Wisdom Engraced
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Caitlyn Wine, associate director of Campus Reservations and Event Services at Georgia Tech, has successfully defended her dissertation and is graduating with a Doctor of Education degree from Georgia Southern University. Wine’s research focused on the connection between student centre spaces and students’ sense of community.
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Wine’s interest in this topic stemmed from her experience working in student centre spaces. “I’ve worked in both recreation and student centres, and we are always changing the spaces,” she said. “I noticed a gap in the research. While these spaces are often redesigned or repurposed, there wasn’t much data showing how those physical changes affect students’ sense of community.”
Wine used the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to fund her education, which allowed her to pursue her degree while working full-time. She administered a nationwide survey through the Association of College Unions International and found that time spent in student centers does not necessarily correlate with a feeling of belonging
“The biggest finding was that those without a sense of community are looking for it at the student centre,” Wine said. “So we have to be intentional about space design and the programs and activities we are putting on.” Wine applies her findings to her work in designing programming and spaces, using data analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of these spaces.
For further information on education, read more details here
Wine encourages others to take advantage of the TAP program, saying, “It’s such a great and underutilised resource. You have so many options. It doesn’t have to be at the institution you work at, but you should make sure it is covered.” She also advises being realistic about the time commitment and planning to have a conversation with your supervisor and family.
With her new degree, Wine hopes to continue making a positive impact on campus communities, using her research to inform her work in designing spaces that foster a sense of belonging among students
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