Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
VOLUME 37 ISSUE 1 2009
Commission for Student Involvement Newsletter
Whatrsquos Inside
CHAIRrsquoS CORNER PAGE 2
BOOK REVIEW PROMOTING
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS PAGE 3
LEADERSHIP amp EMPLOYABILITY
PAGE 6
SERVICE amp SPIRITUALITY PAGE 10
COMMISSION CORNER
PAGE 13
Greetings Commission for Student Involvement I am very pleased to present the first issue of the Interchange for the current year I must thank David the Chair of CSI for helping me get the tools to put this together I also want to thank Dan Stypa and Cindy Price Verduce for being so quick to write articles I finally want to thank those of you who had previously written articles which were included in the materials that were transitioned to me Irsquove used one in this issue from Shaunna L Payne I still need your help This issue is only a scratching of the surface of what can be produced Without more articles I cannot publish more newsletters I have a small handful left but not enough to produce another newsletter let alone three more If you have any interest in writing anything please e-mail me at aviokstateedu I can help you get started suggest topics even assist you with any APA style questions you might have If yoursquove never written a newsletter article before itrsquos a great time to start And even if you have we could always use the experienced assistance Irsquove made a few changes to the format but for the most part the newsletter is the same as itrsquos always been One change I am looking to implement in the future is QampAs with experts in our area Another is including pictures of programs and events you have put on at your own institutions If you have any photos to contribute e-mail them to me with a caption I hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to many more in the future Avi Vice Chair for Publications 2009-2010
A Word from the Editor
Interchange
2
Happy Summer CSI
Hard to believe that convention was three months ago How the time flies when you are busyhelliphellipand CSI has been busy I want
to take just a quick few lines to let you know what took place last year and where we‟re going this year
As I stepped into the role of chair at the Atlanta Convention in 2008 I charged the commission with creating ldquoproductsrdquo Now that
can be an ugly word and conjure up thoughts of trying to run the commission like a business Some might even quickly be
reminded of the ongoing conversation we have with faculty about treating our students like customers a conversation that is about
as fun as trying to explain how co-curricular activities enhances the educational outcomes in the classroom
But creating products for the commission really is about the bigger picture and about ensuring that we as practitioners have the
tools necessary to truly be partners with our faculty friends The CSI leadership has been asking the question ldquoWhat DOES the
commission offer to our membersrdquo It‟s very easy for us to quickly rest our laurels on the wonderful listserv the research awards
and on the great programs we offer at convention And there is one product that we continue to get praises for ndash the Advisor
Handbook I wish I had a nickel (actually I‟d take a dollar) for every time someone compliments us on that handbook It‟s
great And that‟s what I‟m talking about it‟s a great product that we‟re able to offer our commission members and something they
can use over and over again something very tangible
CSI has a fantastic leadership pool and your directorate leadership took my charge to heart and developed some great new
opportunities this past year to move us closer to our goal
Our Greek Affairs area provided a Web Conferencing experience for our members whose responsibilities include this student
population It was an opportunity outside of the convention for members to share and learn in an interactive environment on
line We had over 75 participants and several presenters
The Leadership Education committee pulled together our first ever national webinar with teacher and author Dr Denny
Roberts Dr Roberts shared wonderful insight on his book ldquoDeeper Leadershiprdquo and his experiences as an administrator oversees
in Qatar
Our Activities committee has started this year off early by co-sponsoring our first ever ldquodrive-inrdquo workshop Commission
members outside of the directorate have coordinated a drive-in workshopmeeting at St Cloud State University in the Minneapolis
Metropolitan area where they are collaborating to create partnerships and discussing issues within the student activities arena
By briefly sharing these few examples with you I hope you have a better idea of what I mean when I use the word products I
hope that rather than conjuring up negative impersonal thoughts of tough strategic business practices you visualize instead
opportunities for CSI to be meaningful and useful Not just at the annual convention but all year long I also hope that it spawns
your creative juices and helps you to think of other ways we as a service organization can better serve you with programs
monologues events white-papers Interchange articles webinars web conferences etc I invite you to not only do some creative
thinking but also challenge you to step up to the plate and create a product that the commission can share to our entire
membership Have an idea and want to make it happen Let us know and we‟ll work towards creating an opportunity
Just has quick as summer has come summer will go Be sure to take some time for yourselfhellipand while you‟re relaxing think
ldquoproductsrdquo
Have a great summer
David
Chair 2008 - 2010
Chairrsquos Corner Pushing
Product Productivity
By David Rachita
3
Campus leaders entrusted with
cultivating the success of today‟s
increasingly diverse student population
will find valuable insights in Miller
Bender and Schuh‟s thought provoking
w o r k P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations (2005) Believing that too
little research has been focused on
understanding students‟ expectations
the authors argue that institutions must
be more cognizant of these expectations
in order to ensure that all students are
able to succeed achieve their goals and
experience little dissonance between
their expectations and experiences The
authors assert that it is primarily the
responsibility of the higher education
community to meet rather than change
students‟ expectations except when
ldquosome students have what would be
c o n s i d e r e d u n r e a s o n a b l e
expectationsrdquo (p 2) The text describes
that students‟ expectations vary based
on a number of factors including level
of involvement and engagement
environmental influences type of
institution and personal characteristics
such as race and gender In addition the
authors discuss how expectations are
created and the role of multiple
stakeholders Finally the text closes
with commentary and recommendations
from leaders in the higher education
community such as presidents of
universities and different national
associations The comprehensiveness of
this text and its practical suggestions
and applications make it a valuable
work in the field of higher education
Educational leaders cannot
afford to have students decide to leave
the institution The responsibility to help
students persist to degree completion
along with the economic constraints
imposed upon higher
education in recent
y e a r s s e r v e a s
motivating forces to
e n s u r e s t u d e n t
expectations are being
met Students begin
the i r educat ional
pursuit at varying
levels of what Marcia
(1980) calls identity status Ranging
from those in the identity diffusion
status where students are not committed
to a personal identity to those students
in the identity achievement status who
have explored different identities and
made a commitment to one all students
are at different developmental levels
When students are subjected to different
experiences they not only further
develop their personal identity but also
reexamine their expectations As a
result the authors argue that student
expectations ldquoare always in flux and are
continuously revised in the face of new
experiencesrdquo (p 23) Given that data
from the College Student Expectations
Questionnaire (CSXQ) administered
either prior to or immediately upon
students‟ arrival to campus indicate that
students ant icipate meaningful
interactions with diverse individuals
becoming involved in co-curricular
activities and establishing relationships
w i t h f a c u l t y
members it is only
natural that as these
experiences do or do
n o t o c c u r
expectations evolve
and change (Kuh amp
P a c e 1 9 9 9 )
Educational leaders
must be aware of the
changing nature of student expectations
and realize that although students
enter ing the higher educat ion
community may bring a certain set of
expecta t ions wi th t hem these
expectations will change as new
experiences are lived
There is a need for more
longitudinal research that would
illustrate how and why expectations
change over time The authors argue
that longitudinal studies would allow for
the detection of trends over time rather
than collecting data at only one point in
Book ReviewmdashPromoting Reasonable Expectations The Role of Institutional Leaders
By Dan Stypa
Educational
leaders cannot
afford to have
students
decide to leave
the institution
(Continued on page 4)
4
time Most existing research provides
data on students‟ initial expectations and
their lived experiences on campus For
example data from the College Student
Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ)
administered at the
conclusion of a
