The Student Affairs Blog

Fraternity/Sorority Recruitment time! So, what's the hooplah about?

Our campus starts fraternity and sorority recruitment next week and I know that many others are also embarking on this unique time of year.  With so much focus on these groups this week, it has turned my thinking to this area and the unique opportunities and challenges that face our students who choose to lead these groups.

Let me put it out there from the start... I am a sorority member myself and am a huge proponent of the benefits of membership.  Membership in that organization definitely made me the leader that I am today and I can attribute a great amount of my personal growht to the opportunities I was given.  Love them or hate them, fraternities and sororities are a part of many of our campuses.

Leadership in these organizations brings about significant and intense experiences for students and I'm thinking recently about what makes them so unique.  These organizations make committments to holistic support of students whether in academic, social, service, leadership or other settings.  I'm thinking that might be the ticket and have something to do with why being a chapter president is such a tough job or why membership decisions are so significant and frought with advising challenges for us.

Membership recruitment (i.e. "formal rush") activities bring a lot of "hooplah" to our campus each year, whether good or bad... there's a lot of hooplah.  There is intensity from current members, prospective new members, administrators, and non-members and everyone has a lot to say.

So, let's hear from the SA blog public.... what do you have to say?

Dream Big

When it comes to goals, we’ve had the S.M.A.R.T. mantra pounded into us.  You know, your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable,  Realistic and Time-based.  It’s a handy rule of thumb when it comes to setting those organizational and personal goals each year.

That’s a useful tool.  But let me offer you another tool. Dream Big. Set an extraordinary goal, something that’s not “smart.”  Set a goal that’s a real long shot, something that’s not easily attainable or realistic.  Companies sometimes call them “BHAGs”-- big, hairy audacious goals.

Why would you want to set an impractical goal?  For one simple reason:  big goals are inspiring.

It might be difficult to make that 8 a.m. Organic Chemistry class if your only goal is to pass.  You might be more inspired to get up early and study if your goal is to be a great heart surgeon.  Sure, medical school could be years away from now, and practicing medicine even further way if you plan to specialize in cardiac surgery.

But having that big goal may make the difference between actually getting up and going to class or sleeping in and just barely passing (or flunking).  It helps to be inspired. 

When I was in graduate school, my fellow grad students had an expression to deal with all the tedious busy work we got assigned: “anything not worth doing is not worth doing well.”  But when we were inspired by a big goal, we would come in early and work latedoing all the little things it took to achieve it.   

Come up with that organizational goal that will inspire your members.  Having that big dream can make the mundane chores seem more important.  Think of the difference it makes to have a big goal.  Could you get your members to participate in a fund raising car wash if the goal was to take all of the members to see a movie? 

Now, imagine if the goal was to take all of the members to the national convention in New York. 

See the difference a goal makes?  Inspire your members with a big goal.  You just might attain it.

Using the Five Whys

"The Five Whys" is a method of distilling the true cause/effect of an issue.  Simply put, it involves asking the question "why?," and then asking "why?" of the answer.  The pretense is that if asked five times, that simple question will take you to the heart of the matter.

When I first heard of the Five Whys, I was told it was an ancient Chinese technique.  Later I learned it was neither ancient nor Chinese-- it had been developed by  Sakichi Toyoda at his automobile company to aid problem solving.  Whatever the source, it's a useful tool.

A quick example:  My car won't start.  Why?  Because the battery is dead.  Why? Because the alternator isn't working.  Why?  Because the belt broke.   Why?  Because it was worn out.  Why?  Because I didn't follow the maintenance schedule. 

So the root cause of my car failing to start is my own neglect of the required maintenance.

The concept is to peel back the layers of an issue, and get down to the true problem or concern.  But is also works in helping to determine a purpose.  I like to use it to analyze a situation, condition, proposal, or issue.

It's especially useful in developing a purpose or mission statement.  While assisting an SGA to create a mission statement, I began by asking them why the SGA existed.  "To be the voice of the students" they replied.  Why?  "So the administration will know the students' opinion on important school issues."  Why?  "So the school can better meet the students' needs."  Why?  "So more students can get an education."  Why?  "So they can become successful productive citizens."

So the SGA's real purpose is to help students become successful graduates.  That's a totally different idea and more powerful purpose that just being the "voice of the students."

While it may seem a little hokey, and the number five is pretty arbitrary (could be three, could be six), it does seem to work.  Maybe looking at the path we've come will make the path ahead seem more clear.

The next time you're faced with a decision, issue, or question try the Five Whys.  You might just get down to the "heart of the matter."    

Beyond Facebook Applications

"A dot.com is on the computer. When you go there, you do something on it." 

Ahhh, the wisdom of a kindergartner describing my latest foray into Web 2.0. 

So what is that something?  What does it do for us in Student Affairs? 

