Dealing with the Death of a Student on Campus

A graduate of St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, and the California School of Professional Psychology, Father Jay Fostner served as St. Norbert’s vice president of mission and student affairs for many years. Father Jay Fostner, having had to guide the college through several student deaths, wrote a chapter for a book called “The Death of a Student: Lessons from a Catholic Campus.”

The death of a student can have a profound impact on a learning institution. As a teacher or administrator, one of your first goals should be to get all the correct information about the student’s passing. Members of the school will expect you to provide information and that information must be as accurate as possible.

Next, making guidance counselors available to help grieving students is another key part of the process. Students should be encouraged to reach out, and all the resources they need should be made accessible to help them cope through this difficult time.

Last, be careful about making assumptions. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the students who were closest to the deceased will be the most strongly affected. A fellow student’s death can be a traumatic experience for the entire student population, and the event can also precipitate strong feelings in students already dealing with grief.

An Overview of Service Learning

Father Jay Fostner, a published author, draws on his expertise in Catholic education in his role as the vice president of mission and student affairs at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. In addition to improving campus diversity and professionalizing its safety programs, Father Jay Fostner has helped St. Norbert gain recognition from Carnegie Mellon University for its work in the domain of service learning.

Carnegie Mellon is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is currently ranked 27th in the world by the Times Higher Education rankings. Among its many initiatives, Carnegie Mellon helps professional educators through the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation.
Service learning is one of the Eberly Center’s areas of focus. Also known as community-based instruction, service learning combines elements of traditional education with service opportunities within the community. Unlike other instructional strategies that focus on student grades, service learning places an equal emphasis on service elements when measuring student outcomes. The strategy requires careful planning and clearly defined expectations to ensure a positive experience for students. However, if it is implemented thoughtfully, it can greatly benefit student development.

Key Services at the St. Norbert College Campus Center

De Pere, WI-based Father Jay Fostner is a faculty member and serves on the President’s Cabinet at St. Norbert College. Father Jay Fostner also oversees safety, student housing, campus ministry, and the Campus Center in the role of vice president of mission and student affairs.

The Campus Center at St. Norbert is where many of the institution’s essential services for students are located. Some of the key services offered in the center include:

Phil’s Grill. This restaurant offers a range of prepared cuisine, including Mexican food, cold sandwiches, soups, and other favorites. Additional food items and groceries are offered at the restaurant's attached convenience store.

Multicultural Student Services (MSS). The MSS assists students from different backgrounds with transitioning into college life and excelling with their studies. Several programs focused on creating an awareness of cultural diversity are also offered at the center.

Entertainment 2 Knight (E2K). Responsible for on-campus programming, the E2K office works to organize live entertainment events that are held at the college throughout the academic year.

Key Ways St. Norbert College Support Student Seeking Internships

Based in De Pere, Wisconsin, Father Jay Fostner manages the operations within the St. Norbert College mission and student affairs department. As part of his responsibilities, Father Jay Fostner oversees a staff of 70 members, leads a summer tour to Europe, consults and supervises therapists, and preaches at Sunday masses and services. He is also an assistant professor and member of the St. Norbert College faculty.

Internships are a valuable component of students’ learning programs at St. Norbert College since they help students develop career-specific skills and gain hands-on experience. The college partners with a range of non-profits, businesses, and other organizations to offer hundreds of internships to students each year through the institution's Office of Career and Professional Development.

Students gain academic credit by participating in the college’s internship programs and establish an important bridge between the real work environment and the classroom. The college actively supports students seeking internships by offering them the opportunity to meet with career counselors, inviting them to attend networking events, providing access to the college’s database of internship listings, and extending other helpful resources for securing an internship.

St. Norbert College Community Programs

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For more than two decades, Father Jay Fostner has served as the vice president of Mission and Student Affairs for St. Norbert’s College, a Catholic institution in De Pere, Wisconsin. Through his sermons and religious work, Father Jay Fostner supports students, staff, and members of the wider De Pere community.

Founded in the late 19th-century, St. Norbert College has long been an intrinsic part of the De Pere community. The close relationship continues to this day through St. Norbert’s active community events calendar. All De Pere residents are invited to take part in the college’s performing arts programs.

Every year, St. Norbert’s also hosts a series of open-air concerts that are open to the public. In addition, the school offers courses for interested community members. For a small fee, residents can sign up for non-credit language or cooking classes, or attend a cultural heritage workshop led by St. Norbert’s faculty.

ASACCU 2020 Conference on Nourishing Students' Restless Hearts

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The vice president of mission and student affairs at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, Father Jay Fostner has served as a counselor and taught psychology and theology, earning several awards for his service. Father Jay Fostner supports the work of organizations, such as the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU).

Created to honor and promote Catholic intellectual heritage, ASACCU encourages collaboration and cooperation through a diverse range of programs and events. Its annual conference serves as a valuable part of this mission.

The 2020 ASACCU Conference will take place at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, from July 21-24. This year's event will focus on the theme Gathering Around the Table: Nourishment for Restless Hearts. The theme involves delving into the Augustinian traditions that undergird the education offered by Villanova University, which operates under the ideas of veritas (truth), unitas (unity), and caritas (love).

The conference invites colleagues of a diverse range of backgrounds and traditions to come together for a discussion on nourishing students from a holistic perspective that recognizes individuals in their diversity. The discussion will involve a look at areas ranging from encouraging mutual respect to supporting social justice efforts.

The ACCU Annual Meeting Promotes Catholic Higher Education

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As vice president of mission and student affairs at St. Norbert College, Father Jay Fostner leverages his background in theology and psychology to oversee campus ministry, campus safety, and college traditions. Active in the professional community, Father Jay Fostner has attended the annual conferences of such organizations as the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU).

Established in 1899, the ACCU is the voice of Catholic higher education in the United States. The organization maintains various services and programs, including its signature annual meeting. This meeting is held every winter and is designed for the senior administrators and presidents of Catholic higher education institutions around the world. The event is held in Washington, DC, each year and grants attendees numerous opportunities for sharing ideas and networking with colleagues.

Leading up to the ACCU annual meeting, the organization holds several programs specifically tailored to professionals working in key positions within Catholic universities and colleges. These programs include the Mission Officers Conference, an event the provides leaders with practical tools for promoting Catholic identity; the Senior Students Affairs Offices Conference, an event designed to help student affairs professionals provide students with personal growth opportunities; and the Aspiring Presidents Conference, which is tailored for new presidents at Catholic higher education institutions.

The upcoming ACCU annual meeting is scheduled for January 31 to February 3, 2020. In 2019, the event brought in close to 500 senior leaders committed to securing the future of Catholic higher education.