Post written by: Sean Sherwood, Residential Services

Being an on-campus professional for the college, I see students constantly having issues with their free time. With many of these students being freshmen, they come into the four-year college environment thinking that their 9-5 lives will be taken up with classes, schoolwork and studying.

Alas! These students more often than not find that they have an excess of time that allows them to play Guitar Hero, watch YouTube videos, and more likely just sit around contemplating life. This time is valuable opportunities going to waste! Yes, getting to battle Slash in an epic guitar dual is a grand goal to achieve, but the importance of getting involved on campus and beyond is vital to the development of “the student” and very much involved with connecting Faculty and Students.

From a student standpoint, the reasons to get involved are numerous. In one thought, taking up that time with something constructive can help the body and mind. While using that time, the student can learn proper organization skills and scheduling their time more wisely. Trying new and exciting things can also help a students grow as leaders. Getting involved with campus organizations and intramural sports are not only good ways to spend your time, but also great resume builders that will make these students attractive in this ever-competitive job market. Getting an on-campus job, like working for an office or being an RA, AA or APM in the residence halls can give students the opportunity to program for their peers and grow by attending trainings and conferences. These aspects of on-campus living are such great experiences that most students tend to avoid.

For a faculty standpoint, it is so important to be as involved as possible with these student groups. Not only will this be of great leadership value to you, but it gives the students involved an opportunity to connect with their faculty outside of the classroom, which is reasoning for the “Connections Committee,” in the first place. Secondly, being an advisor or a frequent visitor to some of these organizations will build your credibility and rapport with students, as well as something to do after-hours.

As part of the Connections Committee, it is our part to help students and faculty connect in the most basic of ways. But it is truly a part of the faculty AND the students job to make sure that they are as involved as possible with one another, and getting involved on-campus is most definitely the best and easiest way to build those relationships.

Post written by: Cynthia Lake

On May 7th, Midnight Breakfast raised over $1,000 for the Cortland Chapter of the American Red Cross. Faculty and staff volunteers cooked and served up something hot for a record-breaking 1,102 hungry SUNY Cortland students, the largest crowd in Midnight Breakfast history.
And that’s a lot of pots and pans to clean!

Many thanks go out to all the volunteers and to the sponsors of the event for providing a delicious way for the SUNY Cortland community to connect. The Student Affairs Connections Committee hopes that you will join us and volunteer in December ‘08! See you then!

Post written by: Lisa Allen

The Student Affairs Faculty Connection Award is a newly created award designed to recognize a faculty member for establishing and maintaining significant connections with students outside of the classroom. Nominees were drawn from SUNY Cortland faculty serving in full-time teaching positions during the 2007-2008 academic year. We received many nominations that highlighted what great things faculty members are doing to connect with their students outside of the classroom.

The Student Affairs Connections Committee is pleased to announce that Dr. Caroline Kaltefleiter was selected to receive the award this year. Dr. Kaltefleiter is currently serving as the Women’s Studies Co-Coordinator. She is the formal advisor to POWER (Planet of Women for Equality and Respect) and an informal advisor to WSUC-FM and Cortland Students for Peace.

Based on the nominations Dr. Kaltefleiter received, it is obvious that she goes above and beyond what is expected of her to establish excellent relationships with students, participates in student life outside of the classroom, and strives to make success happen in the lives of everyone that comes in contact with her.

The nominations speak for themselves as they describe how “Dr. K. goes beyond what is needed…looks for opportunities to further facilitate the student experience outside of the classroom…extends herself as a mentor and a friend.” One nominator wrote that “without the guidance of Dr. K. it is unlikely that my experience here at Cortland could have been as incredible as it was.” Another stated that “Dr. Kaltefleiter is someone that does more than teaches her course material, she aims to inspire her students to try and make a difference in society.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. K. for all of her hard work inside and outside of the classroom.

Contributing to this post was Amber Ingalls ‘10, a member of the Student Affairs Connections Committee.

Post written by: Steve Dangler

Tomorrow is a big day for Cortland basketball. Take a little time and stop by the Park Center Corey Gym and cheer on both the women’s and men’s teams. The women, who are tied for first place in the SUNYAC East, start play at 2:00 pm and the men, who are guaranteed at least a second place finish in the SUNYAC East, start at 4:00 pm. The teams will be playing SUNYIT. Join the fun!