Campus Activities Network Blog

Attention Students: Know Your Professors!

katiem — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:50:00 GMT

Attention Students: Know Your Professors!

Educators, you can use this as a tool to show your students. Spice up your syllabus a bit perhaps. They should read this so that they know it is OK to get to know you. As a student myself, this would have helped me my freshman year in college.

It’s your freshman year, at a new school, in a new city. Everything is new. The teachers you have known from the past four years are still back home. It’s a whole new ball game now and you are intimidated. If you are not now, you will be at some point. No matter how independent or optimistic you are about your first year of college, there will be times when you struggle with something. However, you can prevent this and there are a thousand ways to do that. Here is one: Get to know your teachers. This should be in the top 10 of the 1000 ways to succeed in college.

Students, the truth is there will be some professors out there that are going to challenge every fiber of your being. There will be some that will give you a terrible grade when you know you deserve better. There will also be some that believe that if you are even one minute late, you should not come to class and if you do, you better bet that they will call you out on it and may kick you out of class. They do it to challenge you. They do it because in the real world, assignments will not be accepted if handed in late, you won’t get a clients support or trust if you’re late and unprepared. However, college professors also know that they cannot just expect you to be perfectly acquainted with these good habits. If you were, they wouldn’t be there. They want to see your best work and they want to see you succeed. Better yet, they WANT to help you. The thing is, your professor probably has a good lot of students. They are just as busy as you when it comes to school. Plus they do have a life at home that they are challenged with every day just like you. So, it is left up to you, the student to take initiative to know them and make sure they know you. In some classes it may be easier and in others, it will be harder. Nonetheless, you can do this and ACE your classes.

The first day of school is hectic because the campus is buzzing, new relationships are blooming and everybody is starting a fresh year. On the first day, it’s ok if you don’t introduce yourself to your teacher. I would go for the second or third day. Just go up at the end of class and say “Hi professor NAME, I am YOUR NAME HERE.” I would suggest at the end of class. The beginning of class can be awkward. You don’t want to come off as a suck up or too eager. If you are particularly not good at this particular class’s subject, with your introduction say “I am nervous about Chemistry because it is just not my thing but I am going to work hard to learn it.” That way you are letting them know that you are serious about your school work and will have problems that you want to overcome.

Usually, professors are required a certain amount of office hours per week. They usually elect to have more in order to give their students plenty of time to come in and talk about their grade or the paper that will make or break their grade. This is what they want. Professors want students to use them as resources. They are your best one and give the best advice about their subject. Don’t be shy. This is their job and hopefully it is what they love to do.

The benefits for you are great. By just stepping up and introducing yourself, you have illustrated to this educator that you want to learn. In the future, they will be more accommodating and willing to help because they know that you are taking your academics seriously. Plus, when you need a recommendation for a scholarship like to study abroad, or get a job or internship, you can count on them to speak highly of you because they know you as a student through your personality and work ethic in class. Overall, you can’t go wrong. So get to know the people around you, friends and educators. It will prove to be very beneficial in the future.

Here is a good link for learning and getting to know your professors and instructors.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/teacher_relationships.html

College Traditions: Building Student Pride

katiem — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:54:00 GMT

College Traditions have always been a great way of connecting students with their school pride. The key for these traditions is to have something that has been done for many years and have something for every student’s interests. Traditions can range from a daily, weekly or even monthly event to a football ritual, even scavenger hunts get the students pumped. For example, the University of Chicago has many traditions listed on their website that just make you want to go there! Besides the fact of them being an excellent academic institution, they keep their campus activity on the rise with some of these exciting traditions:

-Blues and Ribs- a great event to kick off the year where blues music is being played and delicious ribs are handed out to students in a facility on campus.

-Kuvia/Kangeiko- Kuviasungnerk, meaning “happy times,” and Kangeiko, a Japanese word meaning “calisthenics,” joining for an awesome weeklong festival in January. Students wake up early, like 5am early, every day and practice calisthenics or do sun salutations by the lake. In the afternoon they enjoy fireside chats with faculty, ice skating, and s’mores. The Council on University Programming funds this and the festival ends with near-naked run across the quads on Friday afternoon.

-Dance Marathon- if you like to dance, put on your boogie shoes and participate in Dance Marathon, the biggest college philanthropy in the nation. Students get together and dance for 12 hours to raise money for people in need. It originated at the University of Chicago in 2001.

-Scavenger Hunt –Students get pumped about this event every year. A scavenger hunt list of about 300 items is given and students go all out, some of them going across the map to get these items.

-Summer Breeze- This is a fun and great way to end the year. Students get together for free food, bands and a carnival that the Council on University Programming provides.

Check out UChicago’s other traditions at https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/studentlife/activities/traditions.shtml

Beloit College has something called “The Beloit College Mindset List of University Freshman.” This list is a compilation written by Faculty members Tom McBride and Ron Nief. The list contains facts about the upcoming freshman that teachers should know. It is a way for them to connect and better understand their new pupils through a humorous and very entertaining list!

Look up the list at: http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php

College Football has a number of traditions as well. Clemson University’s team huddles around a rock known as Howard’s Rock and rub it for luck before each home game. Then, they all run down “The Hill.” These exciting moments are what makes people feel connected and keep coming back. Clemson also has something called “First Friday Parade.” This is a parade that happens the day before the first home football game and has been a tradition since 1974. Students follow the parade to a pep rally to get everyone ready for the first Tiger game of the season!

Information on Clemson’s traditions can be found at: https://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html

Again, a key thing with traditions is making sure you have something for everyone and their interests, beliefs, hobbies, ect. New York University does a great job with this in dedicating time for students of all diversities. They have Pride month celebrating Gay pride with social events, lectures, and performances the whole month. They also promote women’s awareness through their Women’s Herstory Month. Agape week is a time dedicated to appreciating being a Christian. Greek week is another weeklong activity to participate in that includes service and leadership opportunities. International Education week goes on throughout the world that promotes global awareness on campus and encourages international partnership between nations. Students need these outlets to express themselves and figure out their interests.

For more information on NYU traditions, check out: http://www.nyu.edu/diversity/events.traditions/more.html

Traditions are a huge part of the college experience. Without them, an institution would not feel as united. So what are other ways or traditionalizing? What events do students love the most?

Get Students Involved with Community Service! Benefits are Endless!

katiem — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:48:00 GMT

Community Service plays an important role in helping students learn that what they are doing is making a difference. Sometimes, they don’t realize that they really can help their community and have an impact. Many students want to get involved in the community, but sometimes don’t know where to look. Give students a clear way to find these organizations and groups that are doing great things. So how do we let them know what opportunities are out there? I’ve said it before and I will say it again! Publicity! This is the main tool for anything. This generation is so influenced by visual and social media and they see so much of it, but it remains the best way to get the message out. Sometimes we have to really push for it to make them see it. What they need to know is that it is helping them. Explain that Community service, whether they like doing it or not, is a must do in their college years. Here are ways to get your students out there!

