Entrusting your sons and daughters to a university –
launching them to such a significant destination outside your every day
influence – can come with stress and worry as well as excitement and all the positive
feelings associated with this milestone.
Three professionals at Stevens, however, make it possible
for the parents and guardians of our students to rest easy. We are pleased to
introduce Campus Police Chief Timothy Griffin, Director of Stevens Health Center
Marguerite Cunning, and Director of Stevens Student Counseling, Psychological
and Disability Services Dr. Terrence Hannigan.
In their words, they hover so you don’t have to helicopter! They
also say that getting to know and care for the students here is the best part
of their job. With a combined total of 11 children of their own, the trio’s
personal experience with and compassion for students and their parents is as
significant as their many years of service and training in their respective
professions. Equally beneficial is how
they coordinate services with each other, with the campus-wide network of
student support, and with local communities.
Marguerite “Maggie” Cunning,
BA, RN-C, directs the Stevens Health Center,
which is conveniently located at the Jacobus Student Center, in close proximity
to residence halls and other student academic and social life on campus. The Center is a walk-in, primary, ambulatory
care center, services of which are automatically available to all undergraduate
and graduate students at Stevens – there is no charge for treatment given at
the
In addition to the basic care she gives in collaboration
with the attending physicians on staff, Maggie is responsible for managing immunization
compliance for domestic and international students, upholding Stevens’ confidentiality
policy as well as wellness education across campus. She calls herself “an all around Mom!”. In essence, Maggie is the first point of
entry for any ailment the students have, including homesickness. “Really, I get to micromanage in a good way,”
Maggie said. “I’ll call a student who’s had a medical visit here or with a
referred physician, stay on top of their progress, and I’m very big on making
sure our services are culturally competent, that we make sure to meet all of
our students’ needs.”
Maggie has 11 years of experience at Stevens, has enjoyed
getting to know the students personally, and is grateful for the tremendous
amount of support she receives from the university, “even when I don’t ask for
it”, she said. She has also forged strong relationships with
the local hospital and physicians’ networks to ensure that Stevens students get
priority care off campus when they need it.
Students, for example, have no problem securing a next-day appointment
with a local physician/specialist and they receive a fast-track protocol at
Terrence “Terry”
Hannigan, PhD, ABPP, leads the university’s Student Counseling, Psychological and
Disability Services (the Counseling Center), which provides personal
and career counseling as well as disability accommodations to students. The services are free and confidential for
all students. Dr. Hannigan is keenly
aware of the stigma that causes some students to shy away from seeking the
Counseling Center’s services, and notes that his work with helping and getting
to know students outside the walls of the Counseling Center is key to making
students feel more comfortable with approaching him or his staff for services
should they need. The
Entering his sixth year at Stevens and 26th in
his profession, Terry refers to himself as a “humble” professional, approaching
his work with a guiding question: “What would I want for my son or
daughter?” Equally compassionate is the
highly qualified staff of three counselors at the
Pointing to the fine line between helping students and
fostering independence, Terry values the transformative power of building relationships. “It’s critical for me and my staff to be
personable and to do whatever we can to normalize and validate the importance
of – and empowerment that comes from – getting help,” he said. “This building of trust comes in baby steps,
really.”
Chief of Campus Police
and Director of Campus Safety Timothy “Tim” Griffin leads a force of 20
police and public safety officers and is proud of the attention they are able
to give to students. “I couldn’t ask for
a better team,” he said. “Our officers
are great. They get to know and really care about the students, and our
students’ parents love them even more. ”
Tim is a dedicated and veteran leader who has served a total
of 30 years in law enforcement, including as Chief of Police for West New York
prior to coming to Stevens. His philosophy is that being closer to
students in a helping role ensures their overall safety and wellbeing while at
Stevens. In addition to walking, bike
and car patrols, Tim and his officers also provide enhanced programming such as
self defense classes, alcohol and drug awareness, and workshops on safe texting
and internet use.
Working hand-in-hand with other university departments, like
the Health Center and Counseling Center, is critical to fully serving students
and the campus community, he said. In
addition, his work to build a strong relationship between the campus and
Hoboken police has resulted in added safety and security for Stevens students,
even when they’re not on campus. Adding
parents to the collaboration is equally important to Tim. “Promoting independence and ‘letting go’ are
important things to do for students,” he said.
“But there is a way for parents to stay involved in some way, and I
respect that they need to be.”
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