MULTICULTURAL STUDENT AFFAIRS
One of the defining characteristics and core values held by the University of Miami is our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Your student is part of a vibrant community where our rich diversity is celebrated and creating a Culture of Belonging is an institutional priority within the Roadmap to our New Century.
There are a variety of academic and co-curricular programs that provide an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge and build skills that facilitate interpersonal and intrapersonal development, promote respectful dialogue across differences, and encourage cultural exploration and expression. Multicultural Student Affairs encourages students to participate in activities that allow for authentic sharing of perspectives and ideas that advance intellectual growth, personal development, and social justice.
Please encourage your student to take advantage of all that UM has to offer. By attending guest lectures, cultural celebrations, student organization, and departmental events, students can enrich their collegiate experience. For more information on services and programs sponsored by Multicultural Student Affairs please visit www.miami.edu/msa.
Dr. Renée Dickens Callan serves as the Director of Multicultural Student Affairs. MSA provides leadership and advocacy for underrepresented and ethnically diverse students at the University of Miami.
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ORIENTATION & COMMUTER STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
The University of Miami welcomes families of current students to attend Family Weekend 2019, which will take place from Thursday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 6. Family Weekend is an annual tradition that brings over 2,500 family members to campus to spend time with their students and learn about the University of Miami.
You can read about Family Weekend 2018 here.
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We're asking Hurricane Family Connection readers to give their advice to other Hurricane families. Your advice could be general advice as a family member of a UM student or focus on a specific area of interest for your family.
We will be selecting various topics in the coming issues of Hurricane Family Connection to feature your advice. We thank you in advance for sharing your advice and experience with the rest of our 'Canes community!
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TOPPEL CAREER CENTER
As the spring semester begins, some students are preparing for graduation while others are trying to land their dream internship. At the Toppel Career Center, we believe in preparing students to make educated decisions as they explore the ever-changing landscape of careers. Regardless of your student’s career goals, where they are in the career planning process, or whether they even know what questions to ask, our staff is here to guide and support them with recommendations and assessments for possible career paths.
One of the best ways for students to engage with Toppel and take charge of their career development is by activating their Handshake account. On Handshake, students can begin searching and applying for thousands of available job and internship postings from across the nation and access upcoming career events, programs, and resources. Peer reviews from University of Miami students and alumni of companies and internship experiences are also just a click away. Most importantly, remind your student that career planning is a process, and all students experience the process differently and on different timelines.
Edward Cruz serves as the Director of Career Education at the Toppel Career Center. In his role, he is responsible for providing leadership of all career education-related functions for the office.
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VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
The month of February is an exciting time at the U! Between celebrating Black History Month, meeting Bill Nye, being active in SportsFest, running for Student Government and engaging with employers at Toppel's Career Expo, our students have numerous opportunities to get involved, learn about others, and focus on their futures.
In addition to serving as Vice President, I teach a four-week long seminar entitled Senior Reflections, based off a capstone course during my own undergraduate studies. I enjoy hearing about how our students overcome the obstacles they experience throughout their academic and professional careers which is why I personally prioritize time to reflect with senior student leaders as they prepare for their semester. Often I hear about friendships and mentors, failures that blossomed into successes, and unique opportunities that vary from direct decisions to falling into a student’s lap. Overall, the lessons I hear from our students, I take as reflections with my staff to ensure that all of the engagement experiences we sustain support students goals and futures.
Being a parent myself, I see with my daughter how important it is to reflect on experiences - both the challenges and successes - to ensure that we are growing and developing, but also that we are still at a point where we can make personal changes if we find them necessary through reflection. My reflection often leads me back to one phrase: 'Canes care for 'Canes. Our community is about caring, so I remind you, if you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out.
Dr. Patricia A. Whitely has been the Vice President for Students Affairs since 1997 and is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education and Human Development. Dr. Whitely is responsible for oversight of residential life, leadership development, service learning, orientation, student organizations, student activities, student facilities, student counseling and student health centers, Greek life, and the dean of students office.
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HERBERT WELLNESS CENTER
Is your student looking to find belonging in a community, bond with their peers, and get a little competitive? Speak with your student and encourage them to participate in a long-standing University of Miami tradition: SportsFest! This university-wide sports competition brings together resident and commuter students to compete in a friendly environment in different activities for points and prizes. Events span from competitive team sports like flag football and soccer, to brain games like checkers and video games such as Super Smash Bros, as well as a UM favorite, Battleship.
Not only is this always an exciting three days, but also a great way for your student to become more involved. Your student will have the opportunity to get to know their residential college or commuter community, as well as meet many new students from all parts of campus. In addition, they also have the chance to win some very cool Adidas gear. We hope that with events like these, we can help your student find their niche along with feeling at home on our campus. Talk to your student about being a part of the 33-year SportsFest legacy. For more info, have them reach out to their RA, CA, or TA. SportsFest will be held February 7-9.
Tom Soria serves as the Associate Director of Wellness and Recreation for Intramurals and Special Events at the Herbert Wellness Center.
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HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Centennial Village, which will reimagine student housing on the Coral Gables campus, will replace the Stanford and Hecht Residential Colleges with four new residential colleges.
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SPIRITUAL LIFE
For more than 77 years, UM Hillel has provided a vibrant and diverse “home-away-from-home” that is focused on the many facets of Jewish life on campus and beyond.
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LGBTQ STUDENT RESOURCES
Gisela Vega, the former associate director of LGBTQA Initiatives at Florida International University, joins the Hurricanes family with plans to enhance programming.
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HURRICANE SPORTS
Manny Diaz, who has deep roots in the Miami community and catapulted the Hurricane's defense to elite status during his three years as the team's defensive coordinator, will take the helm as head coach of the Hurricanes' football team.
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UMIAMI MOBILE
With new “personas” allowing for a more personalized mobile experience, the redesigned University of Miami mobile app provides quick access to campus news, information, and resources.
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