Service Saturdays happen when students get together and do service one Saturday out of the month. Some schools have this and it has been a great success because sometimes students are working during the week and don’t have time. This extra day gives them an opportunity to hang with friends and do something great for their community. Most of these events include a snack or a meal so they keep full while they serve, which is definitely a plus with students. College is about networking and building up that resume so that when they get out there in the real world, they can stand out as someone who has worked hard in school and shown a strong passion for impacting a community. Let students know that if they can make an impact in their community, then employers will trust that they are willing to make an impact in the work place community.

Sites to look at:
- https://www.slu.edu/x25952.xml
- http://cofcbonner.pbworks.com/Service-Saturdays

Gonzaga University makes it easy for students to access a page where volunteering opportunities is the number one point. Students can go to the student life tab on their homepage and then click opportunities for students. It takes them directly to a page that consists of all kinds of service opportunities. With students, you have to remember to keep it simple. They need to be able to find it essentially within 5 seconds. This generation works fast and tech savvy but if it is not easy to access, they will not use their time to find it. Easy to find and valuable information on service is important when creating a place on your school’s social media sites. Also, give them obvious places: soup kitchens, hospitals, schools and churches, but specify where some are. Students know these places need volunteers but if they know of an exact location, they can remember it and look at it more concretely.

For Gonzaga’s great and easy to navigate to page: https://www.gonzaga.edu/Student-Life/Get-Involved/Community-Action-and-Service-Learning/Opportunities-for-Students/default.asp

A great event to have is an organization fair at the beginning of the year. Freshman students should be required to go. Teachers of transition courses such as University 101 should require their classes to get out there. They won’t want to go at first, and tell them that. Honesty is key with gaining your student’s trust. Just be real. Tell them, “I know you probably have something better to do, but this will be something you will not want to miss.” Even if they don’t plan on being involved, they may find a club that they didn’t know about and be inspired to do something with it. Require them to bring back 5 flyers from an organization that interested them. Usually an organization fair will be in the student union and have tables set up for each organization. They usually make flyers to publicize an initial meeting or event for interested candidates. On campuses all over, there are many organizations that get involved with service. Most organizations have to do at least one project for the semester. Some organizations are all about service, it just depends on what their interests are. Tell them to check out the student organization page on the school website, assuming your school has one. If it doesn’t, make one.

So how do you encourage service? What do you do to push hard for your students to get involved with it?

Homecoming = FUN for Students and Alum!

katiem — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:23:00 GMT

Every year it seems like homecomings for colleges and universities creeps up on us. At the beginning of the year , you’re trying to get all your ducks in a row, get organized and figure out your class and work schedule and on top of that, try to maintain a semi social life (some of us, more than others). For the most part, this is the biggest event of the semester so you start planning quickly. Homecoming falls usually between fall and thanksgiving break, sometimes before fall break in late September, early October. You have alumni, students, football, kings, queens, food, booze, and of course, the week is loaded down with all kinds of events. But what events have been the most successful? Which ones flop? Which ones have the best outcomes trough popularity and involvement? What are some great ways to publicize? Let’s talk:

SUCCESS! YAY:

Themed Weeks: With dress up days and all, this is a way to make this particular week completely different than the others. Every student will know that this week, something fun is going on! Check out this Blog: http://thesabloggers.org/2008/01/try-the-novelty-of-themed-weeks/

-Carnivals: So everyone likes one aspect of carnivals. Whether it is the food, the rides or the clowns, there is always something super fun about them for all ages. WARNING: TIME DEMANDING PLANNING. However, it is totally worth it. This is a great way to unite alumni and their families to the students. Millersvile University does this. They call it the Fall Fling and it has proved successful! LINK: http://www.millersville.edu/news/articles/2009/09/homecoming-2009.php

-Step Shows: At the University of South Carolina, they have a step show that brings the crowds by the hundreds. Students pay $5 and get in the rhythm watching the step performances. Very popular! http://www.sc.edu/homecoming.com

-Dance Competitions: Student organizations audition for a spot in a dance competition. Usually needs to incorporate the theme of homecoming and what the organization does for the university. Students get really involved with this one!

-Painting Sidewalks: Everyone pays a buck to paint a square on a main street or sidewalk on campus! Or make it free to get more students involved! Gets people pumped and the campus colorful! Great for people that are more of artists than dancers or athletes! Look it up at: http://media.www.thegrandviews.com/media/storage/paper1329/news/2008/10/03/News/Sidewalk.Painting.Kicks.Off.Homecoming.Week-3467395.shtml

NADA! NAY:

-Parades: Let’s be honest: Homecoming is BIG week. People are having fun but you are stressed. Parades are way too much effort for one week, especially when you have ten thousand more things going on. This takes careful and time demanding planning. If you have time, this could be an option. However you also have to get people involved, which would mean they have to want to build a legit float and be in the parade. I have found that students really are not interested in going to see the parades. Floats are neat but if it ain’t Macy’s, people just are not that engaged. Alternative BIG and time demanding planning event: The Carnival (See above).

The key to any successful Event is PUBLICITY, PUBLICITY, PUBLICITY! This means any form of output you can do, go for it. Keep it cheap but take time with it.

- Banners: Get people pumped! In high school, every year we had a spirit week against another school to raise money for a philanthropy in the area. We went to a convention for student government and we were so excited every day simply because they had so many banners hanging. We emulated that during spirit week and surpassed our goal of $120,000.00 by $17,000. We believe a lot of it had to do with putting banners up early to get students pumped and ready to donate!

- Neon Sunglasses: They should say “School Name Homecoming 2010”- they are pretty cheap and college kids dig ‘em! They are free, cute and gender neutral.

-Stall walls: Oh yes! Wouldn’t you like to be entertained while you’re taken care of business? WE thought so. This way people are not just passing them, they are kind of forced to read it!

-Newsletters to alum: Let them know about everything! Let them feel like a student again! Obviously some events are more student-oriented but let them know so they feel a part of the school again.

So what does everyone else do? Tell me the tricks of the trade! What has been the most successful thing your school has done for homecoming and why was it so great? What were the steps used in the process? What was possibly the event that did not do so well and why do you think that was the case? Whatever the homecoming event, we encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas here!

