A brief history of WVASPA . . . WVASPA began as an informal group of student personnel professionals. Deans of Students, Residence Life Staff, etc., started meeting together during the late '50's to discuss problems of mutual concern in the student affairs field. In March 1960, this group created a formal organization at West Virginia University a constitution was adopted. The organization was called Student/Personnel Administrators of West Virginia Colleges and Universities (SPAWVCU).
Membership was open to all persons responsible for student personnel services in colleges and universities of West Virginia. At that first formal meeting, officers elected were Betty Boyd, President (WVU), Stella Cooksey, Vice-President (Morris Harvey), Wayne Martin, Sec./Treas. (Fairmont State). Over the years the name of the organization has been changed several times, but it has retained the flavor of the original purpose. Our Purpose . . . •To organize a cohesive professional body in order to promote more effective work in the field of student personnel administrators •To interpret student personnel work to all college administrators and college faculties so that the student personnel point of view will permeate the entire campus •To promote programs and plans that will benefit all student personnel workers
Past Presidents . . . Kelli Jo McNemar, West Virginia Campus Compact, 2016 Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, University of Charleston, 2016 Dr. Sarah Beasley, Concord University, 2015 Vanessa Keadle, Marshall University, 2014 Candice Stadler, New River Community & Technical College, 2013 Andrew Lewis, Glenville State College, 2012 Christi Richardson, Mountain State University, 2011 Jodi Ocheltree, Glenville State College, 2010 Dr. Sharon Kipetz, Shepherd University, 2009 Stephanie Southhall, WV Prevention Resource Center, 2008 Marcella Snyder, West Liberty State College, 2007 Cheryl McKinney, Glenville State College, 2006 Rick Dillon, Concord University, 2005 Jerry Burkhammer, Glenville State College, 2004 Dr. Susan Spangler (Gardner), University of Charleston, 2003 Amena Oliver, West Virginia Wesleyan College, 2002
Past Conference Keynotes and Workshop Presenters . . . 1960 - Dr. Harold Willey; Topic—Personnel Point of View 1967 - Dr. Helen Nowlis; Topic—Drugs and Higher Education 1979 - Dr. D. Parker Young; Topic—Higher Education and Legal Issues 1981 - Dr. Robert Rodgers; Topic—Crucial Issues of the '80's 1985 - Dr. William C. Parker, Dr. Charles C. Schroeder, Dro William E. Selacek; Topic—Changing the environment to Retain Today's College Student 1986 - Ruth McSwain, Dr. William Parker, Rick Miller, Terry Byre, Willard Fuller; Topic—Excellence Begins With Self 1988 - Dr. Robert Albright, Dr. John Gardner, Dr. Berniece Sandler; Topic—Planning for the Future: Enrollment, Education and Employment for the '90's 1990 - Dr. William C. Parker; Topic—The 1990's: Diversity and Excellence in Higher Education 1994 - Dr. Barbara Jacoby; Topic—Empowering the Student Development Professional and Student Leader as Change Agents 1997 - Dr. Arthur Chickering—Building Bridges; Connecting the College Community 1998 - Dr. Gwen Dungy—Serving Our Campus Communities...and Beyond 1999 - Dr. Gary Kleeman –Student Affairs and the Third Revolution...Technology and Student Affairs 2000-2010 -- Please contact Dr. Susan Gardner (susangardner@ucwv.edu if you have history during this time) 2011 – Dr. Maggie Culp – Student/Academic Affairs Collaboration in Serving Adult Learners in WV 2012 - Dr. Susan Gardner -- WVASPA Then & Now (Fall Conference in 2011; no Spring conference was held) 2013- Dr. Susan Gardner -- Icebergs and Whitewater - A Student Affairs Journey Spring 2014- Eric Stoller -- What’s Your Digital Identity: A Comprehensive Look at Today’s Social Media Landscape Fall 2014 - Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan -- Federal and legal updates Fall 2014 - President Brian Noland -- Discussion of the state of higher education in America Fall 2014 - Joel Bolling -- Creating a Culture of Inclusion in West Virginia Fall 2015 - Dr. David C. Hardesty, Jr. -- Building highly effective organizations and teams Fall 2015 - Dr. Jennifer Bloom -- Appreciative Advising Fall 2016 - Dr. Anthony Jenkins -- Featured Speaker -- President, West Virginia State University Fall 2016 - Kelli Jo McNemar -- Keynote Speaker -- West Virginia Campus Compact Fall 2017 - Dr. Joe Cuseo --Keynote Speaker --Promoting Student Success Across Campus: Seven Universal Principles & Powerful Practices