Constance Foley, current assistant vice president of Student Affairs at Florida Atlantic University, spoke to faculty members and students Wednesday about her qualifications for becoming NIU’s vice president of Student Affairs.

Foley first decided she would pursue a career in student affairs when she worked as an intern for the residence halls at Kent State University.

“I enjoyed the fact that things changed, whether I was talking to a student about their future or planning a fun event,” she said.

Foley’s goal was to hold a position in which she could have a major effect on the student environment and develop the student affairs environment to make students succeed, she said.

Questions asked throughout the forum included her views on supervisory style, the role of student opportunities for service learning in student affairs and student learning theories in student affairs.

Foley mentioned situation leadership and working closely with other directors in a team as the way to achieve the best results in any situation.

Foley said in the past, she met individually with her directors once a week and held meetings together once a month.

“Everyone needs to know how they can work with each other and what is going on in each department,” she said.

Foley said power should be shared in the student-educator relationship.

“We are in a state of growing public accountability, and even though one must be aware and listen to students, we are the educators and must be able to explain to them why,” she said.

When dealing with student learning theories in student affairs, a holistic development of students must be taken, Foley said.

“Student affairs should work with academic affairs to do educational and purposeful activities,” she said. “Whatever we do, we need to look at what we want the impact of students to be and what students would learn.”

Foley also said student opportunities for service learning should be in the mainstream of student activities.

If elected to the position, Foley could bring a vast knowledge of student affairs, structure of a university and an understanding of upper administration, Foley said.

NIU possesses many qualities she is looking for in a university, Foley said.

Foley said the people who work at NIU have done great things, which speaks volumes about Student Affairs.

It’s a place where she could enjoy working and be successful, she said.