student‟s first year
of college shows
t h a t s t u d e n t s ‟
experiences are
often different than
their expectations as
measured by the
CSXQ (Pace amp Kuh
1998) Although
leaders know that
these differences
exist a direct
correlation cannot be made between
students‟ expectations and their
experiences using these two surveys
Longitudinal research would fill this gap
in research and allow for university
leaders to better understand how and
why expectations change rather than just
having data from two different points in
time The authors provide valuable
reasons why such information would be
helpful such as guiding the design of
student services that meet students‟
expectations learning how to best reach
out to different types of students and
determining how campus constituencies
can work together to create a holistic
experience that is congruent with the
expectations that are created on
websites brochures campus tours and
summer orientation programs
Being aware that students
experiences are often different than their
expectations and that these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take steps
to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible Institutions
can ldquoassess the
quality of service
programs and adapt
services as needed
ensure that effective
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
channels are in place
and working and
create an institutional ethos that makes
student expectations and student
learning core institutional valuesrdquo (p
96) By doing so campus administrators
will demonstrate their commitment to
student success Because the media
continue to depict colleges in a negative
light and politicians and community
members focus on perceived dissonance
between what students expect and
colleges deliver an institution‟s
commitment to student success will
show that ldquowhat parents and taxpayers
want from the college experience is
pretty much what the colleges want as
well [Institutional leaders] want
students to meet their goals succeed in
college and enter the workforce and
civic life with appropriate skillsrdquo (p
230) Given that leaders often have the
best interest of students at the core of
the institution it is necessary that as the
authors argue on several occasions
institutions ensure that all members of
the university community work together
to create an environment that promotes
success engagement and achievement
starting with summer orientation and
lasting until well after graduation
The environment created on
college campuses should foster an
experience that always meets the
changing expectations of students
Astin‟s Input-Environment-Output
Model (1993) serves as a solid college
impact model for student affairs
practitioners who are intentional about
creating experiences that are as
congruent with expectations as possible
Leaders must understand that students
come to college with different
experiences and have different post-
college outcomes in mind The
environment created by institutional
leaders influenced by such factors as
institutional characteristics student
behaviors and outside forces must
prepare students for success both in and
out of the classroom Institutions need to
encourage students to think about what
will be expected of them upon
graduation and promote campus
resources such as academic advising
career counseling and campus
activities all of which help to
Being aware that
students experiences
are often different
than their
expectations and that
these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take
steps to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible
(Continued on page 5)
5
successfully prepare students for
experiences after graduation
P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations provides strong support
for the importance of eliminating
d i s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n s t u d e n t
expectations and experiences Although
there are undoubtedly instances when
students‟ expectations must be modified
to be more realistic the authors
successfully articulate that much of the
responsibility lies in the hand of the
higher education community to create
experiences that match student
expectations By having their
expectations met students will be
equipped with the skills and confidence
needed to succeed and persist through
graduation experience personal growth
and be prepared to live as engaged
citizens in today‟s world As the
President of California State University
ndash Monterey Bay states in his reflections
on the text ldquonow [university leaders]
need to do [their] workrdquo (p 239) This
highly accessible and very practical text
should serve as a catalyst for change
and inspire readers to engage in
creating a student experience that is
congruent with reasonable expectations
References
Astin A (1993) What matters in
college Four critical years revisited
San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Kuh G D amp Pace C R (1999)
Co l l eg e s tu d en t e xp e c t a t i o ns
questionnaire (2nd ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Marcia J E (1980) Identity in
adolescence In J Adelson (Ed)
Handbook of adolescent psychology
(pp 159-187) New York Wiley
Miller T E Bender B E amp Schuh J
H (2005) Promoting reasonable
expectations Aligning student and
institutional views of the college
experience San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Pace C R amp Kuh G D (1998)
C o l l e g e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e s
questionnaire (4th ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Dan Stypa is a graduate student at the
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
pursuing a Masters Degree in College
Student Personnel He is currently an
Assistant Hall Director
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
2
Happy Summer CSI
Hard to believe that convention was three months ago How the time flies when you are busyhelliphellipand CSI has been busy I want
to take just a quick few lines to let you know what took place last year and where we‟re going this year
As I stepped into the role of chair at the Atlanta Convention in 2008 I charged the commission with creating ldquoproductsrdquo Now that
can be an ugly word and conjure up thoughts of trying to run the commission like a business Some might even quickly be
reminded of the ongoing conversation we have with faculty about treating our students like customers a conversation that is about
as fun as trying to explain how co-curricular activities enhances the educational outcomes in the classroom
But creating products for the commission really is about the bigger picture and about ensuring that we as practitioners have the
tools necessary to truly be partners with our faculty friends The CSI leadership has been asking the question ldquoWhat DOES the
commission offer to our membersrdquo It‟s very easy for us to quickly rest our laurels on the wonderful listserv the research awards
and on the great programs we offer at convention And there is one product that we continue to get praises for ndash the Advisor
Handbook I wish I had a nickel (actually I‟d take a dollar) for every time someone compliments us on that handbook It‟s
great And that‟s what I‟m talking about it‟s a great product that we‟re able to offer our commission members and something they
can use over and over again something very tangible
CSI has a fantastic leadership pool and your directorate leadership took my charge to heart and developed some great new
opportunities this past year to move us closer to our goal
Our Greek Affairs area provided a Web Conferencing experience for our members whose responsibilities include this student
population It was an opportunity outside of the convention for members to share and learn in an interactive environment on
line We had over 75 participants and several presenters
The Leadership Education committee pulled together our first ever national webinar with teacher and author Dr Denny
Roberts Dr Roberts shared wonderful insight on his book ldquoDeeper Leadershiprdquo and his experiences as an administrator oversees
in Qatar
Our Activities committee has started this year off early by co-sponsoring our first ever ldquodrive-inrdquo workshop Commission
members outside of the directorate have coordinated a drive-in workshopmeeting at St Cloud State University in the Minneapolis
Metropolitan area where they are collaborating to create partnerships and discussing issues within the student activities arena
By briefly sharing these few examples with you I hope you have a better idea of what I mean when I use the word products I
hope that rather than conjuring up negative impersonal thoughts of tough strategic business practices you visualize instead
opportunities for CSI to be meaningful and useful Not just at the annual convention but all year long I also hope that it spawns
your creative juices and helps you to think of other ways we as a service organization can better serve you with programs
monologues events white-papers Interchange articles webinars web conferences etc I invite you to not only do some creative
thinking but also challenge you to step up to the plate and create a product that the commission can share to our entire
membership Have an idea and want to make it happen Let us know and we‟ll work towards creating an opportunity
Just has quick as summer has come summer will go Be sure to take some time for yourselfhellipand while you‟re relaxing think
ldquoproductsrdquo
Have a great summer
David
Chair 2008 - 2010
Chairrsquos Corner Pushing
Product Productivity
By David Rachita
3
Campus leaders entrusted with
cultivating the success of today‟s
