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Division Committees

Strategic Planning

The purpose of this committee will be to coordinate the work of the university strategic planning committee with the Division of Student Affairs and develop a division strategic plan aligned with the university strategic plan and division inclusive excellence action plan. 

 Co-Chair: Dr. John Banter and Dr. Aileen Dowell

Committee Membership

Erin McFarrinUniversity Housing
Tiffany WilliamsCounseling Center
AVP LeadDr. Aileen Dowell

Professional Engagement

The purpose of this committee will be to promote engagement of all staff in the Division of Student Affairs.  This committee will coordinate three traditional events annually (August, December/January, April) along with initiating programs to facilitate engagement of employees (i.e., lunch gatherings, sporting events, SOARIES) to promote staff interaction and engagement.

Co-Chairs:  Alison Gould and Taylor Goody

Committee Membership

Caleb ReevesStudent Union Facilities & Event Services
Kelly DolataStudent Accessibility Resource Center
AVP LeadAlison Gould

Professional Development

The purpose of this committee will be to define the structure of staff development for different staffing groups, promote opportunities through Building a Better You or professional organizations, survey Division staff for interests and needs with respect to staff development (and implement appropriate initiatives related to those needs), and coordinate a Division orientation for new employees which includes quarterly in-person orientations, Folio sessions, and opportunities for one on one connections with new employees.

Co-Chairs:  Jodi Kennedy and Shay Little

Committee Membership

Klee SellersCampus Recreation & Intramurals
Casey WeaverDean of Students Office
Max HollowayCampus Recreation and Intramurals
Kathryn JonesCounseling Center
Katie FesterUniversity Housing
AVP LeadDr. Shay Little

Inclusive Excellence

The purpose of this committee will be to champion the Division of Student Affairs Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, oversee implementation of the DSA Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, collaborate with all division committees to embed inclusive excellence values and principles in all activities, and support the Student Government Association in creating and implementing an SGA Inclusive Excellence Action Plan.  Further, this committee will lead the discussion within the division regarding results of the 2020 climate study results for employees in the division.  The co-chairs will serve on the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee (PDAC).

Co-Chairs: Dr. Mark Taracuk

Committee Membership

Cat BishopOffice of Student Activities
David SimpsonStudent Media
Maria BurtonStudent Union Facilities & Event Services
AVP LeadDr. Shay Little

Eagle Experience

Purpose:  Established by Dr. Carl Reiber, Dr. Scot Lingrell, and Dr. Shay Little, this committee’s purpose is to create a comprehensive philosophy of programming and engagement that encompasses all new student elements from Orientation through the first year of enrollment and results in desired first year outcomes.

Charge:   Develop a programming model and deliver programs that incorporate SOAR, pre-matriculation programming, Operation Move In, Freshman Convocation, Weeks of Welcome programming, First Year Experience, and other programs and services into a cohesive, directed, interdependent series of programs that seeks to create a purposeful methodology of attaining desired first year outcomes.  Such programming will result in a crescendo of events and programs that amplify all of the beginning of school year activities and compliment both SOAR and the year-long activities of First Year Experience.

A secondary outcome, to follow the effective program development is to fashion such activity into a cohesive, marketable, named philosophy that encapsulates the essence of what it is to be a Georgia Southern student.  What will students get?  Who will they be after experiencing this comprehensive programming model?  What can they claim they have developed as a result of being a Georgia Southern Student?  How can they promote themselves better after having gone through this experience?  This, then, is a marketable reason why a student would choose Georgia Southern and has value in the recruitment process.

Co-Chairs:  Dr. Ken Gassiot, Dr. Dustin Anderson, and Amy Smith

Committee Membership

Memory LittlesOffice of Student Activities
John BanterLeadership and Community Engagement
Jo JonesStudent Accessibility Resource Center
Urkovia AndrewsLeadership and Community Engagement
Klee SellersCampus Recreation and Intramurals
Megan FeaselCampus Recreation and Intramurals
AVP LeadDr. Ken Gassiot

Armstrong Collaboration Team

The Armstrong Collaboration Team is a group of departments from across the Georgia Southern campus in Savannah that meet monthly to collaborate and communicate in areas of event programming, support, and engagement for students.

Co-Chair: Dr. Ken Gassiot

Committee Membership

Memory LittlesOffice of Student Activities
Paul BradleyOffice of Student Activities
Kelly DolataStudent Accessibility Resource Center
Katie FesterUniversity Housing
Francisco LugoFraternity and Sorority Life
Gemma SkuratonStudent Wellness and Health Promotion
Cherie GaumeDean of Students
Katie JonesCounseling Center
Megan FeaselCampus Recreation and Intramural
Candace McCrayFraternity and Sorority Life
John BanterLeadership and Community Engagement
Rachel TaylorLeadership and Community Engagement
AVP Lead Dr. Ken Gassiot

Graduate Assistant Placement Program (GAPP)

This committee is is tasked with recruiting and matching prospective graduate students interested in a career in higher education, student personnel services, student development, or a closely related field with the multitude of departments that make up the Division of Student Affairs. GAPP is dedicated to the personal and professional growth of future higher education professionals.

Co-Chair: Dr. Ken Gassiot, Katie Fester

Committee Membership

Meg HeinsUniversity Housing
Dan CalhounFaculty
Bridget EubanksStudent Union & Facilities Event Services
Kelli WatersStudent Accessibility Resource Center
Diana RapineOffice of Student Activities
AVP LeadDr. Ken Gassiot

Assessment Committee

The purpose of this committee is to guide the assessment of the Division of Student Affairs student learning outcomes (SLOs) Domains by every department, and support the Council for Advancement of Standards (CAS) in Higher Education self-assessment and external review process. 

Each director shall appoint a division representative to serve on this committee. 

Co-Chairs:  Melanie Miller and Shay Little

Committee Membership

Ryan WingersCampus Recreation & Intramurals
Ben WickerUniversity Housing
Kim PackerHealth Services
Paul BradleyOffice of Student Activities
Urkovia AndrewsLeadership & Community Engagement
Gemma SkuratonStudent Wellness & Health Promotion
Lauren PattersonCounseling Center
Francisco LugoFraternity and Sorority Life
Mark WhiteselDean of Students
David SimpsonStudent Media
Bridget EubanksStudent Union & Facilities Event Services
Cecilia DockeryStudent Conduct
Zwisel GandiaStudent Conduct
Anna Marie ReichStudent Accessibility Resource Center
AVP LeadDr. Melanie Miller

Last updated: 3/23/2023