UM Staff Members Awarded for Representing Student Affairs' Core Values

Five staff members in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Mississippi have been honored for excellence in serving students during the 2017-18 academic year.
The Core Values awards were established in 2015 to recognize employees who have shown characteristics of the division’s core values: Students First, Everyone Speaks, Embrace Differences and Lead with Learning. Each recipient received a trophy and monetary award at the end-of-the-year celebration in May.
“Each spring, all current staff members and graduate assistants are eligible to submit nominations for their colleagues within the Division of Student Affairs,” said Merrill Magruder, assistant to the vice chancellor for student affairs. “The Core Values committee reviews these nominations and recommends award recipients to the office of the vice chancellor’s senior leadership team for final approval.”
This year’s honorees are:

• Students First: Susie Parker, senior administrative secretary in the Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience, for her excellent service to students
• Everyone Speaks: Derrick Dixon, assistant director of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct in Student Housing, for his outstanding customer service and community-campus partnerships
• Embrace Differences: Erin Parker, community coordinator in Student Housing, for her commitment to inclusion and diversity
• Lead with Learning: Mike Meurrier and Adam Stewart, physical therapists in the university’s Health Center, for their dedication to the field through education and learning/teaching
• A separate award for Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Student Affairs was created this year. Eddie Labid of Fairfield, California, who received his master’s degree in higher education-student personnel in May, was presented the inaugural trophy.

“Each award winner went above and beyond their job duties to support and serve students,” said Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs. “These dedicated and respected staff fully represent the mission and values of Student Affairs. I consider it a privilege to call them my colleagues and am inspired by their professionalism.”
The Core Values awards support the university’s commitment to people, places and resources, one of the pillars established in UM’s strategic plan, Flagship Forward.
For more information about the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Mississippi, go to https://studentaffairs.olemiss.edu.

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By Edwin B. Smith