increasingly diverse student population
will find valuable insights in Miller
Bender and Schuh‟s thought provoking
w o r k P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations (2005) Believing that too
little research has been focused on
understanding students‟ expectations
the authors argue that institutions must
be more cognizant of these expectations
in order to ensure that all students are
able to succeed achieve their goals and
experience little dissonance between
their expectations and experiences The
authors assert that it is primarily the
responsibility of the higher education
community to meet rather than change
students‟ expectations except when
ldquosome students have what would be
c o n s i d e r e d u n r e a s o n a b l e
expectationsrdquo (p 2) The text describes
that students‟ expectations vary based
on a number of factors including level
of involvement and engagement
environmental influences type of
institution and personal characteristics
such as race and gender In addition the
authors discuss how expectations are
created and the role of multiple
stakeholders Finally the text closes
with commentary and recommendations
from leaders in the higher education
community such as presidents of
universities and different national
associations The comprehensiveness of
this text and its practical suggestions
and applications make it a valuable
work in the field of higher education
Educational leaders cannot
afford to have students decide to leave
the institution The responsibility to help
students persist to degree completion
along with the economic constraints
imposed upon higher
education in recent
y e a r s s e r v e a s
motivating forces to
e n s u r e s t u d e n t
expectations are being
met Students begin
the i r educat ional
pursuit at varying
levels of what Marcia
(1980) calls identity status Ranging
from those in the identity diffusion
status where students are not committed
to a personal identity to those students
in the identity achievement status who
have explored different identities and
made a commitment to one all students
are at different developmental levels
When students are subjected to different
experiences they not only further
develop their personal identity but also
reexamine their expectations As a
result the authors argue that student
expectations ldquoare always in flux and are
continuously revised in the face of new
experiencesrdquo (p 23) Given that data
from the College Student Expectations
Questionnaire (CSXQ) administered
either prior to or immediately upon
students‟ arrival to campus indicate that
students ant icipate meaningful
interactions with diverse individuals
becoming involved in co-curricular
activities and establishing relationships
w i t h f a c u l t y
members it is only
natural that as these
experiences do or do
n o t o c c u r
expectations evolve
and change (Kuh amp
P a c e 1 9 9 9 )
Educational leaders
must be aware of the
changing nature of student expectations
and realize that although students
enter ing the higher educat ion
community may bring a certain set of
expecta t ions wi th t hem these
expectations will change as new
experiences are lived
There is a need for more
longitudinal research that would
illustrate how and why expectations
change over time The authors argue
that longitudinal studies would allow for
the detection of trends over time rather
than collecting data at only one point in
Book ReviewmdashPromoting Reasonable Expectations The Role of Institutional Leaders
By Dan Stypa
Educational
leaders cannot
afford to have
students
decide to leave
the institution
(Continued on page 4)
4
time Most existing research provides
data on students‟ initial expectations and
their lived experiences on campus For
example data from the College Student
Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ)
administered at the
conclusion of a
student‟s first year
of college shows
t h a t s t u d e n t s ‟
experiences are
often different than
their expectations as
measured by the
CSXQ (Pace amp Kuh
1998) Although
leaders know that
these differences
exist a direct
correlation cannot be made between
students‟ expectations and their
experiences using these two surveys
Longitudinal research would fill this gap
in research and allow for university
leaders to better understand how and
why expectations change rather than just
having data from two different points in
time The authors provide valuable
reasons why such information would be
helpful such as guiding the design of
student services that meet students‟
expectations learning how to best reach
out to different types of students and
determining how campus constituencies
can work together to create a holistic
experience that is congruent with the
expectations that are created on
websites brochures campus tours and
summer orientation programs
Being aware that students
experiences are often different than their
expectations and that these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take steps
to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible Institutions
can ldquoassess the
quality of service
programs and adapt
services as needed
ensure that effective
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
channels are in place
and working and
create an institutional ethos that makes
student expectations and student
learning core institutional valuesrdquo (p
96) By doing so campus administrators
will demonstrate their commitment to
student success Because the media
continue to depict colleges in a negative
light and politicians and community
members focus on perceived dissonance
between what students expect and
colleges deliver an institution‟s
commitment to student success will
show that ldquowhat parents and taxpayers
want from the college experience is
pretty much what the colleges want as
well [Institutional leaders] want
students to meet their goals succeed in
college and enter the workforce and
civic life with appropriate skillsrdquo (p
230) Given that leaders often have the
best interest of students at the core of
the institution it is necessary that as the
authors argue on several occasions
institutions ensure that all members of
the university community work together
to create an environment that promotes
success engagement and achievement
starting with summer orientation and
lasting until well after graduation
The environment created on
college campuses should foster an
experience that always meets the
changing expectations of students
Astin‟s Input-Environment-Output
Model (1993) serves as a solid college
impact model for student affairs
practitioners who are intentional about
creating experiences that are as
congruent with expectations as possible
Leaders must understand that students
come to college with different
experiences and have different post-
college outcomes in mind The
environment created by institutional
leaders influenced by such factors as
institutional characteristics student
behaviors and outside forces must
prepare students for success both in and
out of the classroom Institutions need to
encourage students to think about what
will be expected of them upon
graduation and promote campus
resources such as academic advising
career counseling and campus
activities all of which help to
Being aware that
students experiences
are often different
than their
expectations and that
these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take
steps to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible
(Continued on page 5)
5
successfully prepare students for
experiences after graduation
P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations provides strong support
for the importance of eliminating
d i s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n s t u d e n t
expectations and experiences Although
there are undoubtedly instances when
students‟ expectations must be modified
to be more realistic the authors
successfully articulate that much of the
responsibility lies in the hand of the
higher education community to create
experiences that match student
expectations By having their
expectations met students will be
equipped with the skills and confidence
needed to succeed and persist through
graduation experience personal growth
and be prepared to live as engaged
citizens in today‟s world As the
President of California State University
ndash Monterey Bay states in his reflections
on the text ldquonow [university leaders]
need to do [their] workrdquo (p 239) This
highly accessible and very practical text
should serve as a catalyst for change
and inspire readers to engage in
creating a student experience that is
congruent with reasonable expectations
References
Astin A (1993) What matters in
college Four critical years revisited
San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Kuh G D amp Pace C R (1999)
Co l l eg e s tu d en t e xp e c t a t i o ns
questionnaire (2nd ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Marcia J E (1980) Identity in
adolescence In J Adelson (Ed)
Handbook of adolescent psychology
(pp 159-187) New York Wiley
Miller T E Bender B E amp Schuh J
H (2005) Promoting reasonable
expectations Aligning student and
institutional views of the college
experience San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Pace C R amp Kuh G D (1998)
C o l l e g e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e s
questionnaire (4th ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Dan Stypa is a graduate student at the
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
pursuing a Masters Degree in College
Student Personnel He is currently an
Assistant Hall Director
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
3
