Create Possibilities with SCW in Louisville

SCW is looking forward to this year’s annual convention. Don’t forget to Pack Purple. We are asking all those in the SCW membership to wear purple on Tuesday during the convention, the day of our annual business meeting and the sisterhood social. If you don’t have a purple article of clothing, you can buy an SCW tshirt at the convention showcase for $5.

A new initiative for this year is a Family Friendly social, where all attendees and their families are invited to meet up. We will have Junior ACPA badges available at the hospitality table. Another family friendly initiative will be at convention showcase. The Standing Committee for Men will join us in providing face painting.

This year’s educational focus is Title IX. There will be a conference institute and a social in collaboration with ATIXA, the association for title IX administrators. Learn more about ATIXA at their organization website: www.atixa.org.

Do you know someone doing great work for women’s issues? Please think about nominating that person for one of scw’s annual awards. The four awards presented at the annual ACPA – College Educators International convention are the Outstanding Emerging Professional Award, the Research and Scholarship Award, the Ally Award, and the Wise Woman Award. The awards descriptions are outlined below. Please go to the following website to view the nomination packet: http://www2.myacpa.org/projects/2011-04-07-13-29-55.

Looking for a way to get involved at the convention? SCW need volunteers for variety of activities like staffing the family friendly social, monitoring sponsored programs, and helping with the sisterhood social. In January, we will share a website link for you to sign up to help.

Lessons Learned from the Traveling Scarf: Lindsay

Lessons Learned from the Traveling Scarf: Lindsay

When I got the package in the mail, I was not anticipating the scarf or anything at all! I was very excited to see a box from Northern Kentucky and a fellow directorate member. I was actually surprised when I opened the box. I was struck by the beauty of the scarf and couldn’t help thinking, “I wish I could shop and dress like Daria…”

Every time that I looked at the scarf, I could not help but think of the women who I admire. I felt so connected to the women of SCW, I was uplifted and positive as if I had just gotten back from the mid-year retreat again.

I received the scarf over Thanksgiving weekend. While wearing the scarf both at home and work, I was constantly reminded of how thankful I should be for the blessing I have in my life – the family, the friends, the colleagues. I began to recognize how sometimes the little, non-essential things that happen in life or at work can impact how I view my life and work, and more specifically how appreciative I am (or should be!).

I consider myself a fairly positive person, but sometimes I do let negative comments or other people’s behaviors impact how I feel. Yes, life will always bring challenges, but it is truly how you handle them and how you treat others in the process that defines who you are and how the situation will impact you. I began to ponder how the women I admire would handle each stress and challenge in their life. I also thought about how I had seen them celebrate the successes and joys in their life. Those are the moments that I want to grasp onto and to focus more on every day. Having the scarf, even if just for a few days, has helped me refocus and center myself on my values. I know who I want to be and what is important in my life. I just need to continue giving those things value, time, and appreciation.

Thank you lovely purple and gold scarf, and thank you to all the wonderful women participating in the traveling scarf adventure and in higher ed in general!

Lindsay

Lindsay Fort, St. Paul, MN

SCW Directorate Member

A Journey to Enagement

The ACPA Standing Committee for Women has identified this blog as one of the ways for women in the assocition to get involved.  Please celebrate with us the addition of Ciji Tidwell to the blog writing crew!*********************************************************************

Last year, during the 2011 ACPA Annual Convention, I made the decision to intentionally push my personal and professional development in two ways. First, I wanted to be actively engaged, not only in presentations, but committees as well. Second, I decided to dive head first into the emerging social media backchannel via Twitter.

In December of 2010, prior to the March convention, I became engaged to my significant other. This was a thrilling moment I was very excited about. This same moment caused me to start thinking about myself as young woman and what that meant to me. Could I still be independent, strong, and a supportive partner while maintaining a career, researching ideas for a doctorate, and transitioning from residence life to international education?

I didn’t have the answers, but I thought a good place to meet other women with similar experiences would be the ACPA Standing Committee for Women, so I decided to attend the open meeting at the convention.  I was pretty intimidated, got lost, and ended up being late and, of course, the only place left to sit in the small room was in the front row. My terrified factor went up ten fold. I sat in the front row, nodded my head, smiled, watched accolade after accolade be given to deserving women, listened to women discuss the family friendly initiatives taking place, heard a list of collaborative efforts in the works with other committees, learned about the SCW hashtag and Twitter username, and was generally overwhelmed by the positivity and supportive nature of the women in the room. Upon leaving the meeting, I knew I had found a place, a fit, where I belonged at ACPA. I was thrilled and felt so happy about what I had witnessed that I took the next step and went to the committee social. I also attended the presentation on Empowering Women in Higher Education and Student Affairs and bought (and am currently reading) the accompanying book.

When reflecting on my experiences at the convention via Twitter and blogging, the impact the SCW had on me was clearly noted. Because of my experiences, I felt more empowered to explore my intersecting identities, I learned about resources to aid in this process, made new connections, decided to volunteer, present, and become more deeply involved in ACPA as a professional association, and started networking with outstanding women from both ACPA and NASPA who provide insight, criticism, and inspiration on a regular basis. Through Twitter, I was offered the opportunity to volunteer, which has lead me here, writing this post.

Engagement at the SCW social as well as using the Twitter hashtag  and username have lead to volunteering to write for the SCW blog, the upcoming review of EmpowerHer Fellow applications and award nominations, and reading Empowering Women in Higher Education and Student Affairs.  I plan to continue this engagement, meet even more amazing women, volunteer and act as a member of the ACPA Standing Committee for Women.  This has been my brief and engaging learning adventure with the SCW.

What will your experience look like? How will you get involved?