Encouraging Long Term Goals

Emily Virtue — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:31:00 GMT

My recent nuptials have me thinking long term. I started thinking about buying a house, getting a dog (as practice for), raising a family, and soon found myself thinking about student activities. Perhaps your brain jumps around quite like mine does, so this leap from raising my own kids to developing the ones I work with on campus everyday makes sense to you. Here I am wondering: how to we get our students thinking long term? How do we get students to focus on the bigger picture when ultimately, they won't' be around to see the effects of their hard work? A few things come to mind that might help as you work with your programming boards to devise long term goals.

Have you ever played the "if we had a million dollars" brainstorming game with your activities board? You know the one: committee members dream big about what programs they would offer if money were not a factor. Take this same concept and brainstorm "in a perfect programming world." Encourage students to think about what their organization would look like, how their programs would differ and how they would get to that point. When we take away the roadblocks, the potential for creative change is much greater! This activity will also allow students to focus on things that could change, rather than only creating a list of negatives.

One of the reasons long term goals can be so daunting for an organization is that there is no guarantee things will not fall apart when current leaders leave their positions and/or graduate. Have students map out the steps they envision to see their goal to completion. This map will be helpful for a number of reasons. It will clearly define the end goal and give steps along the way. Students will be able to retrace steps of former leaders and better understand the thought process of their organization. Often new leaders step into task halfway through the process and end up scratching their heads, "why did they do it that way?" The map will answer these questions and foster continued steps in the right direction.

Along with that handy map/outline have student leaders reflect on their progress throughout the process. Keep this information in a journal or binder. If the long-term goal is to restructure the Homecoming Week planning and collaboration, it will be important to have notes from not only the programming board members, but also all of the other stakeholders who help make that week a success. Reflection on the process from multiple view points will ensure a clear understanding and may contribute to reaching the goal more quickly than anticipated.

As advisors, we are in the unique position to remain a constant even as years come and go. Help your students realize their goals and keep them engaged by creating an alumni newsletter or hosting reunions that will allow you to update former students on the progress of the programming board. By ensuring that current stakeholders will be in the loop even after their tenure on campus has come to an end, you will increase the likelihood that major goals are completed.

So, what long term goals will your students start working on this year?

Transitioning, awkward conversations and leaving important things behind.

dbubrig — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:40:00 GMT

During the late spring/early summer is traditionally the time for folks to start looking around and seeing if there are opportunities floating around. The "itch" to see if there is something bigger, better, more challenging, closer to home or a significant other, or whatever criteria best fits the situation that you are in or observe. If you are in a position a long time, that you have become invested in or have developed significant relationships as a result of your role, it may be somewhat awkward for both your students and you when it comes time to make the decision "should I stay or should I go".

While you would like to think that it would be easy just to say, "woo hoo I am gone ya'll" or something to that effect, there are always people who play huge roles in your professional and possibly friend life who that ease of departure doesn't happen for both them and for you..I have been confronted by this twice now in my career as I moved first to finish my Ph.D. and a second time to explore a new pathway for personal growth and betterment of my family. There are both good ways and bad ways to handle these departures. As an example of a bad departure, a former colleague who had worked very closely with a co-ed service organization sent an email to the chapter president the day before her final day on campus. this left the chapter scrambling and with less than desirable feelings toward my former colleague.I don't profess to have any magic bullets to addressing how to address a departure or to having a "good" example because it is all in perspective. Here are a few thoughts for you though if you are pondering a move, or have secured one, and are now trying to figure out how to share it with significant people in your professional realm.

*Ask for the ability to let them hear it from you. Nine times out of ten, when you leave an institution you will get this capability anyway, but don't be afraid to ask. Take the time to sit down with them and talk them through your thinking, field the phone call, let the word trickle out as much as you can, on your terms. By addressing it directly, I would argue that you are showing them value in that you have invested the time.

*Position the areas you are leaving well for your departure. The value of detailed transition material is hard to understate. Don't sell your successor short, allow them to build on your successes and revamp your shortcomings to create successes that build on your tenure in that role.

*Treat it as an exciting time as much as you can for them and for you. The more uplifting you are about the transition, it will be contagious.

*Recognize the change in relationship afterwards. It is natural and perfectly human to lapse into "shop talk" once you leave as you cross paths with your students, your now former colleagues, etc. through conferences, facebook and the like. You may want to be mindful of that and not seeming to be "fishing".

Transitions are a part of higher ed and a part of life, They are also a development opportunity for your students too if handled effectively. Good luck!

Confessions of a Campus Activities Professional Part 2, Good Gosh what else can I possibly learn?!?!?!

dbubrig — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:12:00 GMT

So, at this point, I have talked a lot about the periphery I feel like so let me talk a little bit about actual engagement with the students. There is a lot to learn there as well and after all, if you aren't learning every day, well, then I would suggest some deep thought.

For the new advisors out there, probably the best lesson to learn is you are not a do’er anymore, you are now a facilitator. That, in and of itself, can be a hard transition. I was lucky that the first board I worked with I had literally “moved up” from that board. Several of the students sitting on the board I knew personally. I apparently, without realizing it, had taken on quite a bit to do, because that was what I was conditioned too. After a Board meeting one night one of the female members of the board I knew quite well came and sit down in my office and basically said “advise, you aren’t a member of the board anymore” and that was an easy quick wake up call that I had. It’s ok to still do, just make sure you aren’t doing what the students should be J

You know, if you have doubts about people or agents or acts, do your homework, do your homework, do your homework..can’t say that enough. I was approached by a very good friend who, at the time, was a Dean of an extended campus for an institution I was a part of introducing me to an agent and “pitching” him in a number of ways. I bit on it thinking it would be good to engage the extended campus, taking some of the business they had already started, being a good team player, etc. etc. etc. Well, while I appreciated the recommendation boy do I wish I had done more research! We hired the agent in question for one of our larger events of the year and it became very evident that he was using us to springboard into a market, which was not the picture that he had painted at all, but it put us, me in particular into some very awkward situations. Let me say that compromise is always a part of collaboration, making sure that things are done appropriately and that they are getting done timely, etc. but there are some things I won’t compromise on nor do I think I should, in this situation student safety is always first, let me say that again, student safety is always first.

Over the course of the day, the act we had used this agent to book with, in short, needled us over a number of little things that just weren’t feasible being on a college campus. Where was our agent who was on site that day? Not much use..He didn’t want to be the “middle man” for fear of damaging his own business. It reached a point at about 2 am after the show had concluded and it was time to get them to area hotels that they had picked up “company” shall we say, but I was not putting one student in one car on the road solo for fear of falling asleep and us not having means to know nor a backup with them. The act became extremely upset and took it out on a number of my students before ultimately taking it out on me. That’s the one time I have ever fought with an act in front of my students. So the second lesson out of this is always, always keep your cool too you have to be the rational one. Ultimately were we could have put 4 people on the road we ended up putting 8 on the road with four in two chase cars but we were able to get them off our campus and if everything is willing, I will never work with that act again..

