Back

DOSA Developments

Cara Jenkins - Monday, March 2

DOSA Developments

In this Issue:

DOSA Dates - Mark Your Calendars
Staff Updates - Happy Birthday, Welcome New Staff, Vacant Position Searches, Staff Departures
THRIVE - DOSA Professional Development
Division News & Requests
Recognition - KUDOS, RJ Award, *New DOSA Excellence Awards Announcement
Campus Partners Corner

DOSA DATES - MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Spring DOSA Meetings: March 26 9:30am-11:00am Sykes Ballrooms
- Missed the DOSA Meeting last week? Check out the slides here.
DOSA End of Year Celebration: Friday, May 8th, Autograph Library - RSVP to DOSA End of Year Celebration here.

STAFF UPDATES

Happy Birthday to Stephen Hopson (3/14)!

Share your birthday with us here.

Upcoming Events and Programs:

The full calendar of DOSA ProDev Offerings can be found here.

PASSHE Collaborative Conference March 31-April 1, 2026 For more information see this pamphlet.
Mindfulness Mondays & Wellness Wednesdays RSVP here for Mindfulness Mondays & Wellness Wednesdays
DOSA Walk dates and locations for March, April, May - Step Challenge coming soon!
DOSA Happy Hours: March 4th 4:30 @ Stove and Tap & May 6th 4:30 @ Barnaby's.
First Friday Lunch: March 6: register here
April 9th 11a,-1pm in Sykes, Center for Student Involvement - Gear up for Banana Day with the DOSA Banana Bread Baking Competition (more information to come!)
Join the DOSA & Friends Book Club! Check out the book club flyer with spring reads and meetup dates. Contact: Dr. Sara Hinkle for more information.

University Wide Staff Events:

Human Resources Organizational Development invites WCU community members and their guests to connect and foster moments together at this year's Phillies outing on June 18. Click here to view flyer for the Phillies outing.

Professional Development Opportunities:

Save the Date - 2026 RECAP Conference May 14th @ WCU. Click here for more information on the 2026 RECAP Conference.
Be a Mentor! Spark and Lantern Program Information

ProDev News:

Tell us about your Professional Development! Click here to complete the Professional Development form to tell us about your professional development so we have a record of all the conferences that staff have engaged in throughout the academic year!

Digital Accessibility Quick Tip:
Embedding Weblinks

Embedding web links with descriptive text is crucial for accessibility because it allows users with screen readers to understand the link's purpose out of context. All weblinks should be embedded with meaningful text and a call to action when appropriate. For example:

Incorrect: Apply for the 1871 Award here: https://cglink.me/2f3/s96079 (weblink is not embedded)
Incorrect: Apply for the 1871 Award here. (“here” is not descriptive enough)
Correct: Apply for the 1871 Award here. (a meaningful description and call to action)

Click here for a full list of website and digital accessibility resources.

Questions? Email the digital and web accessibility task force at watf@wcupa.edu.

DIVISION NEWS & REQUESTS

Spirited students with big foam fingers. West Chester University Day of Giving. March 5.

Support the WCU Day of Giving!

The WCU Day of Giving is coming up on March 5.
Please remember to engage with the WCU Day of Giving content on social media and make a donation to the Golden Ram Emergency Fund and/or Sykes Student Union if you are able.

WANTED: Celebrity RamCab Drivers with a cartoon banana driving a purple golf cart. It invites professional and GA staff to volunteer as drivers for RamCab Trivia on April 15, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and includes a QR code to submit availability by March 16.

Office of Wellness Promotion - Celebrity RamCab Drivers Wanted

Looking for a way to be involved in Banana Day? Consider being a celebrity driver for RamCab Trivia, taking place during Banana Day festivities! Wellness Promotion student staff will ask students trivia questions about alcohol use; drivers are only responsible for driving. More information will be shared regarding driving do’s and don’ts on campus, a practice opportunity before the event starts, etc. Scan the QR code or click here to submit your interest and availability to be a Celebrity RamCab driver.

Student Leadership Awards - Student Affairs is proud to recognize student leaders, student organizations, and advisors for their contributions to student engagement at WCU Nominations open March 2 - March 20.

Submit a Nomination for Student Leadership Awards!

Student Affairs is proud to recognize student leaders, student organizations, and advisors for their contributions to student engagement at WCU. Nominations open March 2nd and must be submitted by March 20th, 11:59 PM. For more details about the Student Leadership Awards and the Nomination Form, visit the website for the Office of Student Engagement.

