For the first time since 1996, there will be a new faculty member offering his support to the SGA.
After 11 years, Craig Slack stepped down as the advisor to the Student Government Association. Slack, who carries two titles – director of the National Clearinghouse for Leadership programs and assistant director of the Office of Campus Programs at the Stamp Student Union – cited shifting elements of his job as the primary reason for his leaving.
Slack began his involvement with student government when he was the director of student activities at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was there where he advised his first SGA in 1985. He also served as the SGA advisor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and at the University of Denver before settling into his current position.
He still gets excited when talking about some of his experiences at the university. For Slack, just being able to witness and be a part of what he calls “awesome student engagement” is part of the job that will be tough to let go of.
“I think about Tim Daly, the student body president a number of years ago, who led a group of students who towed a non-operating pinto to the state capitol and protested around the issues of the cost of higher education,” Slack said. “Aaron Kraus, another former student body president, once protested for three and a half days on Lawyers’ Mall in Annapolis. Aaron slept there; he didn’t eat for three days. Remembering those stories and the excitement that it brought to campus … I will miss that definitely.”
For Slack, the job was less about improving the SGA as an organization and more about helping the students grow.
“The SGA advisor’s impact is wholly felt as a result of helping raise the level of efficacy of the students to do what they are being challenged to do,” Slack said. “It’s all about the students; the advisor is there hopefully as an educator in support to help them do what it is they are looking to do.”
Slack has been in the position for so long that he said former SGA members were surprised to hear that he would no longer be involved with the organization. Kraus, the SGA president in 2004-2005, was one of the former members who worked closely with Slack.
“He was a great resource for all of the organization, and he was great mentor to me, as well as many others,” Kraus recalled.
Andrew Friedson, last year’s SGA president, also remembers Slack as a great mentor and outlet for students to go to when they needed help.
“I think he was always very concerned with helping individual members and [being] a resource for individual members,” Friedson said. “His biggest passion was guiding legislators. He helped them with projects and giving back to the communities. He was someone people felt comfortable going to for advice.”
Slack still plans to observe the proceedings from a distance, but also admits that the person to talk to should be Joe Calizo, his replacement.
Calizo is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Like Slack, he has also worked in student affairs, most recently at University of Maryland Baltimore County, where he worked in the office of resident life.
“I will still smile and be supportive, but Joe will be dealing with everything more directly, and I think he will be an outstanding replacement,” Slack said. Calizo began work this semester as the assistant director of engagement at the Union.
For Calizo, both the university and the student government will be new, as he has only been on the job for almost a month. However, he said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“I am excited,” Calizo said. “I have had brief conversations with most of the executives, and they seem like an impressive group of leaders with a strong agenda. For me, I am looking forward to developing relationships with the members.”
Slack feels comfortable being relieved by Calizo and has a lot of confidence in Calizo to pick up where he left off.
“I will still be watching, but Joe will be the person who gets to deal with SGA more directly, and I think he will do an outstanding job in my stead,” Slack said.
Calizo plans to first immerse himself with the proceeding of the organization; for example, he plans to attend all the weekly meetings.
Before he implements any new plans for the SGA, though, he said he wants to first gain a clear understanding of the organization.
“It is important for me to first get idea of what everything is like before I get started,” Calizo said. “Every organization has its own flavor. The key to successful advisement is helping people think about their personal goals and help them achieve those goals. That will be the core of what I do.”
Calizo wants to help the organization make people feel more engaged on the campus.
“You have to get students involved. That is how an organization impacts positive change on campus,” Calizo said. “In order for students to feel engaged, they need to feel like they matter, and SGA plays a big role in that.”
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