I was an early adopter of Facebook on my campus.  By early, I mean somewhere in between the university rollout in 2004 and before high schools were invited to join in September 2005...early by Midwest standards.  Facebook became a novelty for checking the pulse of my students and colleagues.  It was humorous to argue its merits and always sparked interesting conversation among my student leaders.  When did facebooking became a verb?

The class of 2010 arrived on campus as the first group of students to have Facebook in high school.  They were networked, had added a truckload of university "friends", and expected me to be in tune with their needs.  Just as Kevin discussed in the Strange Power of the Go-Getter Freshman, they used Facebook Messages for email because it was easier than looking up my actual email address.   I had a responsibility to become a Facebook user, not just a guest.

Iowa State's Facebook network has 36,477 members up from 21,500 in January 2006.  There have been 222 Facebook story references in the Iowa State Daily.  Online identity is discussed in our campus orientation programs and is a lecture topic in my first-year seminar.  I am a frequent Facebook advertiser and have profiles pages for each of the programs I coordinate.  I also recognize the interpersonal divide that social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace may create for students seeking meaningful connections to peers and the university.

Searching for utility in student social networking, I helped initiate Red Rover on our campus to link new students to clubs and student leaders.  With nearly 700 registered campus organizations, our students need useful navigation tools.  I am now spending my summer tracking down our many student leaders (on internships in remote destinations without email access) to engage them in this new web tool. 

Applications like Red Rover build connections so students can move beyond Super Poke to actual networking through shared campus interests.  How cool is that?  A Facebook application where your students can do something besides stalk their friends. 

Creating A Contemporary Mission Statement

Every organization on campus needs a Mission Statement.  As a matter of fact, every department and office on campus should have a Mission Statement.  While it sounds like a pretty simple matter to create a mission, it's more difficult and requires more thought than you might initially consider.

The modern mission statement is far different than it's predecessor.  How can that be?  Isn't a mission statement just the purpose for an organization?  Shouldn't it be simple to capture your purpose in a few words?

Here's the difference in the modern Mission Statement:  it explains why. 

Old school mission statements defined what an organization did.  Contemporary mission statements define why an organization does what it does.

See, it's really the why we do things that matters.

Let me give you an example.  I worked with a history and natural science museum to create a new mission statement.  Their old mission was typical.  It explained what the museum did:  maintained a collection of native plants, animals, and historic buildings and presented programs to the public.

I started out the rewrite by asking everyone why the museum was important.  I talked with staff, volunteers, board members, visitors, any one who had an opinion.  Why was all the stuff the museum did important?

I discovered that the museum had a higher mission than just collecting artifacts.  All of the collections were simple tools serving a bigger goal.   

In the end, this became the new Mission Statement:  "The Museum promotes knowledge and understanding of the area's cultural history and natural environment, inspiring people to enrich their lives and build a better community."

The real mission of the organization was to inspire people to enrich their lives, and to thereby create a better community.  That was why volunteers gave their time.  That was why staff members worked long hours without complaint.  That was why donors provided funding.  Collecting artifacts and presenting exhibits just assisted in reaching that end goal.

Think about applying that lesson to your organization and office.  Take a look at your mission statement.  Does it define what you do?  Redevelop it so that it explains why you do what you do.  What is your ultimate purpose?

Self Orientation Begins on Facebook (What are you doing about yours?)

A number of Class of 2012 groups on Facebook are in full swing, do you know where yours is?

Five months or so before school starts and already there are almost 1000 students in this group.

Students don't need to wait for Orientation to socially integrate (Tinto style). This has been happening since Facebook first let in high school students back in September of 2005.

It's been widely reported in the Chronicle of Higher Ed(behind subscription, sorry) and the New York Times among others.

Yet many many schools still ignore it, either out of ignorance or confusion about what, exactly, to do about it.

Without any school participation, official or peer helper /ambassador style, the Facebook groups take on a cultural tone that sets the introduction for the college.

Sometimes the groups go down hill. Just check out the wall comments on this group from Greensboro class of 2011. This is probably not the introduction the school would prefer.

In the case of the University of Pittsburgh 2012 group, however, the conversation is currently exactly what the school would hope for - students asking questions about financial aid, information on official orientation days, discussions about majors, school spirit around sports, and 27 pictures of the campus and its classrooms that look great.

The person who put this all together?

Jack is a senior in high school, and I'm guessing he acted completely on his own and spent some time compiling the pictures and keeping the conversation going. (I sent Jack a Facebook message with some questions. If he responds, I will post his thoughts up on this blog in another post.)

Jack is good with the tools and did a huge favor for the University of Pittsburgh. If they haven't already, it would be very smart for the University to recruit Jack as a student leader. He's now one of the most powerful communicators on campus.

