Student affairs is broad, encompassing many programs, students, staff and initiatives—everything from Greek life to parking, campus ministry to housing. Appropriately, it was given a broad directive simply to “improve” in the Lynn 2020 strategic plan.
Student affairs, however, chose to be very specific in response.
They created (or improved) programs to prepare Lynn students for future success, and just as many to help them blow off a little steam. Therein lies the tricky yin-and-yang of student affairs, a work-hard, play-hard approach that is the very essence of modern college life.
“We have been very intentional over the past seven or eight years to focus on the needs of our students,” said Dr. Anthony Altieri ’09, interim vice president for student affairs. “It’s all about fostering a relationship with the student, from Day One through graduation.”
Student affairs shares its rules to live by:
Construct
community
Strive
for excellence
Promote
civility
Maximize
potential
Here’s a sample of what Lynn 2020 inspired.
Welcome Weekend
Work hard
Freshmen learn how to be good roommates, where to go for help in a crisis and how to get involved with clubs, projects and student government.
Play hard
Picnics, field fun and the solemn, memorable experience of convocation lay the groundwork for students’ lifelong connection to Lynn and their classmates.
Lynn Launch
Work hard
Admitted students live on campus to learn how to be college-ready: study habits, campus traditions, safe sex. Leadership training rounds out the experience.
Play hard
Launched students make friends around the fire pit, hit the beach and head to Disney, ready to have some fun now that they’ve got a head start on college.
First Forty
Work hard
“We focus on three core competencies: accountability, willpower, self-esteem,” Altieri said. “The first six weeks are critical for students to feel connected.”
Play hard
The Involvement Fair, laser tag, movies—all feature in 40 days and nights of events. Peer mentors have a goal: well-adjusted freshmen feeling at home and having fun.
Lynn Leadership Institute
Work hard
Staff identifies first-year students with leadership potential and a passion for service. The group has grown from 11 to 54 students, who make a four-year commitment to focus on causes like pediatric oncology at St. Mary’s Hospital. “We’ll have a pool of 100 positive role models on campus before you know it,” Altieri said.
Play hard
The first guest speaker every year is President Kevin M. Ross. “He’s a rock star,” Altieri said. “His presence tells the students that Lynn values the program.” Their final year, members work directly with the CEO of a nonprofit.
Hannifan Center for Career Connections
Work hard
In the 2013–14 academic year, only 33 students completed internships. Three years later, that number became 565, an astounding growth curve. Vice President for Academic Affairs Gregg Cox gives credit to Barbara Cambia ’80, executive director of Career Connections, for revitalizing Lynn’s internship process.
Play hard
When a student is matched with the right internship, it hardly feels like work at all. “The student has a great experience, learns a lot, comes back, tells their friends,” Cox said. “The employer has a great experience and asks for two interns from Lynn next semester instead of one. That’s how it’s grown.”
24/7 dining
Work hard
Staffing round-the-clock dining would make an administrator at even the largest university think twice. But Lynn saw the value in keeping students well fed and on campus, all hours. “We’re good at being adaptable,” Altieri said.
Play hard
Midnight crammers, international students still on home-time and athletes returning from road games pack the Elmore Dining Commons even in the wee hours. “It’s always busy,” Altieri said. “At 2 o’clock in the morning, that’s when it really gets going.”
Counseling Center
Work hard
“Our biggest concern, always, is a student in crisis,” Altieri said. “I never want anyone to feel isolated on this campus.” Lynn counselors, who have earned International Association of Counseling Services accreditation since 2010, never charge a fee to help students deal with social or behavioral issues, and they are trained to recognize and offer referral to a student who needs services beyond the scope of the center.
Play hard
The Counseling Center fuses curricular elements with meaty therapeutic programs, then infuses levity. “If you have a difficult message about sexual assault,” Altieri said, “there’s no reason you can’t make it more relatable. Talking heads standing at a lectern do not help students in their social development.”
Student involvement
Work hard
Maybe it’s the Black Student Union or Knights of the Round Table. Maybe it’s a spiritual calling, like Hillel. Student involvement is designed to help students pursue any passion. “We used to be really rigid about it,” Altieri said. “But if a student comes to us with an idea and only four people to join her, we’ll help her make it successful.”
Play hard
“This is the only time in their lives,” Altieri said, “to explore who they want to be.” A colorful example of playing hard as they make this self-discovery is the Color Run. Started five years ago by students, it combines the exuberance of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, with a 5K distance race. It is one of the most popular traditions on campus and, Altieri said, the kind of experience that makes great memories for future alumni.