Flexibility is a grand thing! And you will have to have a lot of it. There are a lot of things that you can plan for, account in a timeline, and more but inevitably, there are just some things that you cannot predict or foresee and you just have to roll with it. That is one of the beauties of programming I think, the in truth, unpredictability of it sometimes. I have a couple of situations that I think illustrate it. My students and I were in a post-concert clean up mode and had reached a point where there was very little left to do save make sure nothing broke dramatically and we were sitting at a picnic table talking when we noticed a young woman boarding the tour bus after the show. By build, we were not 100% sure of her age and whether it was appropriate for her to even be doing that. Unfortunately, after she disembarked some 45 minutes later approximately she had gone from being very lucid to being very inebriated. Not knowing what took place on the bus, that created ethical dilemmas for my students and I (as I was within just a year or two of starting) as to what should we have done? How should we have handled it? What is the liability for us in that situation both if we and if we don’t step in? Very randomly we were able to have a very there are a lot of “grey” situations conversation out of it.

Build relationships, and manage them wisely. Get to know your colleagues around campus and get to know them well! We ran into a situation one time where a student was advertising a comedy series in a number of our dining services establishments around campus. On the surface it was ok, we were using a new facility, branching out a bit, a comedy “series” was programming we had not done before, life was good right? Wrong..in attempting to let the students do their jobs, I hadn’t backchecked them on this event like I should have and they had not closed the deal with the dining managers to have the series-as such, there was no location for the advertising J After a lot of back and forth on the phone with the then Dining Services director and area managers, we were able to locate one facility for the first one to be held and it matched with the advertising fortunately. However it went over so well that was were they stayed after. The caviat? It was literally at the tail end of the day (4:50 pm) when the error was discovered. Great relationships allowed for this program to go on.

You know, I could go on and on, like any number of professionals in this area I have a ton of war stories about things that went both right and wrong. Things I felt I did right, things I know I did wrong, decisions and actions that were, for all intents and purposes, “durned if you do, and durned if you don’t”. You will run into a lot of grey, fluidity, things you will kick yourself for and things you will beam about. The rewards come in small doses and small packages, like the random facebook message from a student that says thank you for standing up for us and providing this opportunity-or that alum that comes back year after year at HC to say hello.

While I find a lot of things that I would say are challenges in our field and things that we collectively as a body need to work on, these things like the alum, and the message are the reasons to be in this field. Hardly ever do you see them at the time or when you are in the proverbial “heat of the battle” but embrace them as the opportunities and the thank yous that they are. They are what makes our field what it is, and you don’t find that opportunity much anywhere else.

My First Year as a Student Activities Professional – Part 1

Chris Frazier — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:01:00 GMT

Stardate 5/3/2010…greetings from a tech school where LAN parties draw more attendance than comedians and software/hardware engineers fear talking to dental hygiene students. When engineers wear Carhartts and math classes abound! Trapped somewhere in the midst of all the enormously intelligent health and engineering majors, I found myself, a meager communication student, wondering how I would ever fit in. After finding my niche in student government I began to realize that working in student affairs as a career wouldn’t be half bad, after all, I’d had a lot of experience as an undergrad and I figured I pretty much knew everything I needed to know. But I was wrong.

What I Didn’t Expect
Being fresh out of college and getting hired as a full time professional with a bachelor’s degree from the same institution, I was in for a big surprise! I thought it would be a piece of cake since I already had a lot of experience with the inner workings of the Campus Life office and already had a good rapport with many of the key players. What I failed to realize, was that suddenly I was no longer a student and the expectations and rules were much different as a staff member. It was hard for me to achieve the image of an authority figure being so close to my student’s age. I also struggled with seeing that authority in myself.

Suddenly, I found myself having to watch what I said because, although I could get away with certain comments as a student, I was now a staff member and the expectations were different. I struggled with professional communication because of my age and being used to communicating as a student. Luckily, I was afforded the opportunity to volunteer for the NACA Regional Conference Planning Committee which provided me a network of other student affairs professionals both new and those more experienced. I learned a lot from getting to work with colleagues from other schools and hearing how they handle problems or situations on their campus.

What I REALLY Didn’t Expect
As a student I didn’t really realize the pressures my advisor was under when it came to putting on the events. If I didn’t do my job, nobody would come after me, rather they would come after my advisor and ask why the event didn’t have high attendance or why there wasn’t enough advertising or how come nobody told campus safety this was happening. Of course now that I’m an advisor myself, I understand why my advisor was always stressed out about things going smoothly. Of course there’s also the politics that I didn’t have to really experience as a student. If my team decided they wanted to do a particular event that pushed the envelope a bit, our advisor would get a little nervous. At the time we thought it was just her being “an old fuddy duddy” but now, as an advisor I understand that sometimes it’s more than just an event, it’s a statement, and if it doesn’t fit within the institutional goals and objectives it’s easy to scrutinize.

I also often struggle with letting my students learn from their mistakes rather than rushing in to try and solve the problem for them. As a student I was right in the middle of the event and if one of my team members didn’t complete a task, I would do it for them just so the event would still be successful. As an advisor trying to practice student development theory it’s hard to resist the urge to rush in and rescue a project or event because as a student I was used to the opposite.

I'm still learning "the other side" but loving every minute of it!

Confessions of a Campus Activities Professional-my mistakes and what I have learned..Part 1

dbubrig — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:24:00 GMT

I have to admit to a bit of uneasiness in agreeing to write this column initially once Chris requested it. I think it is human nature that we all want to try and move past mistakes once we have fixed/gotten over, etc. whatever the appropriate word is here and when I first agreed to do this my first reaction was good gosh I have to relive ALL of this?

But you see I dated someone once who told me she had “never changed and was the same person she was in high school” and, on more than one occasion, I called her a boldfaced liar. Whether we admit it or not we are all a product of our experiences, and I would like to think that I am better professionally today than I was yesterday, last year, or even the year before by paying attention, soaking it in, owning mistakes, fixing them (or whatever is appropriate) and then moving forward.

Has it always moved forward the way I would have liked? Never in a million years and twice on Sunday, but there is an old cliché that time heals all wounds. Time definitely does heal, and, well, we all need to be allowed the ability to “soldier on” after mistakes. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't unfortunately. So that being said, let me be the proverbial old warhorse and tell a few things here centered on some observations and thoughts along the way. These are from different things I have seen, done and learned for better or worse..if they don’t make sense..please let me know but these hover around some of the ones I talk about the most to colleagues or anyone asking for advice, and it may ramble a bit to, so bear with me, this is a bit of “stream of consciousness” if you will.

