The Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) awards are happening at the professional association’s national conference on February 10, 2022, and two UMD staff members are being recognized.
Dr. Katie Jackson, director of the Office of Student Conduct & Conflict Resolution, is the recipient of the Individual Award of Excellence Award. This recognizes Jackson’s significant contributions to the development of UMD, the field, and professional organizations, and her commitment to evaluation and mentoring.
Brenna Hucka, student conduct specialist, is the 2022 recipient of the Equity & Inclusion Leadership Award. This award honors a current ASCA member who has shown outstanding commitment, persistence, and innovation in working on equity and inclusion efforts within ASCA and/or their campus community.
Unbeknownst to one another, the two colleagues nominated each other for the awards.
In Hucka’s nomination of Jackson, she shared how Jackson changed the name of their department from Student Conduct to the Office of Student Conduct & Conflict Resolution (OSCCR), while infusing conflict mediation services to better serve student needs. “This coincided with a concerted effort to incorporate restorative practices, including an expungement process that has become a model for other campuses within the University of Minnesota system and beyond,” said Hucka.
Jackson reflected on Hucka’s numerous inclusion efforts in her nomination letter, including Hucka’s work on web page accessibility, her participation in professional development opportunities, and her service as the chair of the Student Life Change Team, a group committed to increasing Equity and Inclusion on the UMD campus.