May 2009
Hello HESA Alums, Friends, and Family,
It's the end of the school year and transition for The Vermont Connection (TVC) Executive Board has concluded. It is with great pleasure to introduce myself and the other E-Board members on the right. We are incredibly excited for the upcoming year and have many new and innovative ideas to implement.
First of all, after much talk from past TVC E-Boards of moving toward a HESA association, we are taking those steps this year. We will be creating a Membership Chair in addition to the fairly new Social and Professional Development Co-Chairs. We hope these leadership positions will be the beginning of TVC as the HESA association to create cohesion between the 1st year and 2nd year cohorts and bring levity to our busy lives.
With the economy in its current state and the millennial generation getting older and affecting all aspects of higher education and student affairs, we are moving toward more technological means of communicating. There will be constant updates to our website's calendar of events, correspondence with current students and alumni predominantly through emails, and less printed copies of the journal and instead be available online. Also, we are trying to work with our budget to keep us fiscally responsible and create a future for TVC that will enable alumni to donate less each succeeding year.
Lastly, we want to connect with you, our large HESA alumni connection. You are what makes "The Vermont Connection" a reality. Currently the directory is obsolete and far from user-friendly. We hope to create a directory that will enable users to easily update their information (e.g. promotions, address change, etc.) without the red tape. We also would like to hear from you: what would you like from TVC? We want to keep you engaged and abreast of current HESA life.
We look forward to what the future holds for TVC. With so many innovative ideas and the creativity of this year's E-Board, I am truly fortunate to be a part of this and am looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year.
With care,Lorriz Anne Alvarado
Executive Editor
The Vermont Connection
Greetings HESA Alums, Friends, and Family,
The first signs of the new season were just upon us as the University of Vermont opened its doors to students once again this August. Hints of red, orange, and yellow had begun to appear in the otherwise deep green of the mountains. Leaves around campus started to dust the ground, preparing the transition into fall. Transition is inherent at the start of a new academic year as we prepare for our own studies and the work we will do as professionals on campus this year. In Vermont, this is reflected in the changing of the seasons. A new school year brings new colleagues, new ideas, new students, and new opportunities for change. Along with transition comes an opportunity to reflect on where we have been, where we are now, and where we hope to go. The interconnectedness of understanding the past, owning the present, and preparing for the future are ingrained in the success of our institution and our students.
Reflection and meaning making will play a key role in our nation this year as we prepare for the upcoming Presidential election. Election years call us all to reflect on the issues, values, beliefs, morals, and goals that we hold closest to our hearts. So too is it in student affairs, as we look to the opportunities and experiences that give us meaning and keep us motivated to do the work that we do. Whether or not we work directly with students, we are always working for them. In so doing, we help to ensure that they too will grow as individuals to realize the power of reflection and meaning making in their own lives.
The Editorial Board for the 30th edition of The Vermont Connection is proud to present this year's theme for the Moral Conversation section of the journal: "There and Then, Here and Now: Reflection and Meaning Making in Student Affairs." With this anniversary edition, the incorporation of the element of reflection has emerged as an important practice as the HESA program continues to grow, expand, and diversify. At the same time, the Editorial Board wanted to provide a venue to discuss what we feel is an up and coming trend within the higher education realm, meaning making. We hope that you will spend some time thinking about the experiences in your lives and in your careers that have brought you meaning. We ask that you think about what being in the field of student affairs means to you, reflect on what it has meant to you, and how you help students and colleagues create meaning in their lives.
Without the dedication and desire of the 2007-2008 Editorial Board, this year's Board would not be as firmly rooted or prepared to take on the excitement and challenges that this year will bring. Through perhaps one of the most challenging financial circumstances in recent years, the 2007-2008 Board, in conjunction with many members of the HESA community, came together with style and grace to produce a high quality journal with an emphasis on sustainability and going green. We thank them wholeheartedly for their efforts and support as they have set new standards for TVC that we hope to both exemplify and build upon.
In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to connecting with you in many ways, whether that be through our upcoming Phone-A-Thon, various local and regional conferences, at the UVM Premiere in February, at the ACPA and NASPA national conferences in the spring, or through some of the innovative channels we are hoping to implement this year. Your input, feedback, and ideas allow all of us to strengthen the unique bond that is TVC. We thank you in advance for all of your assistance in helping The Vermont Connection continue to thrive.
With deep gratitude,
Colleen ToomeyComplete Spring 2007 Newsletter
Complete Spring 2006 Newsletter
Complete Spring 2005 Newsletter
The Vermont Connection Newsletter |
| Keeping HESA
Connected! |
| March 2005 |
|
Dear
Alumni/ae and Friends, As
I reflect upon the past two years, one of my most
rewarding experiences in HESA has been my involvement with The
Vermont Connection. I love this journal and all
the growth and development
that come along with it, including building connections with you, our
alumni/ae
and friends. This year has been a whirlwind of activity and it is nice
to be
able to share with you through this newsletter. I
enjoyed my time talking with some of you in September
during our annual Phone-a-Thon. Your willingness to talk and share is
just as
valuable as your financial contributions! And, your generous support is
greatly
appreciated and truly enables the continued production of our quality
journal.
Alin Wakefield’s efforts as Managing Editor were superb, pulling off
this
weekend without a hitch! TVC
continued the tradition of sponsoring professional
development opportunities for the Full Board. A major highlight of the
fall
semester was a visit to campus by Dr. George Kuh, coordinated by
faculty member
Kathleen Manning and a committee of HESA students as part of UVM’s
Presidential
Lecture Series. TVC hosted a luncheon with Dr. Kuh, who spent time with
the two
cohorts sharing insights and engaging in questions about his research
on
student engagement. Additionally, one evening, we had a panel of
professionals
from around campus share information and their experiences with a
variety of
opportunities and ways to get involved in the field--from professional
organizations to internships. We are about to publish the 26th Volume of the journal with
15 though-provoking, revelant, and scholarly articles. The Full Board
truly
stepped up to the plate, forming editing teams to help perfect each
article in
preparation for publication. Our Content
Editors, Katie Gallogly and Robyn Jeep demonstrated strong leadership
and spent
countless hours assisting our authors and editing teams with the entire
writing
and editing process. And
it is almost hard to believe, but the annual
conferences are right around the corner! Our Alumni/ae Relations Chair
DeMethra
Bradley is preparing for the receptions with the assistance of our
First-Year
Liaison, Amanda Cook. Our
Faculty Liaison, Bridget Turner Kelly and Advisors,
Kim Howard, ’01 and Annie Stevens, ’86 have been instrumental in
providing us
with perspective, advice, and heartfelt encouragement. Their knowledge
about
publishing, editing, and networking has been invaluable in our TVC experience this year. I
must confess that I’m feeling a bit grateful that the
short, dark Vermont winter days are coming to an end. I look forward
unveiling
the 26th volume at the TVC Premiere event and I hope to see many of you
at the
annual ACPA conference reception (unfortunately I cannot also attend
NASPA).
I’m incredibly proud to have been part of this long tradition and the
work
we’ve done so far this year. With
warmest regards, Jennifer A. Ostermiller |
The 2004-2005 Executive Board Editor Jennifer Ostermiller Managing Editor Alin Wakefield Alumni & Public Relations Chair DeMethra L. Bradley Content Editors Katie Ann Gallogly Robyn Jeep First-Year Liaison Amanda Cook Advisors Kim Howard, HESA '01 Annie Stevens, HESA '86 Faculty Liaison Dr. Bridget Turner Kelly |