May Newsletter: Reflection
- President's Post: Bending History
- Open Position: Vice-President of Networking, Service, and Recognition
- Networking Coffee Hour
- Awards of Excellence
- Summer Recommended Reading
- Justice in Jesuit Higher Education Conference
President's Post: Bending History
Two weeks ago, we held a Xavier Together community gathering following the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial. A colleague who spoke at the event remarked on how so many politicians and pundits were reminding us of the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote often used by Barrack Obama, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends towards justice.” He noted—as did many others—that people were using the quote to suggest a kind of historical determinism. That is of course a problem. History is made and changed by people. People toil to bend the arc of history towards justice—in particular racial justice.
This year members of JASPA have doggedly worked to advance anti-racism efforts. Directors, Deans of Students and Chief Student Affairs Officers are leveraging the experience and expertise of student affairs staff to help university leaders understand the structural obstacles that confront students of color and opportunities for addressing those obstacles. Residence directors and staff from engagement centers have enhanced student leader training. Counseling centers are embedding staff in diversity and inclusion centers. Staff have interrupted problematic actions and practices across their institutions. Conduct officers are evaluating their policies and practices. We are all working to enhance our hiring practices and outcomes. Our work is complex, and our results are slower than we might wish, but we are doing much to advance change.
Regardless of how humble and modest our progress, we must name and honor our advances. Small successes generate bigger wins and critically, momentum. And little matters as much in facilitating change as momentum.
As this long and complicated academic year winds to a close, it is important that we practice some of those Ignatian values we so often promote. The approach of summer invites us to reflect on and honor our hard-fought efforts, to be grateful for our modest wins and even to humbly celebrate how all our efforts will add up in meaningful ways to promoting our students’ success.
Dave Johnson, PhD
Xavier University
JASPA President
Open Position: Vice-President of Networking, Service, and Recognition
Get Involved in JASPA! The JASPA organization is thriving due to the dedication of leaders representing each of our 27 U.S. Jesuit institutions and all of the functional areas within Student Affairs. We are seeking nominations for the following position:
Vice-President of Networking, Service, and Recognition
All interested JASPA members should submit an application today! To apply, complete the application at https://forms.gle/XdqBRi8C9uo9smcm6.
Applications are due by May 21, 2021 at 5PM (EST)
In addition to the application and resume/CV which must be submitted, a letter of support/nomination must be sent by the SSAO/CSAO at your institution to JASPA Secretary, Julie Orio (orioj@usfca.edu).
Newly appointed Vice President(s) take office at the start of Summer 2021 and serve for a two-year term.
Questions? Contact JASPA Vice President for Networking, Service and Recognition, Aristotle Mosier (amosier@lmu.edu).
Aristotle Mosier
(Pronouns- he/him/his)
Director of Asian Pacific Student Services
JASPA Networking Coffee Hour
Register here: https://forms.gle/bM6kbKKAD58xzpir9
JASPA Awards of Excellence
Nominations are now available for the 2021 JASPA Awards of Excellence and are due by Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Please click on the links below to review award information, see past recipients, and to nominate an individual or campus program/initiative. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our JASPA community!
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Academic Partnership
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Jesuit Student Affairs
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Campus Program or Initiative
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Commitment to Diversity & Social Justice
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Jesuit Student Affairs
The Ignatian Medal for Outstanding New Professional in Jesuit Student Affairs
The JASPA Scholarship Award
If you have any questions about the annual awards nomination process please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Mark Harrington, Chair of the Recognition and Awards Committee, at harring4@canisius.edu.
Justice in Jesuit Higher Education Conference
All members of the AJCU network are invited to the virtual Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education Conference in June. Registration is now open and complimentary for all: justice2021.sched.com.
The Conference will be held virtually, with plenary sessions focused on the Universal Apostolic Preferences scheduled for June 8, 10, 14, 16, 22 and 24, and opportunities to attend virtual poster presentations and participate in live Examen sessions. Click here to learn more!
Seeking a refresher on the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) before the Conference? Check out the last two issues of Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Learn more about Conversations (published by the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education) by visiting conversationsmagazine.org.
A Word from Our Sponsor
The pandemic has heightened students' concerns for their future and also the future of their local communities and businesses as well. 52% of todays students are supporting small, local and diverse businesses. At Harvest Table, local communities are at the core of everything we do. Discover how we partnered with Headwater Food Hub to support the scaling of the farm-to-table movement.
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