One of the association’s founders and the first NACAS president, Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr., passed away on Monday, July 1, at his home in Dallas. He was 85. A minister, author, and educator, Lassiter left a huge impact on his own community and within the greater higher-education landscape.

"Dr. Lassiter was an extraordinary teacher and mentor," said NACAS CEO Kelsey Harmon Finn. "He was an inspiration to many in the auxiliary services industry and within NACAS. Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this time."

NACAS Research needs your help! We are seeking information and examples from schools to help support a new initiative: the Snapshot for Success on Student Employment. This is your opportunity to demonstrate how you’re promoting student success through employment practices on your campus. The insights you provide will be featured in this new deliverable, and will serve as an industry example of how your institution is working to enrich the student experience. You and your peers will be able to use the information shared in the Snapshot to improve on-campus employment practices and support the personal and professional growth of the next generation.

July 19-21, 2019 | Chicago, Illinois

Inviting campus auxiliary service leaders working at a management and director levels with oversight responsibilities and influence who seek to better understand the organizational politics and collaborative leadership involved with managing multiple operations and making intersectional decisions to improve productivity, profits, and overall campus experiences.

This event is presented by Prism RBS and is part of the NACAS Leadership Series and precedes the Central/West CX regional conference.

Do you have an idea for an article for College Services? We are now taking story pitches and manuscripts for our Winter and Spring issues. The theme for the Winter issue is Leadership and the theme for the Spring issue is Technology.

Most of our articles and commentaries are derived from NACAS membership, but we accept material from any source that can build on the knowledge base for collegiate auxiliary services professionals. You can benefit as much by contributing to College Services as you can from reading the articles it contains. We often hear from our contributors that the process of documenting their project was a valuable learning experience for them and gave them new insights.

We will accept and consider a finished manuscript with photos of your latest campus project, a fledgling story idea, or anything in between. We have the editorial expertise to turn your ideas into a feature article that will earn the respect of your colleagues (not to mention your institution’s president).

Help support the work of the NACAS Foundation! Make a one-time donation or set up a pledge with weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or yearly payments. You designate the amount you want to give. Contributions are tax-deductible.

Learn about giving levels, individual and business partner donors, and annual and lifetime giving, as well as funds, campaigns, and events that help support the work of the NACAS Foundation.

July 18, 2019 | 1 p.m. ET

Presenters: Dr. Anthony DeSantis, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Florida International University, & Joanna Garcia, Associate Director for the Center for Leadership and Service at Florida International University.

The rise of food insecurities across college campuses can affect the success of college. Participants who attend this webinar will better understand how developing a student food pantry can positively influence students on an academic and social level. Presenters from Florida International University’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs will share how the student food pantries meet student’s basic needs and increase retention rates. This presentation will also include the history of student food pantries at Florida International University, student success assessment plans, building collaborative partnerships, and developing a sustainable pantry program.

July 30, 2019 | 2 p.m. ET

Presenters: Matt Radcliffe, Digital Strategist at Pikes Peak Community College & Katie Williams, Senior Marketing Manager at Prism RBS.

Auxiliary Service Marketing Professionals have the unique opportunity to use social media to drive sales within new or existing campus federations. E-Commerce is growing to be a bigger and bigger field, with most students preferring online shopping rather than the traditional brick and mortar operations. Come learn how to better utilize social media for advertising your campus brand, communicating promotions, and increase overall revenue. We will share resources around media kits and digital marketing strategies utilized by other E-Commerce companies, as well as the data supporting their benefits.

August 1, 2019 | 2 p.m. ET

Presenter: Jake Smithwick, Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte.

The RFPs we use today are often borrowed from our friends or found circulating online. These are great ways to help ensure success, but how good are they, really? We reviewed and graded hundreds of RFPs and there is a common theme. Our multi-university study found that the most successful contracts simplified the selection process, restructured the interviews to focus on project execution, and instituted performance metrics. Attendees will walk away with tools that can immediately be used to improve their dining services, beverage/pour, print services, mail rooms, and other RFPs.

August 6, 2019 | 2 p.m. ET

Presenter: Kara Bunde-Dunn, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales Support, and Client Experience at Prism RBS.

College student discretionary spending has exceeded $203 billion annually. As a result, retailers are continuing to become more sophisticated to meet the needs and demands of these savvy consumers. Join Kara Bunde-Dunn — industry expert and sales, marketing and customer experience guru — to learn how our customers are applying these emerging trends. Leave with the tools needed to capture those discretionary dollars while maintaining a successful campus experience.

August 7, 2019 | 3 p.m. EST

Presenter: Glenn Loughridge, Director of Campus Dining at Auburn University.

For auxiliaries, partnering with academic units can be tricky. Many times the "partnership" is a one-way endeavor that involves the academics unit getting something for free and the auxiliary getting their name on a t-shirt. Good partnerships have benefits both ways and a clear MOU. This is the story of how Auburn University created a partnership between the Departments of Fisheries, Horticulture, Biosystems engineering, Food Safety and Campus Dining that won 4 different awards and garnered well over $1 million in grant funding. We will unpack the strategy used to bring everyone to the table, the reasoning we used to gain approval and buy in from our reporting chain and how we drafted our MOU.

August 8, 2019 | 2 p.m. ET

Presenters: Melvine Walker, Director of Marketing & Communications at Old Dominion University.

This webinar will focus around how auxiliary service professionals can serve as mentors for students and help contribute toward their success. Student success is crucial toward the overall mission of every college or university and working in auxiliaries offers an opportunity to directly impact student futures. Changing student thinking through Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Altitudes is key to enriching their time on campus and ensuring that they are exposed to the tools needed to improve their personal, social, economic (financial wellness), academic/career (Major Track: Finish in 4). Come learn about this holistic approach toward auxiliary mentorship and how Old Dominion University has built federations across departments to work toward this goal.