Pictured, from right, are Delta State's Kelvin Davis along with co-presenters Murat Bora, Kamesha Hill and Tracy Baker during the SACUBO annual conference.CLEVELAND, Miss.—A Delta State University staff member recently presented during the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers’ (SACUBO’s) annual conference, hosted in San Antonio, Texas.
Founded in 1928, SACUBO’s mission is to contribute to superior higher education financial and administrative services by providing relevant professional development, thought leadership and issue advocacy.
For this year’s annual conference, Delta State’s Director of Financial Reporting and University Liaison to Food Service & Bookstore Kelvin Davis teamed up with Kamesha Hill, executive director of Auxiliary Services at Jackson State University; Tracy Baker, senior director of Partnership & Strategy, Sodexo Campus; and Murat Bora, district manager, Sodexo, to present on the topic, “Enabling First Generation Student Success as a Key Driver of Retention.”
“It was truly an honor to be able to present and have an open discussion with colleagues from across the nation whose campuses are facing many of the same issues as Delta State and our sister institution, Jackson State,” said Davis.
“It was even more of a privilege to discuss some of the success strategies our dining programs have implemented to assist our universities in retaining students,” he added.
As part of the presentation, the team facilitated a round table discussion with colleagues from the southeastern region of the United States about successful cross-campus collaborations and bringing new strategies to life.
The group also led a discussion centered around Generation Z’s perspective on campus life as well as everyday life, and how it has evolved over the past year, challenging institutions of higher learning to keep pace with their expectations while delivering value.
“Furthermore, we discussed how enabling the success of first-generation students is a critical piece of the engagement puzzle that requires a nuanced and thoughtful approach,” said Davis.
The presentation also covered how dining services—from provisions to providing internship opportunities—is a core foundation in nourishing the needs of the first-generation community on campus.
The Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO) was founded in 1928 to inform higher education institutions in the southern region of the United States about issues affecting higher education.
SACUBO’s current membership is comprised of approximately 700 institutions and organizations primarily from the southeastern region of the United States. These institutions are predominantly colleges and universities but also include business partners and other affiliates.
To learn more about SACUBO, visit www.sacubo.org.