Campus leaders entrusted with
cultivating the success of today‟s
increasingly diverse student population
will find valuable insights in Miller
Bender and Schuh‟s thought provoking
w o r k P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations (2005) Believing that too
little research has been focused on
understanding students‟ expectations
the authors argue that institutions must
be more cognizant of these expectations
in order to ensure that all students are
able to succeed achieve their goals and
experience little dissonance between
their expectations and experiences The
authors assert that it is primarily the
responsibility of the higher education
community to meet rather than change
students‟ expectations except when
ldquosome students have what would be
c o n s i d e r e d u n r e a s o n a b l e
expectationsrdquo (p 2) The text describes
that students‟ expectations vary based
on a number of factors including level
of involvement and engagement
environmental influences type of
institution and personal characteristics
such as race and gender In addition the
authors discuss how expectations are
created and the role of multiple
stakeholders Finally the text closes
with commentary and recommendations
from leaders in the higher education
community such as presidents of
universities and different national
associations The comprehensiveness of
this text and its practical suggestions
and applications make it a valuable
work in the field of higher education
Educational leaders cannot
afford to have students decide to leave
the institution The responsibility to help
students persist to degree completion
along with the economic constraints
imposed upon higher
education in recent
y e a r s s e r v e a s
motivating forces to
e n s u r e s t u d e n t
expectations are being
met Students begin
the i r educat ional
pursuit at varying
levels of what Marcia
(1980) calls identity status Ranging
from those in the identity diffusion
status where students are not committed
to a personal identity to those students
in the identity achievement status who
have explored different identities and
made a commitment to one all students
are at different developmental levels
When students are subjected to different
experiences they not only further
develop their personal identity but also
reexamine their expectations As a
result the authors argue that student
expectations ldquoare always in flux and are
continuously revised in the face of new
experiencesrdquo (p 23) Given that data
from the College Student Expectations
Questionnaire (CSXQ) administered
either prior to or immediately upon
students‟ arrival to campus indicate that
students ant icipate meaningful
interactions with diverse individuals
becoming involved in co-curricular
activities and establishing relationships
w i t h f a c u l t y
members it is only
natural that as these
experiences do or do
n o t o c c u r
expectations evolve
and change (Kuh amp
P a c e 1 9 9 9 )
Educational leaders
must be aware of the
changing nature of student expectations
and realize that although students
enter ing the higher educat ion
community may bring a certain set of
expecta t ions wi th t hem these
expectations will change as new
experiences are lived
There is a need for more
longitudinal research that would
illustrate how and why expectations
change over time The authors argue
that longitudinal studies would allow for
the detection of trends over time rather
than collecting data at only one point in
Book ReviewmdashPromoting Reasonable Expectations The Role of Institutional Leaders
By Dan Stypa
Educational
leaders cannot
afford to have
students
decide to leave
the institution
(Continued on page 4)
4
time Most existing research provides
data on students‟ initial expectations and
their lived experiences on campus For
example data from the College Student
Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ)
administered at the
conclusion of a
student‟s first year
of college shows
t h a t s t u d e n t s ‟
experiences are
often different than
their expectations as
measured by the
CSXQ (Pace amp Kuh
1998) Although
leaders know that
these differences
exist a direct
correlation cannot be made between
students‟ expectations and their
experiences using these two surveys
Longitudinal research would fill this gap
in research and allow for university
leaders to better understand how and
why expectations change rather than just
having data from two different points in
time The authors provide valuable
reasons why such information would be
helpful such as guiding the design of
student services that meet students‟
expectations learning how to best reach
out to different types of students and
determining how campus constituencies
can work together to create a holistic
experience that is congruent with the
expectations that are created on
websites brochures campus tours and
summer orientation programs
Being aware that students
experiences are often different than their
expectations and that these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take steps
to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible Institutions
can ldquoassess the
quality of service
programs and adapt
services as needed
ensure that effective
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
channels are in place
and working and
create an institutional ethos that makes
student expectations and student
learning core institutional valuesrdquo (p
96) By doing so campus administrators
will demonstrate their commitment to
student success Because the media
continue to depict colleges in a negative
light and politicians and community
members focus on perceived dissonance
between what students expect and
colleges deliver an institution‟s
commitment to student success will
show that ldquowhat parents and taxpayers
want from the college experience is
pretty much what the colleges want as
well [Institutional leaders] want
students to meet their goals succeed in
college and enter the workforce and
civic life with appropriate skillsrdquo (p
230) Given that leaders often have the
best interest of students at the core of
the institution it is necessary that as the
authors argue on several occasions
institutions ensure that all members of
the university community work together
to create an environment that promotes
success engagement and achievement
starting with summer orientation and
lasting until well after graduation
The environment created on
college campuses should foster an
experience that always meets the
changing expectations of students
Astin‟s Input-Environment-Output
Model (1993) serves as a solid college
impact model for student affairs
practitioners who are intentional about
creating experiences that are as
congruent with expectations as possible
Leaders must understand that students
come to college with different
experiences and have different post-
college outcomes in mind The
environment created by institutional
leaders influenced by such factors as
institutional characteristics student
behaviors and outside forces must
prepare students for success both in and
out of the classroom Institutions need to
encourage students to think about what
will be expected of them upon
graduation and promote campus
resources such as academic advising
career counseling and campus
activities all of which help to
Being aware that
students experiences
are often different
than their
expectations and that
these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take
steps to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible
(Continued on page 5)
5
successfully prepare students for
experiences after graduation
P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations provides strong support
for the importance of eliminating
d i s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n s t u d e n t
expectations and experiences Although
there are undoubtedly instances when
students‟ expectations must be modified
to be more realistic the authors
successfully articulate that much of the
responsibility lies in the hand of the
higher education community to create
experiences that match student
expectations By having their
expectations met students will be
equipped with the skills and confidence
needed to succeed and persist through
graduation experience personal growth
and be prepared to live as engaged
citizens in today‟s world As the
President of California State University
ndash Monterey Bay states in his reflections
on the text ldquonow [university leaders]
need to do [their] workrdquo (p 239) This
highly accessible and very practical text
should serve as a catalyst for change
and inspire readers to engage in
creating a student experience that is
congruent with reasonable expectations
References
Astin A (1993) What matters in
college Four critical years revisited
San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Kuh G D amp Pace C R (1999)
Co l l eg e s tu d en t e xp e c t a t i o ns
questionnaire (2nd ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Marcia J E (1980) Identity in
adolescence In J Adelson (Ed)
Handbook of adolescent psychology
(pp 159-187) New York Wiley
Miller T E Bender B E amp Schuh J
H (2005) Promoting reasonable
expectations Aligning student and
institutional views of the college
experience San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Pace C R amp Kuh G D (1998)
C o l l e g e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e s
questionnaire (4th ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Dan Stypa is a graduate student at the
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
pursuing a Masters Degree in College
Student Personnel He is currently an
Assistant Hall Director
