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Kory Vitangeli resigns 101
I S S UE 2
SEPTEMBER 28, 2022
Student Affairs copes with loss of Vitangeli after 19 years working at UIndy By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR
Following the departure of former Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs Kory Vitangeli on Sept. 2, the University of Indianapolis Student Affairs Office is undergoing a number of changes. Vice President, Chief Inclusion Officer, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and (now) Dean of Students Amber Smith is currently serving as the leader of the Office of Student Affairs on an interimbasis while the university begins its search for a new dean of students. Smith has worked closely with the Office of Student Affairs since the start of her career at UIndy and said that the team has not missed a beat and continues to be on top of things despite staffing changes. “Naturally, with someone as impactful as Kory [Vitangeli], and having been here as long as she was, you're definitely going to feel that [absence]. We will definitely miss her,” Smith said. “And I can say that people have learned, I'm sure, from her, how to be exceptional at their job. I'm really excited to say that I've been very much impressed at their ability to keep things going.” Student Affairs is currently in the beginning stages of some important changes, with several initiatives
and reorganizations starting soon. Plouff. He said Student Affairs is in great However, reorganization is currently hands with Smith as the interim, but the taking priority over finding Vitangeli’s university wants to focus on restructuring replacement, according to Smith. and including students in that process. “We don’t have any plans as of “We're working together–primarily this moment,” said Smith. “Right Amber [Smith] and I–leading efforts to now, we're looking look at and evaluate at the organization, what we have for we're looking at the our student support student experience. structures, as well We're looking at as our academic our university. We support structures, obviously want to and coordinating make sure that we are those in a way that's positioning people, as going to be best for well as students, to be students,” Plouff said. served [rightfully].We “The way to know want our employees that is to engage happy [and] we want our students in our students happy, understanding how and so we're in that they are experiencing process right now, our services and what but we don't have any is working well and decisions as of this what could be better. point being made. … We're going to Probably in a month begin this fall to or two, so we [can] have some summits, actually begin to put br inging people things right.” together to share When Interim experiences [and] SMITH President Phil input, so that we can Terry began his new know how to best position, there was also a reorganization organize those areas going forward.” of the institution to allow for more Ultimately, Plouff said, Student efficiency. As a result, academic and Affairs does not want any concerns Student Affairs now report to Executive swept over during this period of Vice President and Provost Christopher transition. He encourages students to
reach out to himself and Smith whenever needed. “Because of the good work of some real, strong leadership over in that area [Student Affairs], things are being adequately and appropriately attended to and covered. But, we know that when you're a person-short, things can fall through the cracks that maybe someone was or was not aware of,” Plouff said. “We don't want that to be the case, where someone feels like that's been missed or has been ignored.” Smith said that in the two-and-ahalf years that she has worked at UIndy, Vitangeli was an excellent partner in working with students and providing culturally enriching opportunities and partnerships. Many of the things Smith was able to accomplish were possible because of Student Affairs, she said, and that Vitangeli has left a mark on the department. “She was very much so relational, caring about the students and wanting to always provide support for students. And I think that that is, in my opinion, a strong legacy that I see in her team, with the directors and the staff that is there,” Smith said. “It is clear that students are the primary focus, and making sure that we're there for them in the best way that we know how to be and making sure that they are having the resources and tools that they need to be successful. That's what Student Affairs is about.”
all of those with federal student loans to fill out the upcoming application. He also recommends that students be aware of who their loan servicers are. “I would encourage borrowers who may be eligible to reach out to their student loan servicers, so [borrowers] can take advantage of the opportunity,” Lohr said. “Students [should] stay in touch with their student loan servicer and [make sure that the company has their] up-to-date contact information.” Lohr also said that borrowing students are able to log into their accounts with StudentAid.gov at any time to view their loan information and forgiveness eligibility with the U.S. Department of Education. The Indiana Department of Revenue will be taxing loan forgiveness
as income, but the federal government has said they will not, due to Biden's 2021 American Rescue Plan's pause on federal taxes on student loan forgiveness until 2025, according to a fact-sheet posted on the White House’s website. Extended information regarding the details of the loan forgiveness program can be found by going to StudentAid.gov, clicking on “Manage Loans” and then going to “Qualify for Loan Forgiveness.” The Office of Federal Student Aid is also reachable at 1-800-4-FED-AID. Federal student loan borrowers should complete their applications by Dec. 31, 2023, according to StudentAid. gov. The pause on repayments, interest accumulation, and collections on defaulted student loans that started in March 2020 will end on Dec. 31, 2022.
