ABA NEWS

Coffee & Cops Engages Students

On September 15, 2015, Sacramento State's Police Department held its annual Coffee & Cops event, creating the opportunity for the campus community to meet with department staff.  Hosted at The WELL by the Student Health and Counseling Services and Sac State Police, the event invited students, faculty and staff to enjoy coffee and doughnuts and to get to know officers.

Over 70 students attended this semester's event, with many questions posed about campus emergency notifications, as well as career opportunities. "Attendance was steady throughout the event," said Mark Iwasa, police chief. "The reaction we received was absolutely positive."

It is events like these that give the campus community the opportunity to interact with the officers that serve and protect them. If you would like to learn more about the Police Department, visit their webpage at: http://www.csus.edu/police.

 

Customer Service Expert Returns to Campus

Aclaimed customer service expert Dennis Snow's campus workshops in January 2013 were so successful that ABA partnered with Human Resources to bring him back. Snow's repeat appearance for campus managers and staff in October of 2015, though, was full of new material and insights.

Snow is known for creating "moments of WOW" to enhance the customer's experience. The dynamic speaker honed his abilities with the Walt Disney World Company where he developed his passion for service excellence over a 20-year career.

"My biggest take away from the training was being mindful of the legacy that I will leave behind as a leader," said Laura Lockett, assistant to the director of Reprographics & Mail Services. "I especially liked his comments regarding treating people with dignity in all situations." For Laura, and several others who attended the training, this was their second time working with Snow to develop customized strategies for Sac State departments.

 

Students Learn Lessons on How to Win at Life

Student Financial Services found their first How to Win at Life event so popular that they hosted round two in October, encouraging even more students to test their financial literacy.

"Our goal was to provide students with the reality of finances once they graduate from Sac State," said Christina Day, accounting technician II. Nicole Rogers, interim assistant director of Student Financial Services, focused on the importance of financial responsibility: "Students may not be aware of the everyday expenses that come up, or the emergency expenses that inevitably happen."

Students entered the event by first choosing a field of study, often one mirroring their major. From there, they chose an associated profession and were given that profession's average annual income. Then, students were tasked with determining the cost of living expenses, including rent, cell phone payment, transportation costs, groceries, taxes, etc. within their income. How to Win at Life challenged students to compromise on their "wants" vs. "needs" to attain financial independence.

After visiting each table, with all expenses deducted, and only after a spin of the "wheel of doom," students would discover whether they "won" at life, or needed to better evaluate their financial choices. "Many students became disappointed when they found out they were in the negative but, overall, students had fun and learned a lot along the way," said Rogers.

"I had a few students thank me for the opportunity for this event - they had 'no idea how much life costs!'" added Day. Many ABA offices were represented, with volunteers present from Budget Planning & Administration, Accounting Services, and Student Financial Services. This diverse team of volunteers lent their expertise and helpful advice to students, and ensured a fun and successful event.

 

Practice Promotes Readiness

On August 27, the Sacramento State Police Department conducted an active shooter exercise with local allied agencies, intended to prepare the University to respond to such a critical incident on campus.

Students and staff participated in the exercise, which was conducted near Douglass Hall. Lieutenant David Heaphy explained the planning behind the exercise as a part of "a master plan to exercise the campus for five potential major events: Hazardous Material Spill (2013), Flooding (2014), Active Shooter (2015), Pandemic Virus/Contagion  (2016), and Fire (2017)."

The exercise helped ensure coordination with first responders, campus police, and other stakeholders. "These are multidisciplinary, high-impact events," added Heaphy. "We follow the HSEEP (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program) guidelines for conducting an exercise of this nature."

During the actual exercise, participants were briefed on the day's events, and each group carried out their portion of the exercise, from "shooter" to "victim" to "first responder." All parties then met to summarize the training. "Teams meet to debrief their experiences, and information and lessons learned are shared," said Heaphy. "Information obtained from the participants is incorporated into a final after-action report (AAR)."

According to Heaphy, the event was a success, with a well-executed response by the multiple agencies involved in the exercise, and accomplishment of several core objectives. "We received feedback from the participants and will continue to work together as we conduct other exercises in the future," concluded Heaphy.

Exercises like these help ensure our campus is prepared for certain scenarios, and that all relevant parties understand the proper procedures to follow. If you would like to learn more about the training programs conducted and offered by the Sacramento State Police Department, visit their webpage here: http://www.csus.edu/aba/police/.

 

Raffle Connects Students

What better way to attract students than to sponsor a raffle for prizes! That's what ABA's Student Financial Services did in partnership with the Financial Aid Office to promote Sac State, communicate their services, and encourage engagement through social media.

As part of the contest, students were encouraged to pose for photos with one of Sac State's promotional cutouts and tag themselves as "#madeatsacstate" or "#hornetwow." Entering the contest qualified them to win a basket of assorted Sac State "swag" - a t-shirt, water bottle, drawstring backpack, football tickets, and more.

Congratulations to the student winner, Karen Holcombe, who posed with the sign during the first few days of the fall semester in Lassen Hall. Karen was featured in a photo with a Herky the Hornet cutout and Student Financial Services and Financial Aid staff.

 

Program Supports Professional Growth

For business leaders in higher education, especially those in the western region of the country, WACUBO is a primary source of professional development and networking. The Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO), is the western regions affiliate of NACUBO - or National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Sacramento State, has a long association with the organizations, which has resulted in membership discounts that provide professional development opportunities for campus business employees. The WACUBO Business Management Institute (BMI), a long-standing training ground for ABA leaders, is designed to deliver administrative skills and management concepts and provide networking opportunities for sharing of best practices through its multi-track, multi-year curriculum.

One of this year's participants, Camellia Sahm, director of Space Management, described the program's four tracks as helping individuals become "progressively experienced, decision making individuals" by the conclusion of track four. "It is a privilege to have been selected to attend BMI," concluded Sahm.

One unique aspect for attendees is the college t-shirt swap. This team-building exercise encouraged attendees to introduce themselves to each other and exchange a t-shirt representing their home university. "This activity is collegiate in nature and all in good fun," added Sahm. The photo below shows ABA's attendees, and their t-shirt swaps.

BMI is known for helping professionals build connections with others, and strengthen collaboration among peers and peer institutions. If you would like to learn more about BMI, visit their website here.

 

Winter Bowling Returns

Attention all prospective ABA bowlers! The 2016 Sacramento State Winter Bowling League is now taking signups for next season! Sacramento State faculty and staff are encouraged to participate and may invite family members and friends.

The bowling league has been active since 2013, with weekly contests at Capitol Bowl, 900 West Capitol Ave, in West Sacramento.

Interested in bowling a strike? Contact Serena Fuson at: sfuson@csus.edu to add your name to the list. For more league details and information, view the recent email announcement here.