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
4
time Most existing research provides
data on students‟ initial expectations and
their lived experiences on campus For
example data from the College Student
Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ)
administered at the
conclusion of a
student‟s first year
of college shows
t h a t s t u d e n t s ‟
experiences are
often different than
their expectations as
measured by the
CSXQ (Pace amp Kuh
1998) Although
leaders know that
these differences
exist a direct
correlation cannot be made between
students‟ expectations and their
experiences using these two surveys
Longitudinal research would fill this gap
in research and allow for university
leaders to better understand how and
why expectations change rather than just
having data from two different points in
time The authors provide valuable
reasons why such information would be
helpful such as guiding the design of
student services that meet students‟
expectations learning how to best reach
out to different types of students and
determining how campus constituencies
can work together to create a holistic
experience that is congruent with the
expectations that are created on
websites brochures campus tours and
summer orientation programs
Being aware that students
experiences are often different than their
expectations and that these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take steps
to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible Institutions
can ldquoassess the
quality of service
programs and adapt
services as needed
ensure that effective
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
channels are in place
and working and
create an institutional ethos that makes
student expectations and student
learning core institutional valuesrdquo (p
96) By doing so campus administrators
will demonstrate their commitment to
student success Because the media
continue to depict colleges in a negative
light and politicians and community
members focus on perceived dissonance
between what students expect and
colleges deliver an institution‟s
commitment to student success will
show that ldquowhat parents and taxpayers
want from the college experience is
pretty much what the colleges want as
well [Institutional leaders] want
students to meet their goals succeed in
college and enter the workforce and
civic life with appropriate skillsrdquo (p
230) Given that leaders often have the
best interest of students at the core of
the institution it is necessary that as the
authors argue on several occasions
institutions ensure that all members of
the university community work together
to create an environment that promotes
success engagement and achievement
starting with summer orientation and
lasting until well after graduation
The environment created on
college campuses should foster an
experience that always meets the
changing expectations of students
Astin‟s Input-Environment-Output
Model (1993) serves as a solid college
impact model for student affairs
practitioners who are intentional about
creating experiences that are as
congruent with expectations as possible
Leaders must understand that students
come to college with different
experiences and have different post-
college outcomes in mind The
environment created by institutional
leaders influenced by such factors as
institutional characteristics student
behaviors and outside forces must
prepare students for success both in and
out of the classroom Institutions need to
encourage students to think about what
will be expected of them upon
graduation and promote campus
resources such as academic advising
career counseling and campus
activities all of which help to
Being aware that
students experiences
are often different
than their
expectations and that
these expectations
continue to change
leaders can take
steps to ensure that
students experience
as little dissonance as
possible
(Continued on page 5)
5
successfully prepare students for
experiences after graduation
P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations provides strong support
for the importance of eliminating
d i s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n s t u d e n t
expectations and experiences Although
there are undoubtedly instances when
students‟ expectations must be modified
to be more realistic the authors
successfully articulate that much of the
responsibility lies in the hand of the
higher education community to create
experiences that match student
expectations By having their
expectations met students will be
equipped with the skills and confidence
needed to succeed and persist through
graduation experience personal growth
and be prepared to live as engaged
citizens in today‟s world As the
President of California State University
ndash Monterey Bay states in his reflections
on the text ldquonow [university leaders]
need to do [their] workrdquo (p 239) This
highly accessible and very practical text
should serve as a catalyst for change
and inspire readers to engage in
creating a student experience that is
congruent with reasonable expectations
References
Astin A (1993) What matters in
college Four critical years revisited
San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Kuh G D amp Pace C R (1999)
Co l l eg e s tu d en t e xp e c t a t i o ns
questionnaire (2nd ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Marcia J E (1980) Identity in
adolescence In J Adelson (Ed)
Handbook of adolescent psychology
(pp 159-187) New York Wiley
Miller T E Bender B E amp Schuh J
H (2005) Promoting reasonable
expectations Aligning student and
institutional views of the college
experience San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Pace C R amp Kuh G D (1998)
C o l l e g e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e s
questionnaire (4th ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Dan Stypa is a graduate student at the
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
pursuing a Masters Degree in College
Student Personnel He is currently an
Assistant Hall Director
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
5
successfully prepare students for
experiences after graduation
P r o m o t i n g R e a s o n a b l e
Expectations provides strong support
for the importance of eliminating
d i s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n s t u d e n t
expectations and experiences Although
there are undoubtedly instances when
students‟ expectations must be modified
to be more realistic the authors
successfully articulate that much of the
responsibility lies in the hand of the
higher education community to create
experiences that match student
expectations By having their
expectations met students will be
equipped with the skills and confidence
needed to succeed and persist through
graduation experience personal growth
and be prepared to live as engaged
citizens in today‟s world As the
President of California State University
ndash Monterey Bay states in his reflections
on the text ldquonow [university leaders]
need to do [their] workrdquo (p 239) This
highly accessible and very practical text
should serve as a catalyst for change
and inspire readers to engage in
creating a student experience that is
congruent with reasonable expectations
References
Astin A (1993) What matters in
college Four critical years revisited
San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Kuh G D amp Pace C R (1999)
Co l l eg e s tu d en t e xp e c t a t i o ns
questionnaire (2nd ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Marcia J E (1980) Identity in
adolescence In J Adelson (Ed)
Handbook of adolescent psychology
(pp 159-187) New York Wiley
Miller T E Bender B E amp Schuh J
H (2005) Promoting reasonable
expectations Aligning student and
institutional views of the college
experience San Francisco Jossey-Bass
Pace C R amp Kuh G D (1998)
C o l l e g e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e s
questionnaire (4th ed) Bloomington
Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research
Dan Stypa is a graduate student at the
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
pursuing a Masters Degree in College
Student Personnel He is currently an
Assistant Hall Director
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
6
Leadership amp Employability How Students can Leverage Their Experiences to Increase Employability
By Cindy Price Verduce
In a tough job market students
and new graduates are all looking for
ways to differentiate themselves from
other job applicants Theyre looking
for ways to show employers that of all
the applicants theyre the one for the
job But in my position as the Director
of the Career Center at Indiana Tech I
fall back to my days as a recruiter for a
large medical center and encourage
students to think from the other side of
the desk Students need to change their
approach and to prepare their materials
to appeal to the desires of an employer
One great strategy for making yourself
stand out is to highlight student
leadership experiences as part of your
resume cover letter and in the
interview Students need to take
advantage of the natural assets of being
a student leader and the leg up it gives
them in the job search process
To help reiterate these points
students should look to the recently
released report The Job Outlook 2009
Survey from the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
which surveyed employers from across
the country asking them what skills
they valued most in new hires
Among the skills attributes
and qualities employers prize most are
communication skills a strong work
ethic ability to work in a team and
initiative says Marilyn Mackes