Student loan forgiveness By Max Shelburn & Hannah Hadley STAFF WRITER & NEWS EDITOR
President Joe Biden officially announced on Aug. 24 executive action to implement his one-time federal student loan forgiveness plan. Biden said that the program is designed to help those who need it most, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Office of Federal Student Aid of the U.S. Department of Education’s website, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program may excuse up to $20,000 in student debt if borrowers are eligible. To be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness, an individual must earn less than $125,000 of income a year, or $250,000 of combined income for married couples. To qualify to receive the max amount of $20,000 in forgiveness, in addition to falling below the income cap, borrowers must have also received Pell Grants in the past, which are government funds given to students exemplifying financial need based off of their input on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application form for student loan debt relief will be available at StudentAid.gov in early October. University of Indianapolis Director of Financial Aid Nathan Lohr said that many students may be eligible. “Part of the plan allows some students to receive their forgiveness automatically, although some students that are eligible may need to submit an application,” Lohr said. Students may have received automatic loan forgiveness because they filled out the 2021-2022 FAFSA.Lohr encourages
as income, according to an article from WTHR. Those who qualify for $10,000 of acquittal will be required to pay around $320 when filing 2022's
Students [should] stay in touch with their student loan servicer." taxes in April of next year, and those who qualify for $20,000 could owe nearly $650. Indianapolis and other Marion County residents must also pay extra county taxes of $200 to $400. Each respective state has the ability to decide if they will tax student loan forgiveness
Graphic by Breanna Emmett
reflector.uindy.edu
EPIC Greyhounds highlight positivity By Hallie Gallinat FEATURE EDITOR
The University of Indianapolis introduced a new program this semester titled EPIC Greyhounds. This program, which stands for Engage Positively in Community, aims to promote positive engagement between members of the UIndy campus, Associate Dean of Students Steven Freck said. The program works by people nominating other members of the UIndy community that have done something good, according to Freck. This can be something as small as picking up trash or helping a student on campus, to something large, like leading a donation drive. “Some of [the nominees] have helped strangers on campus, like other students… They may not have known each other, [but they] saw someone was in need. [They] sat with someone at lunch who was sitting by themselves,” Freck said. “Just someone who across campus is known as a positive influence, or someone who's been a really good friend to a particular student.… [It] could be a variety of things. Like I said… even though it's ‘epic,’ I think we're looking at EPIC as anything that makes an impact.” Nominations are collected anonymously through a Google Form. The link to the form can be found in the Friday weekly activities email sent by Freck, on social media and on QR codes on postcards in the Student Affairs Office. Vice President, Chief Inclusion Officer, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Amber Smith, who was also involved with EPIC Greyhounds’ development, said anyone can nominate someone in the UIndy community, even if they are not affiliated with the university. “We just want it to be someone at UIndy so we can find them and recognize [them],” Smith said. “… I suppose that if somebody did something kind for someone and they're a UIndy student and somebody wanted to acknowledge them, I would love to hear about it.” According to Smith, the Offices of Inclusive Excellence and Retention Strategy and Office of Student Affairs were both involved in the process of creating this program. She said that the offices were interested in finding out ways to start the semester with an emphasis on kindness. Freck said that so far, the program has received over 70 nominations and that there are a couple of staff members who review nominations and choose a couple of people to highlight each week. The winning people are mentioned in the activities email, are featured on social media and receive a $50 gift card to the UIndy Bookstore. This program came about from Freck and a few other staff members who wanted to highlight great things happening on campus, he said. By highlighting some of the positive things others are doing across campus, it can help eliminate some of the negativity in the world and Freck is interested to see how this program grows in the coming years. “… In a world where there's a lot going on, taking the time to recognize someone for the good work they're doing is always important,”Freck said.“I think it's a good reminder that what you do, what you say, how you engage with others, does matter. And so, if you have the choice, engage positively.”