The Collegiate Recovery Center
From the Director: Dr Bob Mattox

Starting this Fall Semester the CAPS Center will open a new department: The Collegiate Recovery Center. This center is designed to offer peer and professional support for those students who are recovering from alcohol or substance abuse addiction. According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health, “the current level of binge drinking by U.S. college students is a serious problem” (Wechsler, et al. 2001). These findings would suggest that the environment of most university campuses in the United States is not conducive to, or supportive of, recovery from addictive disorders. The main recovery issue facing a collegiate recovering population is lack of peer support. Adolescents and young adults seeking a college education must attempt to navigate this environment on their own, often without the support of even a small group of their peers. It is difficult for students in recovery to find and develop substance free social network. Additionally, they must combat the stigma associated with addiction/recovery if they choose to self-disclose.

The Center for Collegiate Recovery will work diligently to design a recovery community that provides a nurturing, affirming environment in which individuals recovering from addictive disorders can find peer support while attaining a college education. Students participating in this community have access to extensive services to support their decision to remain in recovery and to improve their general life skills. Additionally, students involved in the Collegiate Recovery Center will attend Twelve Step meetings held regularly on campus. Through this holistic approach to continuing care for recovering students, the Collegiate Recovery Center is able to address the problems and issues associated with the transitions from high school to college and from active addiction into recovery.

The pairing of education and recovery builds esteem in the students involved with the Collegiate Recovery Center. Their accomplishments translate into reduced problems for society, increased earning potential, heightened community involvement, and broader commitment to service. Many recovering students choose to share their personal histories with their peers, their educators and their community in an effort to show that addiction is a treatable disease, not a moral weakness.

The Center will become functional by the end of September 2007 and will be located on the 2nd floor of the Old Social Science building.

Student Athlete Success Services
By Steve Benton, Student-Athlete Services Coordinator

The Office of Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) provides the following services to Kennesaw State University student-athletes: arranging tutoring, monitoring academic success and progress toward a degree, assisting with academic advisement, and helping confidentially with personal goals and student life problems.

The 2007-2008 academic year marks the first anniversary for the Office of Student-Athlete support Services. Last year Kennesaw State University student-athletes performed exceptionally well in the classroom. Overall our total sports GAP for the year was a 2.91 the highest ever. In the Atlantic Sun Conference, we had 113 of our 196 student-athletes receive All-Academic Honors. The SASS is very proud of our student-athletes academic accomplishments with in the classroom and look forward to continued success in the upcoming school year.

The SASS office is located in room 142 of the Office Annex and is currently open Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. The SASS is always looking for students who would be interested in becoming a tutor. Please contact the office of Student-Athlete Support services at 678.797.2402 for information.

The Fall 2007 orientation season began with a bang as KSU held it's first 2-day orientation June 7th and 8th. A total of 295 students and 210 parents attended. Students participated in five academic break out sessions the first day and attended informational sessions about financial aid, university card services and bookstore policies. They toured KSU's residence facilities and experienced student life activities during the student organization fair. Students ended the first day with a barbecue and activities at University Village including photos with Scrappy, airbrush tattoos, balloon sculptures and live music. On the second day students participated in academic advising and registered for classes.

A total of 1988 students attended the remaining 6 first-year sessions for a total of 2283 first year students. A total of 1269 transfer students attended four transfer sessions and a total of 1381 parents participated in first-year and transfer orientation for a grand total of 4933 participants.

After reading through all the suggestions and evaluation ratings from this fall's sessions, the Orientation staff will use those recommendations to make changes and improvements for next year.

 

Ask The Brain! - Common Advising Questions
By Brian Glankler, Associate Director of CAPS, Advising Services

Dear Brain:

I recently attended First-Year Student Orientation and I have a question about the difference between university and college. I heard speakers at orientation refer to the university and to the college. What is the difference?

Signed,
Nukid Ondeblok

Dear Nukid:

Kennesaw State is a university that is comprised of seven colleges. Each college is comprised of academic departments. Students are considered to be part of not only KSU as a university but also as part of the college which houses the academic department of their majors. For example, a student majoring in biology is part of the College of Science and Mathematics which is part of Kennesaw State University. The seven colleges are: The College of the Arts, The Coles college of Business, The Bagwell College of Education, The WellStar College of Health and Human Services, The college of Humanities and Social Sciences, The College of Science and Mathematics and University College. Information regarding each of these colleges and the majors within them can be found in the KSU Undergraduate Catalog and on the KSU web site.

