In this month’s missive from a member of the University’s leadership team, new Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Christine Wilson introduces us to the broad range of services and supports that comprise student affairs at UMF and shares the rationale of her mission to gain a ‘local understanding’ of the student experience.
Dear Alumni and Friends of UMF,
While I was driving home to Connecticut after my interview in Farmington last spring, I knew that UMF was the place for me. As I talked with a good friend of mine about my time on campus and interactions with students, faculty, and staff, she looked at me and said, “You’re glowing!”
Dr. Christine Wilson, Vice President of Student Affairs at UMF.
Since starting my new role with the University in early July, I have spent my time immersed in all things UMF: the people, facilities, history, and culture. I am interested in understanding the strengths and treasures of UMF, as well as the challenges we are facing as an institution. It is easy to find articles and books on best practices for working in higher education, but I look forward to gaining a more nuanced, local understanding as I strive to serve the students, families, and members of the UMF community.
As I get to know the University and its people, I think it’s an opportune time to revisit what, exactly, is student affairs in higher education. Student affairs functions are services and supports for students that help them succeed in and outside of class, help them persist — hopefully thrive — in college, and ultimately help assure they graduate. To do that, student affairs offers a variety of services and supports for our students as well as their friends and families.
At UMF, student affairs encompasses advising, athletics, campus police and public safety, career services, conduct, counseling, fitness, health services, outdoor programs, parking, recreation, residence life and housing, student activities, student leadership and service/community outreach, and testing services. Student affairs also implements UMF’s Title IX educational programming and related support services. Fundamentally, student affairs staff members assist students who are experiencing challenges, from students who are struggling to choose a major; to students who feel marginalized because of their race, culture, religion, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation; to students who are experiencing personal crises. We also celebrate our students, including those who secure internships, get elected to office on campus, are hired to be community assistants, earn scholarships, and serve in the community. We know that attending to students as individuals will help them reach their academic and personal goals.
What drew me to UMF initially was evidenced during my interview as well as in my first few weeks on the job: I love that UMF is deeply integrated with the civic, cultural, and economic vitality of Farmington and that the University has traditionally enjoyed a good relationship with its host community. (And then there’s the landscape of campus and its environs. Is there anywhere more beautiful than the lakes and mountains of western Maine?) I am proud to be working with UMF staff who are dedicated to the success of each student and work diligently to meet each student’s individual needs, from the chefs in the dining halls, to the librarians who help students find helpful resources. It is an honor to work with faculty and staff who are supporting students’ goals and investing in the future of Maine, given that many of our students are from, and want to live and work in, Maine. As our students go on to make positive contributions in their communities and places of work, I hope they will look back on their time at UMF with great fondness and satisfaction. And I truly appreciate being part of actualizing the mission of public education: to support students who will be outstanding citizens — citizens who will continue to improve society.
Before I sign off, I want to say: let’s talk! Part of my job, and my mission to have that “local understanding,” is to hear from folks about their experiences on campus so I can use their perspectives to either reinforce what we do well or make changes that improve the student experience and strengthen the University. To that end, I would love to hear from alumni, so please feel welcome to be in touch with me to share your stories. The experience of every student and graduate matters, and every story matters. I hope to talk with you soon.
With all best wishes,
Christine Wilson
Vice President of Student Affairs
Dr. Christine Wilson comes to UMF from the University of Connecticut, where she was assistant vice president for student affairs, director of student activities, and an instructor in the university’s graduate program in higher education and student affairs. Wilson has more than 25 years of strategic leadership experience in student affairs, including administration of Title IX programming and student activities. Her other roles in student affairs include serving as assistant director for student leadership at the University of Rhode Island and an instructor in the school’s master’s in college student personnel program, director of student activities at the University of Baltimore, assistant director of residential life at SUNY–New Paltz, and coordinator of residential life at The Pennsylvania State University. She received her Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island and her master’s in college student personnel and bachelor’s in political science from Indiana State University.