By Edward Jansen
Students who have joined one of the 90 student organizations on campus, which include academic, social, religious and community service groups, may be familiar with the Center for Student Involvement or CSI, the Adelphi office that oversees these organizations. But this year the office was renamed to the Center for Student and Community Engagement or SCE to better align with their mission and work, according to Anna Zinko, assistant dean for Students and Community Engagement.
“CSI didn’t really capture what it is that we do. We want the student experience to be deeper than just ‘involvement,’” she said. “‘Engagement’ was a better way to convey what was already happening, to capture that more clearly since civic engagement and service programs have always been a critical component of our office’s work.”
Zinko said the name change has been in the works for three years and the rollout was timed to coincide with the opening of the renovated University Center. The name SCE reflects what the office does, she said, which is “to work to create meaningful experiences not simply to be involved on campus, but to fully engage with our community in learning, self-discovery, leadership and community service. Many of the experiences we provide are not simply for students but for our community as a whole.”
She said she hopes the name change will encourage more members of the Adelphi community to engage with them in their multifaceted programming throughout the year.
Zinko explained that SCE “provides students with an enrichment experience, connecting them with opportunities on campus. We work closely with SGA [Student Government Association] and we’re also close with the Graduate Student Council. We work with multicultural services and commuter assistance. The experience of students outside the classroom touches our office in some way.”
Every club has an SCE liaison, which Zinko said helps to support each organization’s aim and goals, including Adelphi’s “robust Greek Life on campus. We work with fraternities, sororities and social fellowships as well.”
The Interfaith Center, located on the second floor of the University Center, is also closely connected with SCE, as are multicultural services and LGBTQ+ safe zones. Zinko said that CORE, or Creating Ongoing Respect & Equity, training falls under the SCE office too.
“SCE aims to complement what is done in the classroom,” Zinko added. “We want students here at Adelphi to develop a stronger sense of belonging, to really be a part of a community.”
Yet some students told The Delphian they weren’t familiar with the office even with the name change. First-year student Gia Efstathopoulos, said, “I always thought it was like an FBI, government-type thing. I thought they changed the name so it wouldn’t get confused with that TV show. You know, Crime Scene Investigation.”
Students can learn more by visiting the SCE office in the UC or going online to www.adelphi.edu/engage.