Cookeville, Tennessee – Launching the week of Oct. 4, Tennessee Tech will celebrate the numerous diverse roles in its Student Affairs division with the national Careers in Student Affairs Month (CSAM).
CSAM is an annual month-long initiative each October that celebrates the many careers in student affairs, as well as promotes the education and awareness of the profession and engagement with professional associations.
“Our staff in the student affairs division come from many different backgrounds and educational experiences,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Cynthia Polk-Johnson. “We want to be able to not only showcase our different areas and services, but also spark interest from current students on how they can choose a pathway that aligns with a career in student affairs.”
Offices that fall under the student affairs division at Tech include: Accessible Education Center, Counseling Center, Dean of Students, Eagle Card, Greek Life, Health Services, Multicultural Affairs and the Black Cultural Center, Recreation and Fitness, Residential Life, Roaden University Center, Student Activities, University Police and University Service Center.
The month-long celebration kicks off on Monday, Oct. 4 with a “Meet Your Student Affairs Professionals” event in the Roaden University Center and Back Porch from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and also in the Burn from 3 to 5 p.m., with tables and staff on hand to talk with students. The next event will be a “Careers in Student Affairs Panel” in the Multipurpose Room at 11 a.m., featuring current staff with their personal stories about how they got to their careers.
Student Affairs will also be doing an Instagram takeover Oct. 25 through Oct. 29 on their Instagram channel @tntechstudentaffairs. Then, the next event will be Thursday Oct. 28 with an “Ice Cream Social” in the Tech Pride Room at 11 a.m. with an opportunity for students to ask questions to the student affairs staff, including Vice President Polk-Johnson.
“Our goal is to celebrate the field of student affairs as a career choice through these engagement opportunities and reflect on individual journeys and experiences,” said Polk-Johnson. “The theme for this year’s national CSAM is ‘Transitions and Transformations,’ which focuses on how the roles of student affairs professionals had to change and adapt through the COVID-19 pandemic while also providing much needed support and care for our students in different ways.”
Tennessee Tech is ranked as a “Best National University” by U.S. News & World Report. The university offers more than 200-plus programs of study, and Tech grads leave with one of the least debts of all public universities in the state. In fact, based on total cost and alumni earnings, Tech provides students with the highest return on investment for any public university in Tennessee, according to PayScale.