Change Is in the Air at the Student Union

The Sonoma Student Union begins the fall semester with new offices for student leaders, new faces, a new look, and part of a new organizational structure.

Think people are resistant to change? Staffs of ASI, Office of Campus Life, and the Sonoma Student Union Corporation are all about change in anticipation of the fall semester. And change has brought a renewed energy and a heightened spirit among the professional and student staff.

After months of planning, students this fall will observe not the three separate ASI, OCL, and SSUC offices, but five Centers designed to deliver enhanced services, programs, and student organization advising. In this Centers concept, the goals are to increase involvement in student life and add to the leadership experience. Office space has been reassigned creating a cohesive place for student leaders and clubs, primarily on the first floor. The buzzwords for everybody in the Student Union these days are group effort, student learning, and making memories.

One of the new Centers - Center for Genders & Cultures - unites two formerly separate entities and adds a program for LGBTQ students. Implementation of the CGC gained momentum in July with the appointment of a full-time coordinator who brings experience in women’s and GLBTQ centers as well as diversity training.

Altogether, five new student affairs professionals joined the ASI, OCL, and SSUC staffs this summer. They bring valuable student life experience and are excited about their roles in the Centers concept.

And if all this isn’t change enough, the Student Union will complete by the end of the month a facelift that makes the building warmer, cheerier, and more inviting as a place to meet, eat, greet, and relax.

The "perfect storm" of new staff, new organizational changes, and a new look for the Student Union are all intended to boost the student experience. Long-time associate director Bob Williams comments, "The new office configuration makes better, more functional use of space throughout the entire building.  It also provides one stop shopping for student life programs and services while affording greater accessibility for the entire campus community."

The Sonoma Student Union . . . it’s not just for students! Check out the new look and watch for a September "Union Warming."

New Student Assistants Need to Get Oriented

New student assistants should plan to attend a sign-up orientation in Human Services sometime between Aug. 17-Sept. 22. Students who have previously worked for SSU within the past three years are not required to attend.

The sign-up schedule, information regarding acceptable identification documents, Social Security cards, and the sign-up documents may be found on the web at http://www.sonoma.edu/hs/SAA/signup1.shtml.

If you have hired a student assistant, please instruct them to review the site and bring the completed documents and appropriate I.D. to one of the scheduled sessions prior to their first day of work. Sign up should take no longer then one hour if documents are completed in advance.

All sessions will be located on the second floor of Salazar Hall in Administration and Finance. For additional information, please contact Terrie DeLorm at 4-2092