Binghamton University receives three SUNY Outstanding Student Affairs Program Awards
Three Binghamton University offices were presented with awards by the State University of New York chief student affairs officers and the Office of University Life for their commitment to the betterment of student life during the 2020–21 school year.
Binghamton received three Outstanding Student Affairs Program Awards for the University’s success in dealing with different aspects of student life and well-being, from crisis prevention to career planning. The Binghamton programs recognized were the Career Clusters: Using Technology to Empower Students’ Career Success, the Residential Life Master of Social Work (MSW) Internship Program, and the Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center (VARCC).
At the awards ceremony, Gemma Rinefierd, SUNY director of student affairs for university life, congratulated the 10 recipients from various SUNY schools.
“I can’t remember a time when working in higher education was presented with as many challenges as we’ve had over the past year and a half,” Rinefierd said. “We have all been impacted personally and professionally by these challenges. We have all shifted fundamentally within our work and that impact will be lasting in our field. We are resilient, and this group in particular has been able to make that shift and positively impact the student experience.”
The Fleishman Center’s Career Clusters
One of the three awards was given in the category of “Careers, Academic Advising and Support, Service-Learning, Community Service, and related” for the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development’s career clusters program, and awarded to Denise Lorenzetti, center director.
The program groups career paths together, enabling students to connect to information related to their interests, rather than looking for information specific to their individual majors. Since the program’s implementation, the center has seen an increase in students implementing and engaging with their online resources.
Erica Kryst, the senior associate director of career experiences and education, said that this model better helps students connect with their career goals, since the program is based on the paths and interests most commonly pursued by other students.
“The Fleishman Center is dedicated to ensuring the career success of all Binghamton students,” Kryst said. “We took a close look at student outcome data and wanted to find a way to address gaps in students’ career knowledge and success post-graduation. We wanted to find a way to bring individualized career knowledge to students so they could develop and pursue their career goals.”
Residential Life’s Master of Social Work (MSW) Internship Program
Binghamton also received an award in the category of “Housing, Residence Life, Contracted Services, Judicial, and related.” The award was given to Paola Mignone, assistant vice president for residential experiences, and Jessica Treadwell, crisis response manager for the Office of Residential Life, for their work in creating the Residential Life MSW Internship Program.
A collaboration between the University’s Residential Life and MSW students in the Department of Social Work, the program has MSW students complete required field experiences and gain experience working in a higher-education setting, while allowing Residential Life staff to focus on community building, rather than crisis management.
The program also provides early intervention and added benefits for students who live on campus by assisting them with a variety of issues, including the transition to college life, food insecurity and interpersonal conflict. The MSW interns help students in a unique way, as typically Residential Life staff do not possess the same kind of specialized training as the interns.
Mignone believes this collaboration is mutually beneficial for everyone involved and has helped students get needed help that Residential Life staff may not be able to provide. Particularly in the past year, MSW interns have been utilized by students who have been struggling due to issues related to COVID-19.
“Students have struggled to connect to resources and to each other due to constantly being online,” Mignone said. “There were a lot of transition problems, such as students who finished up high school at home or were struggling with online classes. Students were also struggling with mental health, as this is a sustained stress on their lives. Our services were highly utilized during COVID.”
The Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center (VARCC)
The third award Binghamton received was in the category of “Violence Education and Prevention, Crisis Management, Campus Security, and related” for the creation of the Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center (VARCC).
According to award recipient Beth Riley, assistant dean of students and director of case management services, the VARCC is a new, safe space where students can receive the help and support they need after incidents of sexual violence. The VARCC helps students coordinate with various on- and off-campus resources and helps build trust in University services and a safer community.
“The students who come to the VARCC have access to many different services all in the same place,” Riley said. “In the past, anyone involved in an incident of sexual violence would have to go to different offices in different buildings all across campus. Now they can file a report here, where they have some familiarity and comfort. We’re seeing an increase in reporting of incidents, and when people report, they get access to services. Even people who want to know how to support someone who has been a victim can receive services at the VARCC.”