(2009) NACE executive director
Today‟s employers have an extensive
list of attributes skills and qualities
they look for in their job candidatesrdquo
Sounds like a student leader to
me
But to take it a step further the
report also goes on to state that
employers also emphasize leadership
experience ldquoThese are the type of
skills and qualities that will help a new
hire succeed as an employee and
contribute to the organizationrdquo the
report continued
So how do we help our
students frame their experiences as
student leaders How
do they translate their
work as an RA to the
skills necessary to
excel in the work
place How does
being a Student
Ambassador help new
hires manage other
employees Here are a
few tips for working
with your students
l e a d e r s a n d
encouraging them to
change their focus
from student centered to responding
and thinking like an employer
More and more in a global market
place employers are seeking
employees who know how to work
with a diverse group of people
Employers recognize they serve a
diverse consumer base and they want
their workforce to look like and know
how to relate to their clients One goal
of including student organizations on
your resume is to show that you have
leadership abilities and can easily work
with diverse groups of people The
more diverse your experiences the
more comfortable an employer will be
with your interactions with others
Employers also recognize that
student organizations are a great way to
acquire job-related skills As a
recruiter I
never once
asked anyone
how much
money they
m a d e i n
positions they
held It wasnt
about whether
t h e i r
e x p e r i e n c e
was paid or
unpaid it was
a b ou t t h e
quality of the
experience It was about how that
experience translated to the skill I
Among the
skills attributes
and qualities
employers prize
most are
communication
skills a strong
work ethic ability
to work in a team
and initiative
(Continued on page 7)
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
7
needed for the position I was looking to
fill The long and the short students
should list extensive leadership
positions as they would other work
experiences or internships especially if
they spent a significant amount of time
energy and resources to be successful -
and achieved great results Remember
recruiters and hiring managers want to
see that a student has made valuable
contributions to organizations in the
past
Another way to frame this is to
make student memberships and
leadership positions relevant on their
resume in the same way they would
describe any job they might hold As a
recruiter many times I felt a student‟s
involvement on campus held much more
meat and potatoes than their part time
non-degree related work experience at
say a fast food restaurant In some
instances many leadership positions
offer opportunities to participate andor
conduct team-building activities goal
setting sessions and organizing or
a t t e n d i n g n e t wo r k i n g e v e n t s
Remember employers are looking for
entry-level professionals and interns that
possess the traits and abilities that their
companies value - traits and values that
are much more easily correlated in the
work of a student leader than in some
part time jobs
But do recognize that employers
are savvy as to what constitutes real
involvement on campus verses just
filling a resume Theyre looking to
see a lot more than just a list of groups
and organizations the student belonged
to It is better to belong to one or two
student organizations and make
significant contributions versus
belonging to five as a member only
To do that students need to
recognize that means getting involved
beyond simply attending meetings
Students should
seek positions on
c o m m i t t e e s
s i g n i f i c a n t
c h a i r m a n s h i p
posi t ions or
executive officer
positions In
these important
roles student
leaders learn the
skills necessary
to faci l i t a te
c o o p e r a t i o n
network with a
variety of people
and organizations plan events
encourage younger members motivate
fellow group members and work
through problems and accomplish goals
A college campus is a nurturing
environment with trained advisors and
mentors who are there to assist student
leaders in gaining skills that are equally
important on campus as they are in
professional office setting skills most
employers are hungry for in new
employees
Employers also emphasize leadership
experience noted Mackes of the recent
NACE survey Asked to compare two
otherwise equally qualified candidates
employers chose the one who had held a
leadership position over the candidate
who s imply was involved in
extracurricular activities says NACEs
Mackes (2009)
In addition
students need to
also recognize that
employers want to
see initiative on a
student‟s resume
They want to see
that theyve stepped
out and beyond
their comfort zone
that theyve taken
risks set goals and
been creative in
problem solving
Being involved in
s t u d e n t
organizations gives a student a
multitude of opportunities to do just
that Did they come up with a great new
theme or marketing plan to promote
their organizations fundraiser resulting
in an increase in funds raised Did your
student create a new program that added
a significant number of new members
All of these are just examples of how
students can take their work in student
organizations and translate those
To do that students
need to recognize that
means getting
involved beyond
simply attending
meetings Students
should seek positions
on committees
significant
chairmanship
positions or executive
officer positions
(Continued on page 8)
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
8
experiences into the skills attributes
and talents employers are looking for in
new hires and adding these skills to their
resume cover letter and in interviews
But many students don‟t know
how to get started and my best advice is
to start at the beginning Students need
to recognize how they are leaders and
what skills they have learned in
leadership positions something they can
learn through keeping a journal There
are several benefits of keeping a journal
just a few are
Journal entries
will prove quite
use fu l when
u p d a t i n g a
resume
It will provide a
ldquorecordrdquo of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
p r o f e s s i o n a l
g r o w t h a n d
development over
the course of the
s t u d e n t ‟ s
involvement with
the organization
Writing about
leadership positions affords students the
opportunity to regularly reflect on their
experience
The journal will be helpful when
meeting with Career Center advisors to
discuss their experiences and how those
might affect their employability
It will be helpful as students
look to take on other leadership
opportunities and gives students the
ability to draw parallels between
experiences
The exercise of journaling is beneficial
during interviews especially when
students are asked to articulate their
experiences
Next students need to translate
their skills and experiences to their
resume but face it most students in
creating a resume write about past
experiences as if
theyre listing a
job description or
d u t i e s t h e y
performed Most
career center
counselors will
agree that its
i mpor t an t t o
create a resume
that focuses on
accomplishments
and not create a
laundry list of part
time jobs or bullet
points that read
l i k e a j o b
descriptions Employers want to see
how students succeeded on the job not
just what they did If one student‟s
responsibilities look just like their
buddy‟s both did themselves a
disservice Students need to tell the
employer how they excelled in their
position what makes them stand out
and how they have been a leader
Students need to brainstorm situations
theyve been in and think about the skills
they‟ve used to solve problems deal
with group members or achieve a goal
Talking with career advisors faculty
members and previous employers may
help students to identify skills they are
unaware of
Students also need to be specific
about what they did by qualifying and
quantifying their experiences If a
student supervised a leadership team of
five (5) exec board members and twenty
(20) council members for a group
representing 29 national sororities - say
that Understanding the scope of the
student‟s responsibility is key to
painting a clear picture of the student‟s
experience with employers
Students should also look for
student leadership positions that relate
to their major Employer‟s look fondly
on accounting students who served as
the treasurer for a sorority with an
annual budget of $20000 or a
psychology major who worked as an
freshman orientation leader who
counseled and advised first year
students on academics and personal
questionsconcerns Employers also
appreciate a sports management major
who ran the campus intramural program
Just one more way students can
highlight their leadership experience as
part of the job search process
Students also need to see how
(Continued on page 9)
Employerrsquos look fondly
on accounting students
who served as the
treasurer for a sorority
with an annual budget
of $20000 or a
psychology major who
worked as an freshman
orientation leader who
counseled and advised
first year students on
academics and
personal questions
concerns
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
9
their transferable and soft skills relate to
their job search andor leadership
development For students interested in
going into sales have them highlight
their fundraising experience For an RA
interested in event planning make sure
they include examples of programming
they held for their residents And if
they‟re unsure how to identify their
