mcpa spring newsletter - 2

VISIT US ONLINE TODAY: http://www.mymcpa.net/

Inves tor Newslet terPresidential Update - April 2010By Shelley Errington Nicholson - President 2009-2010 - MCPA

Spring has sprung!! As we look towards the end of another academic year, it is a great time to reflect

on all of our accomplishments this year.Accomplishments individual and collective; professional and personal; large and small all deserve at least moment of reflection. It has certainly been a challenging year for many of us. We are still feeling the effect of the economic meltdown, unemployment is at an all time high which has our graduates nervous, and let's not forget all of the upheaval in the world at large. Multiple natural disasters have plagued the world this year; can anyone say 2012? Hello? So, in all of this strife, how do we keep perspective in our professional and personal lives? How do we recognize gratitude? How can we learn to appreciate the little things, the little wins? We need to do so frequently and deliberately. Spring seems the best time to start unpacking all the bad vibes and start looking at the world around us in a

new light. Let's do some spring cleaning of the soul. I want you all to pause and think of ten things you are grateful for right now; 5 personal and 5 professional. I will share my five professional with you now, in the context of MCPA.

1.) ACPA 2010 - GO BOSTON!! This years convention was a wonderful success by all accounts and MCPA was privileged to serve as the state commission home base. Between our various socials, our fantastic table at showcase, and record Massachusetts attendance, MCPA was a toure de force. I am grateful that we had such a great showing and once again proved that Massachusetts is the higher education capital of the US!!

2.) Membership - thanks to all of you, our membership base has remained consistent and strong throughout these economically troubled times.Now that is something to be grateful for! People have made personal commitments to continue their involvement with or without institutional support.(continued on page 5)

TABLE OF CONTENTSPAGE 1PRESIDENTIAL UPDATEAn Update from the MCPA President.

PAGE 2ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WORKSHOPMark your calendar and submit a program proposal today!MEMBERSHIP UPDATESSee the new members and thank you for continuing to renew!

PAGE 3PICTURES FROM ACPASee the pictures from our MCPA/BACHA social at ACPA

PAGE 4PICTURES FROM ACPASee our award winners as well as our showcase table!

PAGE 5PRESIDENTIAL UPDATEContinued from COFFEE TALK 3Read about our coffee talk from January.

PAGE 6FACEBOOK FAN PAGEJoin us on Facebook today!COFFEE TALK 3Continued from Page 5

PAGE 7ELECTION RESULTS!See newly elected and appointed MCPA executive board members.

APRIL 2010 SPRING ISSUE #2 - THE NEXUS - PAGE 1

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION

THE NEXUS 2009-2010

http://www.mymcpa.net




ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WORKSHOP

REGISTER TODAY!Registration is already open for the workshop! visit our website to register! www.mymcpa.net

SUBMIT A PROGRAM PROPOSALWe are still accepting program proposals! Submit one today! Links for the program proposals are also available on our website. www.mymcpa.net

Membership

Updates!Don’t forget to renew! Membership is $30 for regular renewal and only $20 for

student membership!

Thank you to our members who continue to renew their membership each year!

You are important to us!

Welcome to our new MCPA members!Thomas Chew, Newbury College - Kristen Kearney, Emmanuel College

Jenny Small - Andrea Teyssier, Northeastern University

Douglas Walo, Harvard Law School








SEPTEMBER - 2009 FALL ISSUE - THE NEXUS - PAGE 2APRIL 2010 SPRING ISSUE #2 - THE NEXUS - PAGE 3

MCPA In ActionPictures below are from our Joint MCPA & BACHA social at Vox Populi. Have your own photos from our

events you want to share? send them in to [email protected] for our website.



mailto:[email protected]




MCPA In ActionPictures below show our MCPA Awards presented at our ACPA social at Club Cafe. President Shelley Errington

Nicholson and President-Elect Will Cribby presented the awards.

Congratulations to this year’s MCPA Award recipients:

Outstanding Service to MCPA AwardSara Hummel Mueller

Outstanding Program Award “Common Senses” Facilitated by

Jonathan Kroll and Caitlin Courtney

Pillar of Mentorship Award Beth Moriarty




(continued from page 1)3.) Drive-In Conference - What is your legacy? Since our conference last fall, many people have started seriously thinking about the legacy they want to leave within the profession, as well as how to inspire our students to leave their own legacy. I am grateful that Dr. Fey challengedall of us to think about legacies. Have you challenged your students to think about their legacy?

