NSU's Woods receives national student affairs award

(Tahlequah, Okla.)In recognition of her role in developing and implementing student policies, Dr. Evelyn Woods, assistant dean of student affairs at Northeastern State University, was an award recipient at the 2011 American College Personnel Association convention in Baltimore this spring.

Woods received the Commission for Administrative Leadership Award for Excellence in Institutional Change.

The award goes to someone whose practices have impacted an institution positively, Woods said. But I want to stress that I don't do any of these things by myself.

When formulating policies or programs for student affairs, Woods said she receives input and assistance from all corners of campus.

I receive help from the campus police, the ID office, the Fitness Center, student disability services, business affairs, the Physical Plant, First Year Experience, the College of Liberal Arts you name it, she said. There are so many people from disparate parts of the university who do so much good work on these projects. We also have partners off campus, such as the Cherokee Nation.

A couple of programs earning Woods recognition included the institution of Service Sundays which facilitate student assistance with tasks around Tahlequah, and development of a behavioral and crisis intervention team.

Our behavior intervention and crisis response is different than anything Ive seen on other campuses, Woods said. When there is an issue or incident, core members of the team are called together quickly. Also, the person dealing directly with a particular student has nothing to do with faculty or staff title. The person who interacts with the student most directly or most often is the one called on to help the student change behavior.

Woods said she wasn't sure she enjoyed a particular job responsibility, but appreciated all facets of being assistant dean of student affairs.

I do love the fact that my job involves something different every day, she said. It is important to all of us to try to make things a little bit better for a student who might be having some trouble. I also enjoy the strengths assessments we offer to students, faculty and staff, which help people identify what they do well.

Though flattered by the ACPA award, Woods wanted to credit all who help her succeed in her efforts.

Of course it is nice to honored like that, she said. But what it really tells me is that what were doing at NSU with these new initiatives really matters. Everyone associated with these programs is exerting a great deal of effort, though people may not readily notice it.

The ACPA is the leading comprehensive student affairs association, supporting student learning through the generation and dissemination of knowledge to inform policies, practices and programs for student affairs professionals. The ACPA is headquartered in the National Center for Higher Education in Washington, D.C.