Student Employment Advisory Committee Hosts Growth Conference

VALDOSTA -- VSU’s new Student Employment Advisory Committee (SEAC) continues to explore ways to enhance student employment, with activities that positively impact the campus and community.

The SEAC will host its first conference, titled “Growth” on Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Bailey Science Center Auditorium, room 1011, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The conference will focus on professional growth through student employment and will include presentations from Dr. Phillip Gunter, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Denise Bogart, director of human resources, Tim Yorkee, Employee and Organizational Development Office training specialist, Sarah VanKuiken, assistant director of housing, and Dr. Kimberly Tanner, director of the Access Office.

“We are aiming for all who attend this conference to leave having gained a sense of what to expect in the world after college,” said Michael Smith, SEAC chairman.

The conference is one of several activities the advisory committee has planned for the semester. Smith mentioned that a forum on careers and the state of the economy will be held some time in March, and the committee will also hold a campus cleanup in the near future.

The SEAC is also gearing up to assist with events during National Student Employment Week, observed April 9 to April 13.

The SEAC was formed last semester to serve as a liaison between student employees and administration. The committee is currently comprised of 22 student assistants, work-study students and graduate assistants. Since its creation the committee has organized a parking deck cleanup to beautify the campus, volunteered in off-campus community service activities and created a survey that addresses areas of concern with student employees.

Key objectives of the SEAC include facilitating connections between students, student groups and the administration; representing the student employment body and advocating for their concerns; identifying areas of the student employment experience that could be improved and working with the school to implement changes; providing feedback and assistance; encouraging leadership within the student employment body; organizing signature events to enhance student interaction; and serving as a center for innovation and improvement within the VSU community.

For more information, call Michael Smith at (229) 333-7575.