimately it’s professional judgment that allows us to do our best for students.

Q&A with Greg Blimling continued from page 1

4

An Alternative Winter BreakOver winter break, Kristen Maddock participated as a Staff Partner alongside many undergraduate students on their Alternative Break trip in Tennessee.

One Upon a Time in Appalachia...

In the beginning of January, I had the amazing opportunity to act as a Staff Partner for an Alternative Break trip to “Once Upon A Time in Appalachia” in Tennessee. Prior to the trip, I had no idea what to expect and was somewhat nervous for what the week would entail. As soon as I arrived in Tennessee, I knew the trip would be a life-changing experience.

Ten students and I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Cherokee people in Tennessee and North Carolina as well as do environmental work in those areas. Our week began by visiting North Carolina to meet and learn from the Eastern Band Cherokee people. We had the opportunity to play with children at a Cherokee child development center, tutor students at a Cherokee after-school program, and learn about the language and traditions of the Eastern band Cherokees. Along with this we

had the opportunity to play a traditional Cherokee game called, “The Fish Game.” Later in the week, we participated in environmental work and spent time removing an invasive plant from the area. We also went on various nature hikes.

The week I spent in Tennessee was by far the highlight of what I have done in student affairs, thus far. It was amazing to see the students immerse themselves in the work they were doing and learning so much in the process. By the end of the trip,

the students were so passionate about the issues that were presented to us. They learned so much that they would never be able to get in a classroom. I am extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in the trip and am already excited to go on another trip next year.

Kristen Maddock is a Graduate Intern for Student

Involvement Community Service and is in her first year of the CSA Ed.M.

program.

5

CSAnnouncements!Current students, alumni, faculty, professional staff... do you have an announcement?

Share it with us! college.student.affairs@gse.rutgers.edu

Round of applause to Dr. Fred Bonner II, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Chair in Education at the GSE, will receive the Distinguished Service Award from the Division of Student Affairs at the National! Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Conference.

Congratulations to Jessica Wilson ’11 and her husband Joshua Wilson on the birth of their baby girl, Riley Catherine, on 1/17/13 at 11:58am.

Best wishesto Sarah Grun ’12 who recently took a position of Program Coordinator for Academic Residential Programs at The George Washington University.

Job well done to Sattik Deb ’11, Director of Student Services in the Department of Labor Studies & Employment Relations at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. Sattik along with some of his colleagues ran the first ever Labor S t ud i e s a nd Human Re source s Management career fair!

Congratulations to Abby Stern ’13, Kara Gensamer ’13, and Nicole Ponticorvo ’13 for winning the Maryland Student Affairs Case Study Competition!

Excellent workto Eric Hafner ’13, Devin Budhram ’12, and Paul DeStefano ’12 for winningthe the ACPA Standing Committee on G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t s a n d N e w Professionals December Outstanding Program of the Month for their program “NOH8 @ Rutgers.”

Cheers to Kate Strzalkowski ’14 and Matt Zoufaly on their engagement! They are to be wed this August.

Best wishesto Allie Perodeau ’12 who recently accepted a position at John Jay College in New York City as a Coordinator of Community Outreach in their Office of Community Outreach and Service Learning.

College Student Affairs Ed.M.Graduate School of Education

10 Seminary PlaceNew Brunswick, NJ 08901

college.student.affairs@gse.rutgers.edu

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Visit our website! http://gse.rutgers.edu/csa

CSA Birthdays! March

James McGuire (3/12)Stephanie Brescia (3/13)

Sade Abraham (3/26)

AprilRena Gore (4/4)

Dr. Barbara Lee (4/9)Kate Strzalkowski (4/12)Alison Sotolongo (4/14)

Lauren Tong (4/25)

Hello Readers,

There has been a lot of excitement since the start of the semester! Cohort Cubed is on the job hunt, Fourhort is exploring summer field experience opportunities, and recently we all had the pleasure of welcoming the 2013 CSA candidates at Interview Days!

The final issue of the CSA Gazette for the 2012-2013 academic year will come out in May. If you are interested in writing for the Gazette, would like to have something featured, or have have an announcement to share, please contact me at college.student.affairs@gse.rutgers.edu

Alison SotolongoCSA Gazette Editor, 2012-2013College Student Affairs Graduate Intern

Corner

Editor’s