UC Student, UCAA Staff Member Named to Key Posts

As new representatives from their district to the national governing organization, Student Alumni Council member Ryan Pontsler and University of Cincinnati Alumni Association staff member Steve Rosfeld look to enhance student programs at UC and nationally.

Ryan Pontsler                      Steve Rosfeld

The principle of “placing students at the center,” which is the leading goal among six that outline the University of Cincinnati’s UC|21 academic and strategic plan, is aptly demonstrated in the work of the Student Alumni Council, the student organization affiliated with the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association.  That work was recently recognized and rewarded by many of UC’s peer institutions in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

At the District 5 conference of the Association of Student Advancement Programs (ASAP), held Feb. 16-18 at Michigan State University, Student Alumni Council member Ryan Pontsler was elected ASAP District 5 student representative to CASE by delegates from more than 30 institutions attending the conference.  Steve Rosfeld, a program director for the UC Alumni Association and the adviser to Student Alumni Council, was named the ASAP District 5 adviser representative to CASE.

In addition, UC was selected to host the ASAP District 5 Conference in February, 2009.  CASE’s District 5 consists of the six-state Great Lakes region and the colleges and universities within it.

In their new roles, Pontsler, a Toledo-area native and sophomore in UC’s College of Business, and Rosfeld, a 2004 graduate of UC’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, will represent their District 5 constituents to the broader CASE community, working to enhance the quality and impact of higher education student programs, and looking to make District 5 the national model for this work.  Each begins his two-year term on May 1.

UC’s selection as the host for the 2009 ASAP District 5 Conference speaks to the student-centric focus of UC|21 and its synergy with ASAP’s mission.  In choosing UC’s bid over one from Indiana University, the delegates supported the opportunity to showcase UC’s cultural and campus environment, and to spotlight the student-focused commitment of the UC Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council.

The annual conference provides the forum for student leaders to network with their peers and exchange ideas for effective student programs, and for advisers to develop a wider array of best practices for facilitating their students’ success and enabling greater leadership development.

“A vibrant student experience is essential for the ongoing health of the university and the lifelong engagement of its alumni,” said Myron Hughes, executive director of the UC Alumni Association.  “We’re proud of Ryan and his fellow members of our Student Alumni Council, as well as Steve for his outstanding leadership as Student Alumni Council adviser.  Their new positions and our opportunity to host the ASAP conference next year are ringing endorsements of the student-focused work being done at UC and the UC Alumni Association.”