Friday Focus: Summer is for reflecting, preparing — and ice cream
June 3, 2021
— by Ali Knabe, interim vice chancellor for student affairs
It's a sure sign that summer is here when you see that Student Activities is hosting Ice Cream Thursdays again! This long-standing tradition started in the 1970s; it was the best deal in town at a dollar a scoop! Today, Ice Cream Thursdays are still a great bargain and, more importantly, a great way to focus on creating community and engaging with colleagues and students we haven't seen in a while. It has been great to see so many people soaking up the sunshine and each other's company outside on the Troth Yeddha’ Campus recently.
Summer is also an important time for us student affairs professionals; it is a time to assess and reflect on the previous year and start planning for the upcoming academic year. As part of this planning, the Center for Student Engagement is updating the UAF student engagement platform, Nanook Engage. Starting July 1, the UAF community will have an improved experience that focuses on co-curricular opportunities for students and a place where students can engage in campus events. Student organizations and department portals are a direct path to involvement. Students can find and join organizations, add events to their calendars, receive push notifications, and fill out digital forms, all in a few clicks.
As the updated platform is rolled out, the CSE staff will be connecting with folks about opportunities for your department's use.
With this branded campus events app and interactive online dashboard, students can keep active campus involvement top of mind (and in their back pocket). In Student Affairs, we are excited that this platform can use check-in technology to track student attendance. We use that data to assess student development outcomes and the effectiveness of programs. The college experience can significantly impact students' lives, and we do this by creating a strong sense of community. I encourage all of you to empower each other to create a supportive, engaged campus culture that contributes to our vibrant campus life and learning outside the classroom.
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.