Perspectives Winter/Spring-2017

18 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY On May 13, 2016, the college held its inaugural staff retreat. All employ- ees were invited to spend the day participating in team-building exercises, exploring the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, and learning about the many changes and advancements happening within the CHCS and NSU. Through the cooperation of the CHCS administration, the college was able to select a day when many staff members from all the NSU Florida campuses were able to attend, with more than 40 of the 57 staff members participating. The day began with introductions and brief announcements and was quickly followed by a presentation geared toward team building by Maureen Simunek-Appelt, M.B.A., human resources manager for the Division of Clinical Operations. The participants were then broken into groups of six and given a written label, with each label providing a statement indicating how they were to be treated. Each group was tasked with planning the next staff retreat, but individuals had to treat each other based on his or her label. This was an excellent way for everyone to learn how it feels to be treated a certain way due to generalizations or prejudices. There were several changes of venue to allow the staff members to see the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus and explore new areas. To facilitate this endeavor, organizers started a scavenger hunt in which the participants were placed into three groups and given clues to find unique and useful locations through- out the campus. The staff members enjoyed seeing the campus and exploring various areas, such as the Healing and Medicinal Garden, the Alvin Sherman Library, the Don Taft University Center, the NSU Bookstore, the Horvitz Administra- tion Building, Gold Circle Lake, the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at the Carl DeSantis Building, and the Terry Administration Building. They ate lunch at the University Center Food Court, which proved interesting, because it took place during the NSU undergraduate graduation festivities. The area was crowded, but the experience gave staff members a chance to see what the real hustle and bustle of NSU can be like. In the afternoon, everyone met in the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, where the CHCS dean, Stanley H. Wilson, Ed.D., PT, CEAS, spoke to the staff and provided informational updates. The attendees also had an opportu- nity to ask questions, which allowed for a flow of ideas and suggestions. Following several additional scavenger hunts, the attendees returned to the Terry Building and broke into groups again. Each person was asked to write down a problem or two that he or she was facing and pass them around the group, letting each member provide advice on how to handle the issues. This served as an excellent opportu- nity to provide vital feedback to each other. The retreat centered on team building, and as the day ended, there was amazing evidence of existing relationships strengthened and new ones formed. n Inaugural Staff Retreat Enhances Engagement BY CHRISTINE KIRCHER, B.S., DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, AND CHRYSTAL RANDLE, M.S., DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE SERVICES