transferable or soft skills direct them to
your campus career center where
advisors can work with students to help
them translate their skills to a resume
cover letter or for an interview
So in this tough job market
encourage your student leaders to look
at their campus involvement as a
strategy of showing employers they
have the skills and attributes they‟re
looking for in potential new hires Help
them make the connection to being a
leader on campus and a leader in the
work place Help them see that the long
list of abilities and qualities employers
are seeking can be found in student
leaders
ldquoThe long list of wished-for
candidate abilities and qualities is
nothing newrdquo says Mackes (2009)
ldquoWe‟ve been asking employers to
describe their bdquoideal‟ candidate for more
than 10 years and these same attributes
are consistently identified as valued by
employersrdquo she says ldquoBut in times like
these when job opportunities are tight it
is perhaps even more important for job
candidates to understand what
employers want and find ways to
demonstrate those qualitiesrdquo
References
Koncz A Collins M 2009 January
29 Employers Cite Qualities Attributes
of ldquoPerfectrdquo Job Candidate [Press
release] Retrieved from http
wwwnaceweborgpressdisplayasp
year=2009ampprid=295
Cindy Price Verduce is the Director of
the Career Planning and Development
Center at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne
IN A former health care recruiter
Verduce has a Master of Education
degree in Student Personnel Services
with a cognate in Employee Relations
and Personnel from the University of
South Carolina where she also obtained
her Bachelor of Arts in History and a
minor Political Science She and her
husband John live in Fort Wayne with
their five children and two Labrador
retrievers
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
10
The intersection of two
apparently mutually exclusive ideas can
be the birthplace of new theory
concepts and practice At the time of
this writing community service and
spirituality are salient topics in the
research of higher education Several
past studies focused on student
motivation toward various service
activities (Fitch 1991 Jones amp Hill
2003 O‟Brien Sedlaceck amp Kandell
1991 Sergent amp Sedlacek 1990
Serow 1991) while religion and
spirituality research have been prolific
over the last few years (Astin Astin
Lindholm amp Bryant 2004 Chickering
Dalton amp Stamm 2006 Hoppe amp
Speck 2005) Yet there are many
unanswered questions concerning the
intersection of the two research
interests Community service may have
specific effects for spiritual and
religious students Further research is
necessary concerning these effects as
scholars continue to discover and
rediscover the ever-changing priorities
of undergraduate students Service and
Spirituality will describe the issue to be
investigated determine the sample
population and research design
expound on the significance of the
project and a finally propose suggested
hypothesis
Description of Issue
The goal of the proposed
research project is to expand scholars‟
and practitioners‟ understanding of
outcomes related to spiritual and
religious undergraduate college students
who work in a short term community
service setting specifically Alternative
Spring Break (ASB) The research
question is ldquoWhat are the unique effects
of ASB experiences for spiritual and
religious undergraduate studentsrdquo Sub-
questions include ldquoWhat are the
purposes of community service for
spiritual and religious students before
and after ASB tripsrdquo
ldquoWhat a re the
attitudes of spiritual
and religious students
before and after ASB
tripsrdquo Finally ldquoWhat
are the behaviors of
students before and
after ASB tripsrdquo The
answers to these
research questions
w i l l l a y t h e
g r o u n d wo r k f o r
fur ther s tudy concerning how
community service is experienced by
spiritual and religious students
Theoretical Constructs
Several theoretical constructs
must undergird the study including the
distinction between community service
and service learning the difference
between spirituality and religion in
relation to college students and the
history of Alternative Spring Break
e x p e r i e n c e s F i r s t w e mu s t
acknowledge that community service is
often mistakenly used interchangeably
with service learning For the purposes
of this study the distinction must be
ma d e Co mmu ni t y se r v i ce i s
ldquovolunteerism that occurs in the
communityrdquo which usually meets the
needs of others (National Service
Learning Clearinghouse 2007 para14) In
contrast service learning combines
service objectives
w i t h l e a r n i n g
objectives in order
to change both the
recipient of the
service as well as
the provider Rather
than adopt the
academic nature of
service learning as a
primary theoretical
c o n s t r u c t
community service
as a facet of student involvement is
most conducive to this proposed study
S e c o n d ldquo r e l i g i o n a n d
spirituality are often mistakenly
u n d e r s t o o d a s s y n o n y m o u s
termsrdquo (Love 2000) The distinction
must be clear in order to further
describe the proposed study Spirituality
was previously synthesized from across
Service and Spirituality Alternative Spring Break for Spiritual and Religious Students
By Shaunna L Payne
(Continued on page 11)
Rather than adopt
the academic nature
of service learning
as a primary
theoretical
construct
community service
as a facet of student
involvement is most
conducive to this
proposed study
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
11
disciplinary literature such as theology
social science and other helping fields
like nursing counseling and social
work It is defined as the threefold
process of seeking personal authenticity
genuineness and wholeness as an aspect
of one‟s identity
developing a greater
connection to self and
others and deriving
meaning and purpose
(Love amp Talbot
1999) In contrast
religion is defined by
Ra n d o m Ho u s e
Dictionary of the
English Language
(1979) as a specific
fundamental set of
beliefs and practices
generally exercised
by a number of
persons Religion
connects with the idea of the existence
of an entity or entities that created
governs and controls the future of the
world and steers its natural course in
history Pascarella and Terenzini (1991)
found that the majority of research in
higher education addressed questions of
general religiosity and religious
activities only Over approximately the
last 40 years research has declined in
the areas of religious attitudes values
and behaviors Conversely research
increased in the areas of ldquoaltruism
humanitarianism and social conscience
more social racial ethnic and political
tolerance greater support for the rights
of individualsrdquo gender equality and the
ability to consider situations beyond
one‟s own perspective (Love 2000
para10) Each of these characteristics is
supported as aspects of spiritual
d e v e l o p m e n t
Participants from
both religious and
spiritual student
organizations will
b e e x p l o r e d
concerning the
Alternative Spring
Break experience
however research
ou t co mes wi l l
determine if effects
a r e d i s t i n c t l y
d i c t a t e d b y
r e l i g i o s i t y
spirituality or both
T h i r d
Alternative Spring Break must be
defined ASB is a student-initiated
s tudent -run community service
immersion program conducted over a
one-week period during Spring Break
Students live and serve in the
community selected (McElhaney
1998) ASB originated in 1990 when
two university students identified Spring
Break as a time to possibly combine
service and of f campus fun
Simultaneously a national movement
was underway with the same intention
The two students began what was called
ldquoService Spring Breakrdquo by developing
two sites that worked for Habitat for
Humanity After the first year the two
students recruited 30 people for hunger
projects in another state in addition to
Habitat for Humanity sites in the
students‟ home state During the third
year the organizing students created the
conceptual model that is now labeled
ldquoAlternative Spring Breakrdquo The model
included pre-break training as well as
group building and reflection during and
after the break In 1992 50 students
served at five sites across three states
The program continued to expand as a
phenomenon of community service in
American higher education ASB is a
unique facet of student involvement
Sample Population and Research
Design
The experiences of a group of
public university students who worked
in various settings during ASB trips will
serve as the participants in this research
There are four campus ministries that
serve the student body including
Baptist Student Union Campus
Christian Community Catholic Campus
Ministry and Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship In addition there are five
religious student organizations that
serve the Catholic Jewish Muslim and
non-denominational students Students
will be solicited from these campus
ministries and students organizations to
voluntarily participate
Methodology dictates that the
research questions determine the
research design and approach The
(Continued on page 12)
ASB is a student-
initiated student-
run community
service immersion
program
conducted over a
one-week period
during Spring
Break Students
live and serve in
the community
selected
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
12
research question for this study attempts
to understand the unique effects of ASB
experiences on spiritual and religious
undergraduate students therefore the
l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e r e q u i r e s a