What You Can Do With Your Group

First, know that it matters for admissions. If you need a hard, short-term motivator to figure this out, admissions can be it. Students look to peers to develop their opinions and the impression of your Facebook Class Groups does matter in this process.

Sometimes the students just straight up ask, so getting your ambassadors in the group is a good start. The ambassadors do need training, if they come off as "too official" it will damage their credibility. As in the response above, when they present the pro and con, they are much more effective in the conversation.

I had a great chat with Staci Weber of Juniata college at the recent APCA conference about her terrific work with her class of 2011 group. She was playing with four goals for her incoming first years and Facebook. She plans on integrating these steps with the official Orientation process.

1) Get the students to join the Juniata network.

This is great for future alumni tracking and for assessment within Facebook. This is not the same as pitching Facebook, it's just saying, if you are already on Facebook, connect yourself with the school network.

2) Join the Class of 2012 Juniata group.

Staci is excited about clustering the students because she can then "Facebook" the whole class to make announcements, knowing that this will often be more effective than email. She is very sensitive to the spam issue, and plans to use the mass Facebooking the 2012 class very selectively. From her experience with 2011, she mentioned that 80% of that class was in the 2011 group on Facebook and this was a great way for her to get the word out. She felt that there were at least 15% more students on Facebook who were either not part of the Juniata Network or did not join the first year group, she is hoping to get 90% to participate in the 2012 group this year. (This, BTW, is already more than double the average participation in e2Campus emergency text messaging systems.)

3) Use Red Rover to segment the class by topic interest.

Staci is part of the Red Rover pilot program. [Full disclosure: I am with Swift Kick, and Red Rover is a Swift Kick project.] Red Rover is a free "orientation on Facebook" application that allows Staci to segment the first years by various keywords for better communication and to increase involvement.

4) Train peer leaders and student group leaders to participate in the group.

This is a continuation of what worked last year. She has some new ideas of directions to take the training.

If she can meet all four goals, Staci should be able to present the school in the best light for admissions and admitted students, increase social integration with her peer leaders and between the incoming first years, increase positive connection points and set herself up with multiple effective communication options within Facebook. (The key to maintaining these is to not abuse them, so definitely don't follow these steps and then mass message your first year class 50 times before schools starts.)

Easiest way to find your group is to simply search Facebook for your school name plus 2012. If one has not started yet, you may want to have one of your peer leaders set it up (probably better if it is not a staff or faculty member).

Just tell them follow Jack's lead!

An Alternative to Robert's Rules

Mention "Robert's Rules of Order" to any assembled group, and you will get a collective groan.  "Robert's Rules" is a part of our lives as leaders-- it's even written into the bylaws of most organizations.  When presenting my leadership development program "Recreating Your Organization," I'm often asked if there is an alternative to "Roberts Rules."

Yes, there is.

Many organizations across the country are adopting a meeting process called "Consensus."  It's effective and efficient for most groups, and it doesn't require the learning curve of "Robert's Rules" for new members.

"Robert's Rules" was first published in 1870, and incorporated the so-called parliamentary procedure as used by Congress.  It was presented as the best way to run a meeting.  Perhaps it is the best way to run large meetings, conventions, Congress, and other rowdy assemblies.  But for smaller groups, it's rather confusing with it's formal motions, debates, precedence of some motions over others, and more.

Consensus is a simplified method of discussing an issue and reaching an agreement.  It is important to understand that consensus doesn't mean that  everyone be in agreement.  It does mean that everyone has to be willing to accept the agreement that is reached.

It works like this:  an idea is brought to the floor.  It doesn't have to be a motion, or even a formal proposal-- just an idea.  The idea is discussed, and likely it will be improved from the input of others.  When a general agreement appears, you test for consensus by stating the current version of the idea.  If everyone agrees, you've reached consensus.  If there is dissension, then you can continue the discussion until a more acceptable version is reached.  When you've reached consensus, or when there is a willingness to accept the current proposal, then-- in those familiar parliamentary terms-- the "motion is approved."

In reality, this may likely be the way your organization already operates.  And, after you've already reached consensus, you revert back to parliamentary rules, asking for someone to make a formal motion, a second, and then calling for a vote to make it "official."  If you were using Consensus, it would already be done.

Mark Shepard has an excellent introduction to Consensus here.  Then, if you like the concept, there is another, more formalized guidelines available here.

Check this out, and see this alternative to "Robert's Rules Of Order" doesn't make more sense for your organization.   

Fifty Low-Cost Program Ideas in Fifty-minutes

It started out with the ambitious goal of soliciting 50 low-cost program ideas in a little less than an hour.  Fifty minutes later, the delegates at the APCA National Advisors' Summit in Las Vegas had suggested 91 ideas!

Ashley captured these for you, and I wanted to make sure they got posted.  If you weren't there, then some of the ideas may sound odd (or make no sense at all).  If that's the case, drop me a note and I'll explain it to you.

