Fostering Innovation

Meeting the challenges of tomorrow with innovation in student support services and extracurricular activities

» “Family Study Night” gave students and parents an opportunity to study on campus while their elementary aged children enjoyed a seasonal learning program in the Adult & Nontraditional Student Center.

» University Recreation created a new Aerial Fitness class, which is a fusion of yoga, pilates, aerial inspired dance, and fitness exercises performed either partially or fully suspended. The program was featured in the “Around Town” section of The Leaf-Chronicle in August.

» A new installment plan was implemented by Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services for fall 2016, providing students the opportunity to pay the remaining balance for housing and meal plans in four installments throughout the semester rather than one lump sum.

» Martha Harper, coordinator of the Adult & Nontraditional Student Center, was named Employee of the Semester (fall 2016) by the Staff Senate.

» Joe Mills, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services, presented two sessions, “How to Put Business Services Back in Housing” and “Furniture 101, How to Bid and Specify Residence Hall Furniture” at the 2017 Southeastern Association of Housing Officers conference in February.

» Pet-friendly housing was introduced by Housing and Residence Life in Meacham Apartments

» Over 3,000 students, faculty, staff and community members participated in Group Fitness programs during the spring through University Recreation. New programs added were Ballet Body, Hatha Yoga, YogaFit©, and PiYo©.

The Little Govs Child Learning Center completed a major refresh of classrooms including new furniture, supplies and educational materials, and implemented several new programs, including the first Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch.

» Jasmin Linares, coordinator of the Military Student Center, was named Employee of the Semester (spring 2017) by the Staff Senate.

» Lauren Wilkinson, associate director of University Recreation, served as Secretary of the Clarksville Mayor’s Fitness Council.

» Students had the opportunity to interact with and learn about the Code of Conduct by completing a crossword puzzle in The All State and submitting answers for prizes. The director of Student Conduct and Case Management worked with The All State to conduct the new program.

» Salary negotiation workshops, particularly aimed at women, were offered by the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center during the year.

» Jo Baldwin, director of Student Conduct and Case Management, served as the State Coordinator for Tennessee Association of Student Conduct Administrators.

» The $25,000 milestone goal to establish an endowment for the African American Alumni Scholarship was reached with assistance by the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center.

» David Sanford, Student Disability Resource Center assistive technology coordinator, was elected to serve as the 2018 Tennessee Association on Higher Education and Disability Board Communications Chair.

» CARES Program Model was implemented in Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services in fall. CARES creates connections and supports academic success of resident students, builds relationships within halls and the campus community, engages residents in the halls and the Clarksville community and serves campus and community through volunteer opportunities.

» Patrick Armstrong, coordinator of Student Publications and Marketing, was appointed to the College Media Association National Finance Committee.

» Lunchtime Forums series was established for discussion of pertinent events/topics relevant to African-American individuals and communities in the WNDAACC.

» Jamie McCrary, director of Student Disability Resource Center, spoke on BlogTalkRadio ADA Live! on “Food Allergies and the Rights of Individuals with Allergy-related Disabilities under the ADA.”

The Adult & Nontraditional Student Center implemented a “Hands on Hats” program, which is an initiative of NASPA Adult Learners and Students with Children Knowledge Community, to raise awareness of the number of students in college who are also raising children. The children enjoyed painting their parent’s mortar boards for graduation.

» Tammy Bryant, Ed.D., director of Student Affairs Programs and Assessment, presented “Parent Power: What Freshmen Need Colleges to Hear” at the National Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals conference in Boulder, Colorado, and at the annual Southern Association for College Student Affairs Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. The presentation was based on original research.

» Newly appointed director of the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, Marcelius Braxton, J.D., was a panel participant at the APSU “Speak Up, Speak Out” Racial Equality Summit in Clarksville. Braxton also presented multiple times across the state, as well as nationally, on topics including “All Men of Color Should be Feminists” at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Black and Latino Male Summit, “Creating Allies in Social Justice Movements Through Intersection” at the University of North Texas Equity and Diversity Conference, and “Racial Empathy Over Sympathy: A Transition from Equality to Equity” at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, among others.  

» Tonika Jordan, assistant director of Career Services, and Tamara Bey, coordinator, earned the Career Development Facilitator certification through the National Career Development Association (NCDA).

» Gregory Singleton, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, was both a facilitator and keynote speaker on scholarship at the Kappa Alpha Order’s National Leadership Institute, and he facilitated a workshop on leadership skills at the Omicron Delta Kappa Regional Conference at the University of Memphis.

» A $3,500 grant was received from the Enterprise Foundation for continued excellence in internship programming and events for Career Services.

» At the National College Media Association Conference in Atlanta, Patrick Armstrong, coordinator of Student Publications and Marketing, Tammy Bryant, Ed.D., presented “Think you know your staff?: Using Assessment to Enhance Student Engagement and Learning.”

» Armstrong and Bryant co-presented two sessions at the Spring National College Media Convention in New York City on assessment in student media. Armstrong also presented two additional sessions, “Illustrating Hard Stories and Topics,” and “Advising 103” and “Advising 202” at the national conference.

Fostering Innovation Numbers

“Every day looks completely different at the Little Govs Child Learning Center, and I am incredibly thankful for the experiences and skills I have gained during my time there. I am humbled to be a small part of so many little lives and take my role as ‘Miss Carrots’ very seriously. In the midst of college and making big decisions, the children continuously remind me of what is truly important in life.”

Kara Towater
Student Assistant at the Little Govs Child Learning Center