Grads, Grad School, students, and more

I think some of my early frustrations and challenges came as a result of my Master’s program and some poor decisions that I committed. I opted to speed through my Master’s program which, looking back on it, was supremely idiotic on my part. There were a lot of personal factors that played into that, but overall, I should have stopped to smell the roses just a bit and lean into my experience in the program a bit more if you will. But I didn’t. Looking back, I should have stayed in my program for two years as opposed to being out in 1 and a half (for all intents-it was two summers). Take your time, the jobs will be there and will be waiting..

Grads! Reach out and get involved regionally and/or nationally. I was not encouraged to do this in my program and I think honestly it hurt me initially. Our field is exceptionally small connectivity wise and it took me two years into the field to realize that. If you get out now you can begin building on those relationships while you are still technically “practicing” but getting that ring established early can definitely be a plus for you.

An old Star Trek movie once included a line that said I am here to “learn all that is learnable”. I would submit to you that this applies for Student Affairs and higher ed work too. I have found that I tend to struggle when I get the idea that I have the “big head” or that I am the 100% expert on whatever the case may be. Even us Ph.D’s, we still have stuff to learn. We all have our moments where we get big on ourselves and our capabilities. It can be really humbling both from the receiving and supervising end to have to be dressed down or have to dress down over something along this line, I unfortunately have been on both ends-it’s not a pleasant place to be. I would suggest to you to work hard to avoid it.

Even the most innocent of intentions can often get us in trouble. I say that to tell you, watch your facebook profiles, watch your relationships with people, and watch what you say and do around others. I have moments when I probably say what I think and have to backtrack which happens to all of us, however, there is a tendency to take things way to seriously sometimes..Case in point-in moving to a new job a friend of mine and I learned we would be working in the same office. We were communicating via Facebook wall, nothing dramatic….or so we thought….A few days after the conversation concluded I received a call from my new boss. Students we would soon be working with had “facebook stalked” us and taken what we had said and made issue with the fact that we knew each other.

Easily solved by deleting the post, but the point is what you think is innocent another may not. This happens with relationships as well as in technology.

While I can say unequivocally I have never had an inappropriate relationship with a student, I have made close friends with several of my students as I am sure many of you have as well. Perception unfortunately drives reality in a lot of cases. One student who was eager to be involved and learn more, and who-at the time seemed like a good candidate for the profession-I hired in our office and pushed to get involved on a regional basis through some arenas as well. I also served as an advisor to her in several organizations. Little did I know, the campus grapevine was hard at work and that student had become “my girlfriend” in truth, by association only. It was a disappointing experience because I think that pushed this student away from the profession but it was also a learning moment in how to manage relationships.

Set your boundaries with your relationships very carefully. Different people call for different boundaries and there really is not blanket/umbrella answer for this in the least.

You will have to make judgement calls, every day. Some will center around relationships, some around job related tasks, and some around your own personal choices with regard to your behavior around students. Make the ones that best represent you and can be translated appropriately within your campus culture. Let me set the backstory for you-and I'll try and keep it as short as I can. I was escorting a delegation to a regional convention one time. We learned on the trip of the death of a student back at campus. The student killed, his first cousin, who he basically grew up with, was on the trip with us. During this time, another student on the trip learned that her parents had made the decision to pull a grandmother off of life sustaining medical care. While it took several hours to accomplish and make happen, the right decision was to get them on a plane and get them home. We were roughly 10 hours drive time away (and that would have put people on the road) as opposed to something akin to an hour in the air and a small amount of time in route home. At the end of all that I joined our delegation for dinner. I opted, to relax, have a drink at dinner that night. Thinking I could role model the right behavior I was very controlled with how I did it and how I approached it all and at least initially, everything seemed fine.

About a week later one of my male students who was a bit of a smart alleck anyway, came up to me in my office and laughingly said "Heard you got drunk in (fill in the blank city here) last week on the trip". Needless to say was not true, but that was how the campus "spin" machine got hold of it. I am not advocating to drink with your students, nor will I advocate to not do it. I see both sides..I just don't think it has black and white an issue has we sometimes try and make it out to be. You have to factor in your campus and your students and how it will all be taken in.

I’ll end this piece with ask questions…Let me say that again, ask questions…

My first experiences with “being involved” in organizations, conferences I was so freaking clueless it was laughable looking back on it. I think though the thing that hurt was I was intimidated/too nervous/didn’t know what to ask questions when I needed to the most and it was very challenging. Often I was playing behind the eight ball from what I was doing. As such, I don’t think I gave what I was capable of doing but I also think I built a bit of resentment too towards some of the “figures” that were leading those various groups (I have laid out of being involved for a couple of years) and that was wrong on my part. I didn’t know what questions to ask, they didn’t get that I didn’t know, and we just didn’t click. The value of age and I can say, to you first time get involvers out there-don’t be afraid to ask questions. To all of our professional associations across the board, don’t be afraid to train and reach out either!!

More to come, I am not done yet J

"You CAN do it all!": Balancing Academics & Campus Activities

Austin Arias — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:06:00 GMT

It's the epic battle: "How do you balance campus activities AND academics?"

It's something that any member of a programming board faces on a daily basis. You want to make sure you get all your responsibilities with your board done, yet you have to remember that you're a student first and you can't forget about that major term paper that's due at the end of the week. Solution? Pull an all nighter the night before the paper is done. Yeah...not so much! Trust me - been there, done that, got the t-shirt and regretted it after.

But have no fear, there is a way you CAN do it all! Here are some tips on how you can be the ultimate student leader with a killer GPA...

Your planner is your bible! Okay, so not really your bible, but you get the gist. Get a planner, monthly calendar or make use of the calendar app on your phone and look at it EVERYDAY. It's is a great way to make sure you are on top of your due dates for class, commitments for activities board and is a great tool in planning for the future weeks or months. Find a solution that works for you. If you are technologically savvy, use options like Google Calendar that can easily sync to your smartphone. Google Calendar is also a great option for your entire board to use. You are able to invite people to certain events you put on your calendar like special meetings and you can even view each other's calendars to find out times that work best for all of you.

I personally use both an electronic and paper calendar. I find using one that allows you to look at the entire month at a time works best in making sure you plan your weeks accordingly and still keep track of things coming up.

By the way, to my fellow GUYS! Do not feel like carrying a planner is girly or makes you look strange. Trust me, you'll look even better when you are organized, rather than panicking. Girls don't find panic cute!

The Weekly To-Do-List: And the end of each week, make a to-do-list of things you need to accomplish for the upcoming week. Divide your sheet accordingly and list tasks you need to make sure to get done on certain days in order to meet deadlines and get things done before an upcoming event. For example: Monday - 1. Start term paper 2. Finish project for American Government due Tuesday 3. Check in with (insert advisor, exec board or director's name) to make sure everything is set for Wednesday. etc. 4. Tutoring at 4pm Do the same thing for each day of the week and you can space out your workload and still get everything done ON TIME. Be sure to put your appointments and events on the to-do-list too! That way you remember it all! I do this every week and it helps so much!