4.) I am personally/professionally grateful for all of the wonderful networking opportunities with my fellow Mass colleagues!! Be it our Coffee Talks, joint programs with other professional organizations

or just some downtime at ACPA, this year was filled with those meaningful opportunities to connect with one another.

5.) Finally, I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to serve as president of such a dynamic student affairs organization with a rich history and a focus on the future of our profession. That one was a twofer personal and professional!

Now, it is your turn...what are you grateful for? Let me know and we will post them on our website - Happy Spring!!

[email protected]

Peer Intervention Programs:Enlisting our Students to Lend a Helping Hand by Greg Snoddy, MCPA Member at LargeWhat were you doing on Friday, January 29th, 2010? If you’ll visualize back to the cool winter day, complete with a refreshing wind, a few piles of snow here and there, and perhaps an exhilarating ride to Worcester, you may recall a wonderful MCPA Coffee Talk Program focusing on Peer Intervention Programs and Suicide Prevention.

(Continued on page 6)


Don’t Forget!

Vinny T’s this

Thursday in Dedham! Hear distinguished student affairs professionals discuss

the balance between Student Development and

Customer Service!Registration still open!

$40 on Thursday!Register Today:

http://www.mymcpa.net/








(Continued from page 5) 32 fellow professionals from throughout the Commonwealth came to WPI to learn about a program designed to enlist students (primarily) and others in a federally funded SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) effort focusing on suicide prevention and mental health promotion. Led by Charlie Morse and Matt Barry from WPI’s Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC), the presentation showcased national data from 2009 on the prevalence of suicidal thoughts, including the following concerning data: 55% of students had experienced suicidal thoughts in their lifetime

46% never talk to anyone else about thoughts or suicidal attempts

Of those who talked to others, 67% first told a friend/peer

Of those who talked to others, 52% found it helpful and 58% were advised to seek professional help

Clearly, friends and family are sought out when students decide to talk about their suicidal thoughts, as indicated by this 2009 poll data: •77% would turn to friends for help.•67% would turn to parents for help

Students are less inclined to seek professional help:•20% say they would turn to school counseling•6% would turn to Resident Advisor•3% would turn to a crisis hotlineBased on these data, the need to activate peer education, prevention and intervention strategies on college campuses become clear. WPI’s approach involves a comprehensive prevention program: the Student Support Network (SSN). SSN training is an innovative approach to supporting students with their natural peer support networks, focused on helping their friends in distress. SSN involves identifying and selecting student leaders and then training these individuals in a 6-week series focused on the knowledge areas of warning signs and facts about depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide and substance abuse. The intent is to teach, introduce and enhance skills in the areas of listening and empathy, followed by connecting these friends with help.The WPI Student Support Network has been tremendously successful, having trained 233 students to date. Part of the SAMHSA Grant includes the sharing of the SSN model with other colleges. Both Charlie and Matt are happy to forward the SSN Training Manual to any campus considering a peer networking program. If you would like to receive a copy of the SSN Training Manual, please contact them at [email protected]


Are you on Facebook?

MCPA is on Facebook!!

Join our Fan Page today to connect with professionals and stay up on current discussions!

Post your pictures from ACPA or other events! Start a discussion!

Please join us on the MCPA Facebook fan page.

You do not need to be an MCPA member to join.

To join go to http://www.mymcpa.net and click on the Facebook link.











MCPA ELECTION RESULTS!

2010-2011 Executive Board

Congratulations to New and Returning Board

Members. Newly elected or appointed members are noted in

blue.

President:Will CribbyMount Ida College

President -Elect:Sara JacquesEmerson College

Past President:Shelley Nicholson

Treasurer: Bryan WintMass Bay Community College

Secretary: Kathryn TippoBentley University

Webmaster:Brian SalvaggioBridgewater State College

Marketing Coordinator:(Appointed Position) - TBA

Membership Coordinator:Jen CasavantBentley University

Newsletter Editor:John O'ConnorEmmanuel College

Graduate Student Liaisons:Jenn DeLucaBridgewater State College

Kirsten MorrowSpringfield College

Member(s) at Large: Stacey SteinbachU-Mass -Amherst

Jamica Nadina LoveEastern Nazarene College

Sara HummelMass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Hilary CaronEmmanuel College

For Any updates double check events at www.mymcpa.net





mcpa spring newsletter - 2

Documents

nexus page

visit us online today

mcpa president

coffee talk

context of mcpa

program proposals

spring issue

showcase table