Signed,
The Brain

What is CAPS Counseling?
By Dr. Rhonda Perry

The CAPS Center stands for Counseling and Advising Program Services, but many people may not have a true understanding of what the "Counseling Services" of the CAPS Center actually provides. Who are we and what do we do? We are counselors who have many years of training and experience providing mental health counseling to college students. We assist students with a variety of issues including but not limited to, depression and anxiety disorders, relationship and self esteem issues, abuse and trauma, as well as stress management and career and life planning. We have knowledge of the unique developmental issues facing college students and are able to blend that awareness with the individual presenting problems. We consult with faculty and staff, provide crisis intervention, and work closely with Residence Life staff and Campus Police.

Another service that would be of interest to faculty and staff is our outreach program. You can request a CAPS speaker by going to the CAPS web site, click on counseling and then "Request for CAPS Speaker". Fill out the form, click on submit and someone will contact you concerning your request. Lastly, as part of our outreach we provide free workshops and conduct mental health screenings on a variety of topics every semester for students, faculty and staff.

 

CAPS Center: Who? What? Where? When? Why?

Who: CAPS provides counseling, advising, testing, and orientation services only to currently, enrolled students. Counseling services are also available for faculty and staff.

What: Counseling appointments are scheduled for personal, career, or academic concerns and are available year round. Advising appointments are scheduled for undeclared majors and Learning Support Program students. The Testing Service provides information and applications for graduate and professional exams as well as administers all institutional exams.

Where: Located on the second floor of Kennesaw Hall's administrative wing, the CAPS staff will be happy to assist you .

When: We can be reached at 770/423-6600 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. CAPS is closed during designated KSU holidays and weekends.

Why: CAPS supports the academic mission of Kennesaw State University by enhancing students' educational, career, and social development.

We work in conjunction with other faculty, administrators, and student affairs professionals to develop the whole person—intellectually, personally, socially, and spiritually. Our philosophy is to value the self-worth of each individual, respect and embrace human diversity, and provide services that aid the development of healthy behaviors necessary for success. The staff strives to provide a safe, supportive environment for those who seek CAPS services. Each individual is considered to have an inherent capacity for healthy, productive functioning as a human being.

Highlighting a CAPS Staff Member:
In this issue we are highlighting our 4 new employees:

Tyler Pede:

Tyler in a nut shell....I was born and raised in Atlanta and graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Organizational Communication. I was very involved in Student Activities, Residence Life and Greek Life while in college. I am now the Assistant Coordinator for Student Athlete Success Services. Before working at KSU, I worked at a college in Florida but decided to heed the call of the red clay and return to my roots. When not at work, I enjoy being outdoors, sticking my nose in a good book, and traveling.

 

Peggy McAlear

I am a Georgia native, born in Marietta, Georgia. I have lived here all of my life, with the exception of two years spent in Orlando, Florida just after graduating from Osborne High School. I have the great opportunity of being as Administrative Assistant in the CAPS Center. The things that I enjoy most about my job thus far, are the wonderful team I have joined, the pleasant work environment, and being able to assist students and parents with life at KSU .

I have two sons. One who is currently attending KSU and the other is a Junior at Cartersville High School. I enjoy reading, gardening, bowling, camping, fishing and spending time with family and friends.

 

 

Andre J. Griggs

My name is Andre Griggs, and I am a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I am married with one child, My wife's name is Andrea and my daughter's name is Ariana. They are two very special people in my life because they always remind me of how constant their love is for me, and how constant my love should be for them.

My accolades include receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology from Clark Atlanta University, and a master's degree in divinity from Southern Christian University. I have been an educator for ten years, serving as a paraprofessional, special education teacher and counselor. When not doing anything related to educating students, parents, teachers and others; I enjoy reading, jogging, weightlifting, riding motorcycles, and of course; spending quality time with my family. Have a great day!

 

Carolyn Ward

Born and raised in South Africa, I came to the United States in 2001 to begin my Bachelor's degree at KSU. Having played tennis all my life, I was given the opportunity to play for Kennesaw State University on an athletic scholarship. I graduated from KSU in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management.

As an academic advisor in the CAPS Center, I love helping students reach their academic goals. I really enjoy the warm, friendly working environment in the CAPS Center. We all work together as a team and I feel very privileged to be part of the team here in CAPS. In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis, reading, shopping and listening to music. I also love spending time with family and friends.