Turn to your support systems for guidance! Your advisors, fellow board members and professors are great resources in helping you manage your time. If you are feeling overwhelmed or are worried that you can't get something done in time, talk it out with them. They're great resources in helping you balance it all because they have been there before. They can give you great advice and help your prioritize.

Make the most of all your free time but remember to relax too! This is one of my biggest struggles, but it's one of the most important lessons to remember! When you have free time, make sure you are making the most of it. Try this: Give yourself a goal. For example: If I get these two chapters read for next week, I'll reward myself with some couch time and a good movie. That way you are still getting your work done and finding time to decompress. If you don't find time to relax, you'll get burnt out faster, which will prevent you from getting everything done or doing it well.

Remember, that managing it all is something that every student leader struggles with - you're not alone! s a learning process. You'll never be perfect at it. The key is to find solutions that work for you that allow you to have fun at events but still be an A+ student in the classroom.

What solutions have you found that work for you? I want to hear from YOU! Comment away!

Campus Involvement: Just count to ten!

Cindy Kane — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:58:00 GMT

Ok, if getting students involved was this easy we would have all of this mastered by now! The quest to get students involved on campus seems like a project that we will never “finish,” so the thrill of the process has been where I have spent a good amount of time and thought. The process of fostering student involvement can always benefit from some examination, so let’s focus on ten things your department can do today to maximize student involvement on your campus!

1. Understand
How much do you know about the level of involvement on your campus to date? Citing numbers of student organizations is only one piece of the puzzle. Drop everything you are doing and talk to your colleagues in different departments about how to best answer the question of “how involved are students on campus?” My campus has started to better understand this question, but still struggles with the challenge of how to snap an accurate picture.

2. Define (broadly!)
On my campus, we have to work hard to construct a definition of “involved” that works for our campus. If every incoming freshman believes they have to become the SGAPresident to be considered “involved,” then we have a problem. Examine what definition your campus has for “involved” and how you construct those messages for your students. You may find gaps between what you practice and what you preach!

3. Fascinate
Author Sally Hogshead, in her recent book of the same name, writes of “fascination triggers” that successfully persuade connection between people and other people, products or ideas. Her work in the advertising world combined with a three year study across a variety of disciplines looks at ways to “fascinate” the public and motivate them to connect with your brand.

Do you think your current array of opportunities on campus will “fascinate” your students enough to motivate them to action? What do you know about your students and what they are looking for? Are there waves of interest or specialty area from different corners of your campus that you don’t think are currently plugged in? Even though these efforts should be student-driven, there’s nothing wrong with planting some seeds.

4. Individualize
Colleagues on my campus describe my office as both a “retail” and “wholesale” operation at the same time. While we struggle to meet so many competing and difficult demands on our time, it’s easy to lose the need to individualize when trying to tackle the needs of the student population. In what ways are you taking the time to get to know your individual student amidst a frenzy of competing demands? Can you say you direct programs and services to the individual student while, at the same time, offering larger programs for the masses?

5. Connect (and then get out of the way!)
We know that students seek campus involvement with a goal of connecting with their peers. Keep in mind that the peer group is the point behind their motivation to get involved, so we can play a great role in connecting interested students with peers with common interests and then getting out of the way. If the student’s entire connection with the organization is based on us as staff instead of their peers, it’s not going to last.

6. Examine
Examine your pathways for creation of new student organizations and related policies. If you have minimum membership numbers for student organization recognition or if your campus has a maximum number of student organizations it can tolerate, be sure that these policy determinations are made with rationale. On our campus, we knew that a minimum number of ten members for a student group had no more relevance than a number of eight or of twelve so we spent some time discussing why these rules were in place.

7. Support
Student organization leaders are volunteers. So many times we forget about this crucial fact, but it impacts the way they fulfill their responsibilities. When times are good, they enjoy the feeling of being in a role that matches something they love and support out of a passion for the cause. When times get tough, these volunteer roles are unfortunately sometimes cast aside. To maximize the student’s experience, be sure there is access for all student leaders (from large and small groups!) to support networks and resources that can help them when the chips are down.

8. Innovate
There’s nothing like getting behind something new and trendy. Are you including students in the planning stages of your campus innovations? Even if you could easily design the new club officers’ training yourself, include some students and get them excited about what you are planning as well. Including students in roles they perceive as administrative will just heighten their commitment to whatever you are planning.

9. Plug-in
If you aren’t using technology to your advantage in connecting with students to foster involvement, then you are really missing the boat. (granted, you are reading this on a blog!) Students will choose campus involvement if they can find a way to engage with the campus and for today’s student that could mean interacting through many routes that might be on-line. Do you publicize your events via Twitter? Do you talk about resources available through an outdated website or are you talking about the week’s lineup through a blog post that is updated every day? Is your Facebook Fan Page a place where students can ask questions and dialogue with members of your staff? All of this establishes a connection between that student and the institution. It will pay off.

10. Collaborate AND cooperate
Since this is a “10 Steps” list we’ll combine these in one but I won’t choose one or the other. I had a turn at this topic in a previous post. (go ahead, read it. I'll wait...)

There is a difference between collaboration and cooperation and I think both approaches go a long way toward fostering student involvement. Cooperation, in contrast to collaboration, means going along with someone else’s ideas where collaboration is more focused on generating new ideas. I define collaboration as a project where we truly both come together with "blank slates" and develop something together.

Collaboration is a great way to foster student involvement because of the power and opportunity that comes with involving a diverse group in generating new ideas. New connections are formed and new levels of “buy-in “ come when a project is approached collaboratively.

Cooperation can’t be overlooked as an important vehicle to foster involvement. If you (and, in turn, representatives of your department) are seen as cooperative with others then it will inspire those people to look more closely at what you have to offer. For example, two of my colleagues and I are participating in an upcoming student film being produced on campus. Do we have time for this? Not at all. However, it’s important to us that we are seen as cooperative with other people’s efforts so that these students might think about jumping into one of our projects sometime soon.

As we are looking to the summer as a time to generate some focus and analysis on the way we do our work, I hope that all of us can spend time on new ways to foster student involvement. It's really a thrilling chase and can mean the world to so many students!

Leadership Roles and The "Real World"

Cristina Rodriguez — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:03:00 GMT

So, the whole point for getting involved on campus as a student leader is to gain life experiences and essential skills that will serve you in the "real world," right? Well how about higher ed. professionals? Do they not qualify as "real world" professionals? As you and I both know, of course they do! Coming to this realization has been my guiding star in setting career goals for myself. The work campus activities produces is essential to the well-rounded growth of college students and through my involvement, I have come full circle in realizing how I can use the skills I've gained in the "real world."