constructivist qualitative approach that
describes experiences while also
understanding the structures that
produce meaning in the participants‟
consciousness (Polkinghorne 1989) A
phenomenological approach is essential
to fully answering the research question
and subquestions due to its focus on
ldquothe subjects‟ experienced meaning
instead of centering on descriptions of
their overt actions or behaviorrdquo (p 44)
This study is focused on meaning-
making that is evident in emerging
general themes that describe students‟
experiences rather than solely giving
thematic representations of the actions
or behaviors of the participants
The research design is clearly
planned Each of the nine ASB trip
coordinators at the university will be
contacted and asked to nominate at least
5 undergraduate students to participate
in the study All nominees will be
contacted and asked to participate The
first twenty students to respond
positively will be confirmed as
participants The students will be
randomly assigned to two focus groups
with ten participants each The focus
group format will allow the discussion
to ensue among the participants as they
interact (Stage amp Manning 2003) The
focus group format is expedient given
the time constraints of the research
award More importantly the focus
group augments the constructivist
approach as ldquoone participant‟s reaction
to a question draws out another‟s
responserdquo (Stage amp Manning 2003 p
55) Interaction of this magnitude
acknowledges the reality that attitudes
and beliefs do not form in a vacuum
Participants often clarify their own
opinions and understandings by
listening to others At the beginning of
each focus groups a consent form will
be signed A handout with participation
guidelines and key dates will be
distributed and explained Up to five
questions will be asked in the focus
group which will last approximately two
hours Responses will be recorded for
later transcription review Also students
will receive a journal that may be used
to write entries throughout the ASB
experience The journal entry will
supplement the analysis of the focus
group transcripts
Approximately a week after the
participants return from ASB a second
focus group will be conducted
Participants‟ journals will be submitted
to the researcher for review and coding
The participants will also bring a picture
or item that is a significant symbol of
the subject‟s ASB experience A
description of this item will be included
in the questions for the focus group The
focus group will be facilitated for
a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o h o u r s
Approximately six months after
returning from ASB the participant will
gather for a third and final focus group
intended to explore longer term effects
of the Spring Break experience
Description of Significance
The significance of religious
and spiritual student experiences of
community service is great The ASB
has begun to serve as a meaningful co-
curricular experience for today‟s college
students As reported by Campus
Compact a consortium of 1000
colleges and universities that are
committed to citizenship in higher
education the number of schools
offering spring break volunteer
opportunities increased from 66 percent
to 77 percent since 2000 (The Case
Foundation 2007) Many students are
motivated by their religious spiritual
and ethical beliefs to serve Student
a f f a i r s p r a c t i t i o n e r s s t u d e n t
organization leaders and religious
services professionals could be greatly
affected by the results of the study as
they strive to influence students with
holistic approaches
Editorrsquos Note This article was
unpublished from a previous year
Contact information for Ms Payne
could not be verified before publication
She has my thanks for her contribution
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
13
Commission
Corner
Upcoming Conferences
Seminars and Workshops
NACA Summer Institutes
httpwwwnacaorgEventsPagesSummerInstitutesaspx
Student Government West - July 9-12 - University of
Washington (Seattle)
National Leadership Symposium - July 9-12 - University
of Richmond
Student Government East - July 16-19 - George
Washington University
Risk Management - July 20-22 - New Orleans
International House
Upcoming Service Learning Conferences
2009 Alternative Break Citizenship Schools
DESCRIPTION The only conference dedicated entirely to creating quality alternative break programs
INFORMATION httpalternativebreaksorgabcsasp
CONTACT Break Away breakawayalternativebreaksorg (800) 903-0646
DETAILS June 13-19 2009 Blacksburg VA Theme ldquoAccess and Isolation in Appalachiardquo
July 18-24 2009 Indianapolis IN Theme ldquoThe Invisibility of Disabilitiesrdquo Aug 8-14 2009 Sacramento CA Theme ldquoThe High Price of Cheap Foodrdquo The National Educatorsrsquo Institute for Jewish Service-Learning
DESCRIPTION The institute is a week-long training designed to prepare you to create and teach Jewish service-learning programs in your community INFORMATION httpwwwpanimorgeducatorsinstitute CONTACT Lia Katz The Center for Jewish Service-Learning liakpanimorg (301) 770-5070 ext 202
DETAILS June 21-25 2009 University of Maryland College Park MD
National Conference on Volunteering and Service
DESCRIPTION The worldrsquos largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit government and corporate sec tors
INFORMATION httpwwwvolunteeringandserviceorg CONTACT conferencevolunteeringandserviceorg (404) 979-2924
DETAILS June 22-24 2009 San Francisco CA Theme ldquocivicenergygenerationrdquo 6th Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
DESCRIPTION This two-day event brings together community members young people and school leaders to discuss the application of principles of service-learning in urban environments INFORMATION httpwwwnylcorgpages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Instituteoid=
CONTACT jcoteigeslorg
DETAILS August 5-7 2009 New Foundations Charter School Philadelphia PA
6th Annual Conference of Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION The Midwest Consortium promotes mobilizes and supports the efforts of its members ndash public and private urban and rural small and large colleges and universities in Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota ndash in developing and strengthening service-learning programs in their institutions and their communities and beyond through this annual conference
INFORMATION httpwwwmidwestconsortiumorgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=articleampid=209ampItemid=141
CONTACT Sarah Hanify University of Nebraska-Omaha shanifyunomahaedu (402) 554-3880
DETAILS September 24-25 2009 Omaha NE Theme ldquoMillennials Making a Differencerdquo 3rd Annual Conference on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
DESCRIPTION Participants at this conference will explore global citizenship and means of promoting it on our campuses share practical applications and strategies for fostering global citizenship and enhance strategies for cross-campus collaboration
INFORMATION httpwwwvtcampuscompactorg20092009_Fostering_Globalhtm
CONTACT Vermont Campus Compact vccmiddleburyedu
DETAILS October 5-6 2009 Brattleboro VT
9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DESCRIPTION This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement the most effective means of achieving them and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies
INFORMATION httpwwwresearchslceorgfiles2009ConferenceConference_Mainhtml CONTACT Denise Jeffrey University of Ottawa ircslce2009uottawaca
Other Conferences
ACPA National Advisor Institute - July 22-24 - Times Square
Marriot Marquis NY NY - httpwwwapcacom
view_edsessionsphpconId=16
11th Annual International Leadership Association Conference
- November 11-14 - Prague Czech Republic - httpwwwila-
netorg
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo
14
Commission
Corner
Meet the new Commission for
Student Involvement Directorate
Name Position University
David Rachita Chair Unv of Houston - Clear Lake
Marlena Martinez Chair-Elect Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bridgette Behling Coord Activities George Washington
Sarah Hermsmeier Coord Community Service amp Service Learning Penn State - University Park
Ryan Jasen Henne Coord Fundraising
Christine Workman Coord Greek Affairs
Christina Mastrangelo Coord Resource Fair Case Western Reserve
Darren Pierre VC Administration University San Fransisco
Daniel Tillapaugh VC Leadership Education University of California San Diego
Karol Martinez VC Personnel Maryland Institute College of Art
Krystal Clark VC Programs Duke University
Avi Zacherman VC Publications Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
Jesse Watson VC Research
Teniell Trolian Web Site Kent State University
Laura McMaster Directorate Class of 2012 Clemson University
Bill Dlugokienski Directorate Class of 2010
Paige Haber Directorate Class of 2010 University of San Diego
Ramsey Jabaji Directorate Class of 2010 Unv of Maryland
Stephanie Serven Directorate Class of 2010 Marymount
Eli Ker Directorate Class of 2011 Clemson University
Jenn Smist Directorate Class of 2011 Unv of North Carolina - Wilmington
Justin Fincher Directorate Class of 2011 John Hopkins University
Katie Wadas Directorate Class of 2011
Lamar Hylton Directorate Class of 2011
Tatum Thomas Directorate Class of 2011 New York University
Desiree Anderson Directorate Class of 2012 Texas State
Jessica (Jesse) Douglas Directorate Class of 2012 Mount Union College
Katherine Hendricks Directorate Class of 2012
Rian Satterwhite Directorate Class of 2012
Terri Frysh Directorate Class of 2012 University of Buffalo