April 24, 2013

University Housing to honor students, faculty, staff

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will recognize University Housing student achievement and the contributions of faculty and staff  in upcoming events.

In appreciation of the many faculty and staff members who present programs and work with students in SIU’s Living Learning Communities, University Housing will host its annual recognition breakfast on Friday, April 26.  In conjunction with the Faculty/University Associate Program, nearly 100 faculty and staff contribute their time and energy to help students in numerous ways, and will receive recognition at the breakfast.  The event will feature made-to-order omelets by Chef Bill Connors.

There will also be special honors for four individuals who have each worked with the program for 10 years.  The 10-year service honorees are:

  • Mike Behrmann, associate professor and chair, Department of Automotive Technology.
  • Michael Haywood, director of minority affairs, College of Business.
  • Meera Komarraju, psychology associate professor, Department of Psychology, and associate dean, student and curricular affairs, College of Liberal Arts.
  • Keith Mortag, senior lecturer, Department of Aviation Management and Flight.

Then, during the week of April 28 to May 4, special celebrations in residence halls will recognize student accomplishments and activities.  During the course of the academic year, University Housing’s “Ticket to Success” program promoted positive student academic behavior by rewarding various activities, such as studying at the Writing Center or Math Lab, attending academic or career programs, meeting with faculty/advisers, earning good grades on papers or exams, and studying.  Students registered the tickets they earned online for monthly prize drawings.

The larger end-of-semester prizes students can earn include a Nexus 7 tablet, HD video camera, headphones, software packages, a FitBit One personal health monitor, a Kindle and an external hard drive.

“It is important to partner with members of the University community who are dedicated to creating a seamless environment where academic and personal development are integrated into one comprehensive student learning experience,” Jon L. Shaffer, director of University Housing, said.  “We honor our students’ success and we further celebrate it through gestures of sincere appreciation of the time and dedication of the faculty and staff who commit to these shared ideals and goals.”

University Housing’s Education and Outreach Office is coordinating the special events and honors.