I am always mentioning how I changed my major from English to PR after getting involved with my university's programming board. PR was the major easily associated with events, and I was sure that what I wanted to do once I grauated was to begin my own event planning company... Little did I know that, that was only the beginning of my dreaming. I soon became VP of External Affairs and considered doing PR for some major company... Then, I became President. Boy has this position led me to dreams that I would have never, well...dreamed of.

As President of the the Student Programming Council and leader volunteer for NACA South, my eyes have been opened to all of the the nitty-gritty that goes into campus activities. We manage budgets (sometimes outlandish ones if we're lucky); we program all sorts of events, both small and large; we push boundaries in terms of marketing to the student body; we reach out to the community in search of ways to collaborate, and essentially, we might as well be running a non-profit organization. With all of this comes a deep understanding of leadership, an understanding of the importance for policy making and serving the community.

I know that I'm preaching to the choir here, but judging from my experience, there is an intricate network within student affairs and with that comes endless routes for making your personal mark. So after profound thought, as usual, I came to the realization that higher education has a role in public affairs and that this role should be further explored. I'm highly contemplating pursuing a degree in Public Affairs and am curious to see how this knowledge can support me in working with the government to improve higher ed. How often do laws and policies affect our institutions? How often do we partner with the community around us and organize events for great causes? How often do we wish government would focus more of its attention on us? All the time!

It's simply fascinating to me that our universities are almost like their own countries, with their own governments. We have faculty and administration, student government and various organizations that bring life to the university community. Most importantly, institutions and their governments have the responsibility to serve their people, namely the students. After being a student leader and working closely with other students to take our university to new heights, one of my biggest hopes is to to see this growth of higher education endure. So I guess, in a sense, I would like to pay it forward- the programs offered by student affairs have exposed me to vital skills that could definitely serve me in being a leader in higher education, in whatever form that may be.

The best part is the core of student affairs: learning through challenge and support. In life, you will always have challenges that serve as opportunities for growth, and there is no greater reward than to watch that growth in yourself and in others. To me, the excitement of it all lies in "what can be" and higher education can be many things!

It's Not Easy Being Green...Or Is It?

Emily Virtue — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:50:00 GMT

If you're like me, you visibly cringe when you see a mom hand her little three-year-old daughter FOUR paper towels to dry her tiny hands rather than using the hand dryer. Your heart sinks a little when you see lawn sprinklers spewing water like mad during a torrential downpour, and you find yourself picking 20 ounce coke bottles out of the trash in a classroom only to carry them to the recycling container in the hallway. You'd consider yourself a eco-concious guy or gal. But you look around (your office, your neighborhood, your campus community) and you know we all could be doing more. So, what's a campus activities professional like you to do? The answer is simple: create a sustainability series on your campus and help create a culture of practicing sustainable habits.

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, let's define sustainability. This definition will help guide your goals as you move forward and also help you think about the larger picture: recycling might not be everyone's cup of tea, but chances are one of the facets of sustainability could connect with each person on campus. So, sustainability is "the ability of current generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." (UN Commission on Environment & Development, 1987). The three main types of sustainability are Environmental, Social Justice/Sociopolitical/Equity, and Economic.

Now that we know what it is, how do we get anything started?

1. and 2. Start small and use your resources. At UNCW our goal for sustainability programming was not just to change the habits of our peers, but to also start a conversation. After all, how would people know the impact we're making on our world if no one ever tells them? Our first programming effort was a sustainability film series. Luckily for us, our new student center had a 350 seat stadium style movie theatre so folks just plain wanted to come to the space. We found inexpensive films that discussed sustainability topics. We chose titles that were different enough to draw in new audience members but similar enough that once people attended the first program, they'd want to come back for more! In our first year we offered two films about the use of oil and fossil fuels and a film about organic farming. You'll see how we gained momentum as you read on...

Our campus is also lucky enough to a have a wildflower preserve. While it's right off of a main road, you wouldn't necessarily know it was filled with trails and educational tools unless you went looking for it. We rounded out our spring programming with a tour through the preserve. Many students and community members had not been to the preserve before and said the would return on their own and show their friends. This program practically created itself and came at no cost to us--we simply worked with our colleagues on campus to get the word out and offer insight. It also allowed for continued conversation on topics of sustainability and involvement.

3. Involve faculty. What good is planting ideas in a person's head if you're not going to discuss the ideas afterward? We found professors in our Environmental Studies department who were respected by students and were knowledgeable on the subject matter. Our faculty members were engaging, thought provoking, and hysterical. They helped audience members tackle tough questions and provide realistic solutions. While the films were interesting, the program would have been a little lackluster without faculty participation. When reading through our assessments after the first two films, we found that some students came to the event simply to hear the professors and left meeting their goals as well as taking away information on how to get involved and ways to implement new practices into their daily routine.

4. Involve the community. Once the conversations had started, we wanted to expand our programming past the confines of the theatre. Our last film of the year focused on organic farming and genetically engineered plants. For this event we brought in the local cooperative market to help in the discussion and (everyone's favorite) offer samples of food. This was a great way for a local business to gain exposure and for us to enhance our programming at no cost to our admittedly meager budget.

As our programming grew, we found that many other offices on campus were doing their part where sustainability was concerned but we weren't necessarily sharing the great news with our students. We thought that most students didn't know about EVERYTHING that was going on, sustainably speaking. With that in mind, we had a sustainability fair. Different offices set up tables during our already successful Concert on the Commons weekly event. While students were enjoying music they could stop by the tables and get information about all of the efforts on campus. This event not only allowed students to see how they could get involved in various areas around campus, it also brought professionals together and helped us remain more connected. In the two years since our film series began, multiple events and efforts have been created and are still growing.

Even with a tiny budget, we were able to not only create one successful programming series, we made connections across our campus and community to get more students, staff, and faculty involved. With more of us looking ahead, the future sure does look bright!

What are you already doing on you campuses to make sustainability a priority? Share your success with us so that we can use your great programs on our campuses.

So, You Want to Hold Your Event Outdoors? 5 Things to Consider When Planning

Erin Cron — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:29:00 GMT

Picture this: a bright blue sky, glowing golden sun, light breeze, temps at an even 74 degrees, not a mosquito in sight.

Isn't that how we all would like our outdoor events to occur? Reality tells us that on any given day, our outdoor event can be a seamless accomplishment or a day riddled with stressful situations. Through first hand experience and some research, I have learned a few things along the way about planning successful outdoor programs. Here are some points of consideration to work through as you plan an outdoor program.

