Month: August 2019

Kudos

SoACE Kudos: August 2019 Edition

August 30, 2019 by 0 Comments

Every other month, SoACE members have the opportunity to submit their anonymous Kudos to colleagues and organizations that have gone above and beyond in the office, as part of a professional association, or in other ways that make life better for others.

MarKeicha Dickens, UGA Career Center
Thanks for starting at the Career Center with me this Summer and being a great neighbor!

Marla Ebert, UGA Career Center
Thanks for starting at the Career Center with me this Summer and making all of us new people look good by your quick mastery.

Katlyn Kurtz, University of South Florida
A huge thank you to USF’s Katlyn Kurtz for all of her help over the past few months as our unit has undergone another transformation. You’ve continued to deliver and provide stability for our team and our clients and always done so with a smile or a laugh! We appreciate you!

Gianna Liantonio, Loyola University New Orleans
For your flexibility, adaptability, and positive attitude. Welcome to Loyola! We are thrilled to have you on the Career Development Team.

Alicia Smyth, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Alicia, wow! What a fantastic person you are! I was told before even knowing who you were or meeting you that you were friendly and hardworking, and boy did people sell you short. You are fantastic! Thank you for all the hard work you put in to SoACE and for your institution.

Danielle Golinski, Elon University
Summer Technology Bootcamp = AMAZING! Way to rock the entire planning, coordination, and execution processes.

Ashley Graham Phipps, Wake Forest University
Thank you for all of the incredible work you do for the Technology KG! We would be lost without all of the work you do behind the scenes and on-stage.

Kelly Atwood, Mississippi State University
Thank you for being an amazing Assistant Chair for the Technology KG! I can’t wait to support you and the rest of the Tech KG in all you do in 2020!

Dana Nordyke, Kansas State University
Dana, great job doing what you do at Kansas State University. I can truly tell that you are passionate about what you do by the way people smile and are energetic around you! You exemplify awesomeness!

Texas Tech University Career Center
Kudos to the entire TTU Career Center as we face changes with both sorrow and happiness. So many changes as we see Dr. Noble and Dr. Winkelman leave us to pursue their career goals. And we welcome our newest members, Tori and Lexie! With our depth of experience (ObiWan!) and our energy and enthusiasm, we meet all the challenges – successfully, effectively, and with grit!

Mark Colvenbach, The University of Tampa
Director Mark Colvenbach, what an awesome team you have created! After traveling to many Career Services Offices before meeting the one at The University of Tampa, I can truly say the team at UT is truly awesome and one of a kind! Thanks for being an awesome servant-leader!

Becky Nero-Wall, The University of Tampa
Becky, Congratulations on your 1 year work anniversary! Thank you for always supporting everyone and all that you do for The University of Tampa Office of Career Services! They are sooo lucky to have you!

Alaina Rahaim, The University of Tampa
Alaina, congratulations on your 1 year work-anniversary! Thank you for always bringing a positive and energetic attitude to wherever you go!

Letters from the President - SoACE Updates

Letter from the President: Charlie Wilder

August 23, 2019 by 0 Comments

Greetings SoACE Members!  I hope this message finds you confidently going forth into a time of year that for many is the peak activity season.  Even though you are likely very busy, I hope you take a minute to read about a few exciting things that are happening with your favorite regional association.

L.I.V.E. from Memphis.  Our conference committee is hard at work preparing an event that will help you Lead, InnoVate, and Educate.  While all SoACE conferences are events to be remembered, this year’s conference is looking to be one you will not want to miss, for so many reasons: The Peabody Hotel, the Peabody Ducks, Graceland, and not to mention another excellent round of breakouts, 5@5s, roundtables, and networking opportunities.  Be sure to register before the early bird cutoff of October 7th!

St. Jude Heroes.  We are also really excited about our philanthropy this year, which is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Our fundraising team of #TeamSoACE St. Jude Heroes have committed to participating in one of the races associated with the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, which will take place the Saturday before the conference begins.  Click here to help us reach our fundraising goal of $10,000!  If we reach our goal, you’ll get to see our very own Sponsorship Chair, Chris Agans, dress up as Elvis during the conference, so donate today!  It’s also not too late to join the team; just email me if you are interested.

Membership Engagement.  During our July meeting, the Board discussed our current processes for recruiting, developing, and recognizing those members who fill our 80 committee and knowledge group positions.  A task force was appointed to investigate ways to streamline these processes and find solutions that will further strengthen our organization.  The success of our association relies heavily on these individuals, so THANK YOU to all who volunteer your time and effort for SoACE.  More to come!

SoACE is strong today for many reasons, not the least of which is its outstanding membership.  I am so proud to be a part of SoACE because of YOU, and I look forward to where we will go from here, together.

Charlie Wilder, Ph.D.

2019-20 SoACE President

Auburn University

Professional Development - Technology KG

Technology Bootcamp Recap

August 9, 2019 by 0 Comments

Summer Technology Boot Camp

By Kelly Atwood, Assistant Chair of the Technology KG, Mississippi State University

The Technology KG hosted its 3rd annual Boot Camp July 24-25. This two-day webinar event began as the brainchild of Peter Thorsett (University of South Florida) and Sally Perez-Ramos (St. Edward’s University) to provide technology-focused professional development to the KG and overall SoACE membership. Each year, the event has evolved in the types of technology and marketing platforms included in the programming, as well as the variety of KG and association members both presenting and participating.

The 2019 Boot Camp showcased seven presentations from members at six institutions and across four states.  Coordinator of the SoACE Technology Boot Camp, Danielle Golinski (Elon University), noted that she was impressed with the level of knowledge and willingness of all presenters to share what they know virtually. The boot camp is a fantastic opportunity for all SoACE members to learn and support each other, from the comfort of their office, during the summer season to further promote continued learnings.

In two packed days, Boot Camp participants learned about chatbots; email and social media analytics; résumé technology; impactful and targeted messaging to Gen Z students; utilizing institutional research software to attract new talent; Slack; and driving student engagement through technology and data. Each session offered knowledge sharing, insights, and best practices for career services and employer members.  For those who missed out on this year’s Boot Camp, or want to revisit a session, all webinars were recorded and are available on the SoACE website.

The Boot Camp has afforded the opportunity to increase KG member involvement and a foray into leadership with the KG.  The past Boot Camp coordinators (Peter, Sally, and I) have all served or currently are serving in leadership roles. We are proud of Danielle’s coordination of the event, and anticipate her contributions to the KG and the association to grow. We thank all of the presenters for their time and willingness to share their knowledge, the SoACE and KG leadership for support and promotion of the event, and of course, all the attendees for joining one or all seven webinars.

The next Technology KG member meeting will be September 4 at 1 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. EDT (call-in details:  https://zoom.us/j/256607305). All SoACE members interested in learning about the KG, sharing technology insights or challenges, or discussing trends are welcome. Slack or email Laura Kalb (lkalb@trinity.edu);, Technology KG Chair, or me (katwood@career.msstate.edu); with any questions, comments, or suggestions for the KG.

Recordings of the Technology Boot Camp Webinars can be found on the Archived Program page on the SoACE website.