DOSA Pulse Survey- Complete by March 4

Student Affairs professional team members are asked to complete the DOSA Pulse Survey by Wednesday, March 4. Following are the goals and purpose of the survey:

The Division of Student Affairs is committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and sustainable work environment. This short, anonymous pulse survey is intended to help us better understand how our staff are doing and identify areas where we can improve. Your honest feedback will be used to inform actions that support staff morale, well-being, and retention. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, and no identifying information will be collected.

extra! extra! March 18, 2026 11:30am. Rammy the mascot project. New launch press release. Light refreshment and photo opportunities. timeless moments captured in purple and gold. more information coming soon.

Save the Date: Sykes Union Installation Unveiling!

Stop by the Sykes Union on March 18 starting at 11:30am for a SURPRISE installation unveiling! Bring your WCU spirit, enjoy some light refreshments, and get ready for some photo opps! More information to follow.

Mondays: Bingo Night at Chickie's & Pete's, 7PM-9PM, every Monday starting 9/8. Tuesdays: Commuter Day, 7:30AM-8PM at The Commons, every Tuesday. Wednesdays: WCU Wellness Wednesdays at The Commons, 11AM-2PM every Wednesday; Trivia Night at Chickie's & Pet

What's Cooking This March from WCU Dining Services

Stop in, grab a bite, and try something new this month! Follow us on WCU Dining Instagram and WCU Dining Tik Tok!

RECOGNITION - KUDOS & RJ AWARD

Congratulations to the 2026 Chi Sigma Alpha Inductees!

On February 24, Chi Sigma Alpha, the international student affairs honor society, inducted 25 new members, including the following representatives from the Division of Student Affairs:

Student Inductees: Patrick Brown, Nathan Castimore, Bryce Corrigan, Victoria Diggins, Gabrielle Forbes, Taylor Williams

Honorary Inductees: Bobby DeMarco, Emily Giffin, Bridget Komera, Dr. Lexie McCarthy (who also served as the keynote speaker), Dr. Leah Tobin

The following Student Affairs graduate assistants serve on the CSA executive board and did an excellent job planning and implementing the event!: Jillian Vinciguerra (president), Carina Shandy (vice president), Eli Folk (secretary), Sean Doyle (recruitment chair), and Lauren Young (treasurer).

Kudos to everyone involved! "Ut Provocem Et Adiuvem" (That I May Challenge and Support)

Staff Publication

Check out our friends from Sykes Student Union's contribution to the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) magazine, "A Student Union Vendor Program That Benefits Campus & Community"

Way to go Ann, Sandi, Adriane and Jayna!

Group of WCU students and staff member doing the Ram UP sign with their fingers.

RJ Award

At the February 26 DOSA meeting we recognized the latest recipient of the RJ Award. This month's nominees were:

Catie Baxter, Associate Director of Wellness Promotion
Dr. Stephen Hopson, Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Isaiah Rogers, Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life

This month's RJ Award honoree was Dr. Stephen Hopson. According to his nominator: "Stephen executed another outstanding Panhellenic Recruitment! Recruitment is a complex operation with a lot of stakeholders and moving parts and Stephen pulled it off and saw the biggest recruitment post COVID! He goes above and beyond to communicate with students, advisors, alumni, national organizations, and fellow departments. Stephen received many compliments from stakeholders throughout the process noting his high level of engagement, thoughtfulness, and resiliency as he navigated not 1, not 2, but 3 snow storms throughout the process! Stephen continues to be a champion for our students and it is evident in the relationships and bonds he has with our Panhellenic women. Stephen deserves recognition for all of his work and tenacity!"

Applications for the first annual DOSA Excellence Awards will be open from March 6 - April 3rd. More details coming soon!

CAMPUS PARTNERS CORNER

New Student Orientation 2026 Dates

We’re excited to share the First-Year and Transfer Student Orientation dates for this summer! Orientation will kick off in late June and continue through mid-July, and we’re looking forward to welcoming our newest students alongside you. Thank you, as always, for your partnership in creating a welcoming, engaging experience for our new students and families. Please reach out to orientation@wcupa.edu if you have any questions!

Lavender Graduation

Lavender Graduation celebrates graduating undergraduate and graduate students, who identify as LGBTQIA+ as well as the allies and advocates who support them. We acknowledge their achievements, contributions, and distinctive experiences at West Chester University. For decades, students at colleges and universities have celebrated their achievements at this celebration. Register for Lavendar Graduation here. All are welcome, come be authentically you.

Submit to DOSA Developments

Nominate for RJ Award