The initial steps in planning an outdoor event are like unto most other programs we undertake in student activities. We determine our date, target audience, reserve our space, secure our talent, and plan the publicity campaign. Outdoor events require us to take the basics a bit further.

Start the permit acquisition process early! Many cities have regulations about noise, public events, food vendors, and street closure, among other things. The application and approval process can take anywhere from a few days to over a month. In addition, there may be fees, insurance requirements, or other documentation required to secure necessary permits. The city may have regulations about needing police on location, having EMS on site, or even representation from the fire department at your program. Depending on your campus location, city size, and other concurrent events in the area, you may be asked to make modifications to your original plan in order to be granted the necessary permits. Some campuses may have additional regulations, above and beyond what the city asks for. Start your communication with campus safety and the campus reservations/planning office early. The staff can be great advocates for your outdoor event and likely have additional insight as to the specific requirements. Don't let not having your permits in line rain on your parade!

Take a walking tour of your location with your master event plan in hand. There are many venue options for outdoor events. Some of us will hold the events on campus in familiar locations, while others of us may hold them off site at a park, amphitheater, or street. It is important to look at the location with a bird's eye view and a fine tooth comb. Consider how patrons will enter the event, where the stage will be located, and where vendors will be set up. Look for power and water sources. The absensce or presence of power and water can have a major impact on both your budget and the overall event execution. Look for restroom locations nearby, ensuring there is an ADA compliant facility and a reasonable number of facilities available in relation to your anticipated audience. A quick Google search will give suggestions for ratios of the number of restrooms needed for a given audience and event length. Determine where load in and out will occur. The closer the vehicles with necessary equipment can get to the desired location the better! Find out if the location has a sprinkler system and how to make sure it is turned off for the duration of the program. In addition, determine if the location allows stakes to be placed in the ground for tents, promotional displays, etc. Often underground systems are too close to the surface and alternate methods of stabilizing equipment is needed. Even in the most familiar setting there can be surprises. Taking time to thoroughly review the location is worth every minute.

Here comes the sun...or wind...or snow...or rain... The variable of weather is a major consideration for any outdoor event. Unfortunately it is one that we have no control over. When planning for your event, make contingency planning a priority from the inception. Too often we don't plan for the weather until the clouds are rolling in, and there are few options outside of running for cover. Depending on the event, secure an alternate location for the same date and time as the initial program. If an alternate location is not reasonable or available, plan an alternate date. Remember to include the weather back up plan on the promotional material so patrons are fully informed. Some events can go on if there are only minor weather issues. Tent rental may help. Another source for planning are weather records. Looking online for the history of weather patterns for a given date or series of dates can provide insight (such info is readily available online). Weather insurance is also an option for outdoor programs. Rates are determined based on the likelihood of weather issues to arise, the amount of financial risk involved, and other similar factors. Weather insurance is pricey, but can protect losses in cases of large scale event cancellation. Make sure to do your research, contact previous clients, and get appropriate campus approvals before purchasing a policy. Most performer contracts have a weather clause. Often, the contract states the act will be paid if they are ready and willing to perform. Have a discussion with the performer or his/her agent. Don't sign a contract unless your comfortable with the weather provisions.

Safety and security are important to consider in all event planning, and outdoor programs are no exception. If you are holding a closed event on campus, often the university's campus safety officers are sufficient. If the event is off campus or open to the public, additional security planning measures are necessary. Communicate with your campus safety department and the university's emergency management committee. These organizations will likely have insight as to important considerations to make. Determine if the event needs a controlled access point, or if open access is the route to go. Hold a meeting with security and event management folks to go over the master event plan, expectations, and the type of behavior you are and aren't willing to allow. It is also important to have this discussion with student event staff too. Be sure to let them know what situations they may address and when you would like for them to call in additional support. Another security consideration is the event talent, stage, and hospitality area. Most performer contracts outline security requests. We want the acts to be focused on giving the best possible show, and not to be concerned with the security of the event. We can't prevent every issue from arising, but we can take the role of safety and security very seriously.

Creating the right mood for your event is very important in patron satisfaction. Poor sound and limited visibility are a detrimant to the overall perception of any event. Outdoor locations present acoustic issues that may not be a problem indoors. Being aware of competing sounds (traffic, trains, airports) is important. In addition, work with a professional sound engineer to plan and execute the appropriate amplification system. Both the performer and audience need to be able to hear well. Nothing loses an audience's attention faster than not being able to hear. Outdoor locations also have competing elements for visibility. Street lights may interfere with stage lighting, and trees or hills may block the view from certain areas of the venue. Selecting an outdoor location that easily holds your anticipated audience is also important to creating mood. If you are expecting 500 people, try to avoid picking a location with room for 2,000. Even if you hit your attendance goal, having 75% of the space empty detracts from the vibe of the program.

So...after reading all that, do you still want to hold your event outdoors? I hope so! Preplanning, contingency planning, and building great collaborative relationships will lead to outstanding events- the kind that make memories for our students and the front page of university promotions. A final point-keep in mind is that we can't control everything (I know, fellow programmers, take a deep breath...it's true). Be ready and willing to utilize flexibility on the day of your program.

Now, let's welcome spring and fall with a calendar full of stellar outdoor programs!

Helping Troubled Students through Student Involvement

Chris — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:03:00 GMT

I just got done reading an article on InsideHigherEd.com about the recent college student suicides at Cornell University (you can read the full article here) and obviously my first reaction is to be sad, about the desperation that some people go through and the results of that desperation, especially for those at the student level. My second reaction is to wonder if there was anything that could have been done about these tragedies before they happened. I know that's a common response to have, and we all look back on instances like this and wonder what could have been done differently. Looking back on what we think might have helped can sometimes help us change how we respond to people/situations in the future.

In this case, I'm wondering if anyone out there has had any positive situations, stories, or activities that have directly reached out to students who are having problems? If so, please share in the comments below. I'd like to hear from those who have participated in activities or groups that reach out to students at this level and hear what colleges and universities are doing around the country to help their students.

I'm also posting a link to an article written in Campus Activities Programming Magazine by Heather Larabee. She talks about a program that the University of Southern California set up up after a student tragedy on their campus left them wanting to reach out to students on campus that need help (you can read the pdf article here). The program is called "Trojans Care for Trojans" and it was established to help students to be aware of available help and services on campus and to encourage others to be aware of the potential issues with their friends and fellow students. They started with an idea and a broad mission, and developed it into an interactive website with educational videos, on and off-campus resources, anonymous reporting and other ways to help. You can view the site here: http://sait.usc.edu/ca/tc4t/.

Post your university's program information (if they have one) in the comments below, or share your thoughts and suggestions on how to deal with troubled students.

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