"SPARC" Archive

WFU is Silver recipient in NASPA Excellence Awards

Lena Nelson ('15) and Amber Burton ('15) help build a Habitat for Humanity house as part of the SPARC pre-orientation volunteer service group.

Lena Nelson (’15) and Amber Burton (’15) help build a Habitat for Humanity house as part of the SPARC pre-orientation volunteer service group.

NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) selected Wake Forest as the Silver recipient in the NASPA Excellence Awards program for transforming higher education through outstanding programs, innovative services, and effective administration in the Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Orientation, Parents, First-Year, Other-Year and Related Category.

The recipients will be honored in March at the 2013 NASPA Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla.

“We are proud to promote the innovative work taking place on Wake Forest University’s campus, and encourage institutions to follow suit and join the movement,” said Kevin Kruger, the president of NASPA.

NASPA announcement said:

Wake Forest’s “Connecting with the Community: SPARC Extended Orientation” program submission demonstrates excellence in designing a comprehensive program that supports the social, academic, and personal development of first-year students by engaging them in community service projects. The program also fosters peer to peer/peer to upper classmen relationships, and promotes civic understanding.

“On a scale of 1 – 4, with 4 being completely true, students participating in SPARC 2012 rated the statement ‘SPARC has made me more likely to be involved in service at Wake Forest’ at 3.93. There were similar high marks for involvement at Wake Forest in general, for involvement in the community, for making me more comfortable with my transition to college, and for the development and continuation of mentoring with their student leaders,” said Mary Gerardy, associate vice president and dean of campus life. “Students also note that they believe the friendships they made in SPARC will be enduring.”

 

SPARC wins national award

Marianne Magjuka

Magjuka

Shelley Sizemore

Sizemore

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) recognized SPARC – Students Promoting Action and Responsibility in the Community – as an outstanding extended orientation program.

Wake Forest’s entry, entitled “Connecting with the Community: SPARC Extended Orientation,” was selected as the Silver Award Winner for the Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Orientation, Parents, First-Year, Other Year, and Related Category. WFU will be recognized at the annual conference on March 16-20 in Orlando, Fla.

SPARC is an extended orientation program in the Office of Service & Social Action (Campus Life & Leadership), and is administered by Shelley Sizemore, assistant director of Campus Life for Service, and Marianne Magjuka, director of Campus Life.

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