New Student Transitions - Helpful Resources

February

By Carmen M. Vazquez

Vice President, Student Affairs

Welcome Back!

I am sure the last several weeks have flown by, as time celebrating holidays transitioned much too quickly into preparing for your student to return to USD.  I am happy to announce that this January, in addition to preparing to welcome your students back to campus, our division welcomed a wonderful new staff member who will provide leadership to our Dean of Students area.

Dr. Donald Godwin joined the division as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students on January 17, 2007.  Dr. Godwin comes to USD from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and brings with him a wealth of experience in the areas of residence life, judicial affairs, diversity initiatives, and community service.  He will provide leadership to the on-going refinement and programmatic development of the co-curricular aspects of the undergraduate and graduate student experiences at USD.  Campus diversity, inclusiveness, and the development of our students’ global competency will also be hallmarks of this important student affairs area.

In the spirit of our monthly transitions theme, I will share with you that the spring semester is famous for moving even more quickly than the fall.  This month your student will begin to settle back into the routine of being a student.  Fall grades will provide important academic feedback about how they managed their time and studies in the past and whether they need to reexamine their habits for the spring.  They will adjust to a new class schedule and reconnect with new friends after having visited with old friends over the break.  This contrast between new and old can result in some stress – assure your student that these feelings are not uncommon.  In fact, the spring semester is an ideal time for your student to begin to focus on truly finding their niche on campus.  Student Affairs professionals across a variety of areas – Greek Life to Recreation, International Programs to the Women’s Center – are waiting to assist them in this very important identity development process.

Encourage your student to take action early on to make the most of the spring semester:  Resident Advisor applications are out, a new email and calendaring system are ready to support your student in managing their time, and a new student portal information system will go live later this semester.  Our state of the art Mission Housing complex (including a café and fitness center) is nearly framed, and the meetings about the future expansion of the University Center continue.

This New Year has brought about many new milestones for USD; I hope that 2007 marks a renewed relationship between you and your student as they continue to take steps toward an increasing sense of independence.

In Torero Spirit,

Carmen Vazquez