Beloit College Mindset List for the Freshmen Class of 2018!

Yes, another academic year is here! I am always excited about September! September also means that we have another group of amazing freshmen joining the university.

I always look for the upcoming Beloit College Mindset list. Here it is! - LINK

What was your most SURPRISING item from the list?

Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU

Work-Life Balance for Higher Education Professionals - Limiting E-mail from 8-5

This academic year, I focused on the importance of work life balance. When I began my current role, I was known for sending e-mail at 3am or 4am in the morning when I could not rest and for sending e-mail during peak hours of the weekend.

THEN it dawned on me, I was not promoting positive work-life balance for the team or for myself.

The team works so hard for the students, faculty, and staff at our campus that it is only right to respect their weekend and nights with their families (or time spent on hobbies).

No E-mail Outside of the Typical Workday to Promote Work-Life Balance...
Now, I do not send any e-mail outside of the 8-5 workday unless an emergency arises or if an important report is due and I need questions answered at the last minute.

Still Working...
However, I do work on e-mail on the weekend and I save each "to be sent" message in my drafts folder and I send the e-mails to the team early on Monday morning.

A Work in Progress...
This is one practice that I will definitely have to modify, because it could feel alarming to the team if they receive four e-mail messages from me at 8am in the morning. I plan to only send one message at a time (if they are not urgent) during certain time intervals in the morning.

Looking for More...
I definitely want to respect work balance for the team as well as myself. Therefore, I need to look for more practices that will contribute to a positive work environment.

Additional ideas?

Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU

#SAPros: Rethink Your Traditional Communication Methods

Student Affairs Professionals,

We are gearing up for a year academic year, the 2014-2015 academic year! Will your traditional, tried and true methods for communicating with students work this year? Probably not.

This year represents one year closer to the end of the millennial college population. Then, the next generation will be the "new silent generation".

Let's figure out HOW we CAN communicate with the incoming student populations, because traditional communication methods will not work!

Listen to this great session at SxSW about the importance of NON-TRADITIONAL communication methods!


What should student affairs professionals do differently?

,Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU

The Convocation Ceremony Marks the End of Transition Week and the Beginning of Fall Classes!

Tonight was our final night of Transition Week and the night before our first day of class. This is always a magical experience for me because this event includes all of the FITC (first-time in college) freshmen at our university at one time in one place.

*I will blog about the Transition Week experience soon! Look forward to some great pictures!

This year, the event included speeches from the President, the Provost, and the VP for Student Services. EVERYONE (all faculty and staff attendees) is in their graduation regalia and all of the students have matching shirts. Truly an amazing ceremony.

I always anticipate the President and the Provost's speeches, because the speeches remind me of the actual graduation experience that many of these FTIC attendees will experience in four years.

The Provost always assigns the students their first homework task in our Academic Success Rally. This task requires the students to write five goals that they would like to achieve within the next four years. Then, the students are required to send an e-mail to the Provost. She categorizes the responses and highlights certain responses for all of the students to hear. The students' responses are never the same and I always sit in the ceremony in anticipation of her speech.

After the speeches are delivered, the students and other attendees always watch a sentimental video about the freshmen experience and the subsequent experiences the students will have until their senior year.

Then, the students walk in silence to the next aspect of the event, the candle lighting! Each student receives a candle (along with an explanation of the tradition) and then all attendees participate in a group photo for the incoming class that features their lit candles.

I am definitely fortunate to be part of the students's lives this year.

Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU