Tennessee Tech Celebrates Careers in Student Affairs Month
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,
Intercultural 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.