Fifty Ninety-One Ideas in Fifty Minutes

1. Grocery Bingo

2. Medallian Hunt

3. Life-Size Monopoly

4. Game Hunting

5. Pot Luck Dinner

6. Video Gaming

7. Iron Chef Dorm Room/Ramen Noodle cook-off

8. Game Show Contest

9. Poetry Slam

10. Day of the Dead

11. Dark Side of Oz (Pink Floyd & film)

12. Walk-in movie

13. Dive-in movie(pool)

14. American Idol

15. Talent Show

16. Bed Race

17. Bean Bag Toss

18. Themed Dances

19. Halloween Contests

20. Live Haunted House

21. Campus Ghost tours

22. Halloween Casino

23. Recycle plastic bottles into planters (Arbor day)

24. Leadership retreats

25. Water World  (slip ‘n slide)

26. Movie on the Lawn

27. Bonfire & S’mores

28. Themed movies

29. Stress-Free Spa Day

30. Chair Massages

31. Oreo Stacking (Guinness Records)

32. Star Gazing (astronomy club)

33. Leap Frog

34. Twister

35. Reflective Movies

36. Commit a Random Act of Kindness

37. Family Fest

38. Canned Food  Sculptures

39. Food Bank Drive

40. Frozen turkey bowling

41. Campus Fear Factor

42. Photos with Christmas mascot

43. Easter Bunny Pictures

44. Dogoween (pet costume contest at Halloween)

45. Scavenger Picture Hunt

46. Campus Idol

47. Parking space lottery

48. Campus Safety (self-defense)

49. Sleep-out

50. T-Shirt relocation (collect rival school T-shirts and take to Salvation Army in another city!)

51. Clothesline project

52. Women’s forum

53. Cultural showcases

54. “Get Into Your Genes”; Too small Blue Jean give away

55. Campaign for real beauty (acceptance of normal bodies)

56. Mary Kay (or Avon) day

57. Financial Education

58. Monster.com (Free financial planning)

59. “Girls” or “Guys” Night out

60. $2 Movies in town

61. Mock weddings

62. YouTube Contest

63. Hillbilly Olympics

64. Human auction

65. Mentoring

66. Study night with pizza

67. Midnight Breakfast   

68. President for a day

69. Parking ticket raffle (pay your fines)

70. Pre-release movies

71. Unhomecoming Faculty King and Queen

72. Kiss the Pig (Spam loaf)

73. Pageant and formal dinner auction

74. Pie a professor

75. Hot topic lunch

76. Glow in the dark easter egg hunt

77. Pie your RA

78. Recycle drive with prize

79. “Big dog on Campus” Fun Olympics (Bulldog is school mascot...)

80. Cinderella project (Prom Dresses for high school girls)

81. Graffiti party

82. Change drive into mosaic

83. Car show

84. Speed dating ideas

85. Cow patty bingo

86. Mardi Gras Sidewalk Parade

87. Art festival/contest

88. Nametag Day (everybody wears a name tag)

89. Parking lot sale (like rummage sale)

90. Pumpkin Carving Contest

91. Holiday Window Decorating

Advisor Sessions/Handouts from APCA Northeast 2007

The Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities  held it's Northeast conference just last week in Syracuse, NY. 30+ Schools attended from across the Northeast region. The conference highlighted entertainment acts as well as a series of ed sessions on various topic related to Student Affairs.

APCA conferences offer a separate learning track of ed sessions for advisor. Due to the extermly tight schedule of the two day conference only three hour long sessions were provided for advisors.

Here is a list of the sessions and handouts/slides(pdf):

1) Creating a Course on Student Activities - Jason Enser (Hilbert College) - jenser@hilbert.edu - handout

This session will discuss how college Student Activities Directors can go about offering an academic credit-bearing course on Student Activities Programming Theory and Application. We will begin by reviewing the 3-credit course that is currently offered at Hilbert College. Other staff members will then have the opportunity to share any courses they have taught related to programming. Suggestions will be provided on how Activity Staff can look to implement a course of this nature at their institutions.

2) Technology and Activities: Current & Future - Swift Kick - sk@swiftkickonline.com - handout

    Student Life is changing faster than ever. Advisors are expected to be on the cutting edge, and often find themselves drowned in paperwork and procedures. This session discusses the most current trends in leadership development formats. Listen, share, and discuss best practices with other advisors. In the pre-conference survey, “understanding and using technology” was the number one priority for advisors for the next 3 years. Come find out some of what the next 3 years holds in tech. In this session you will learn about the key trends (in a non-techie way) plus see some of the brand new options in technology that will make your job so much easier! Technology has always promised to allow you to do more with less, come get your hands on the new tools to do just that. We will also cover some new emerging orientation and assessment methodologies and discuss what it means for the future.

3) Organizational Networking Session - APCA - apca@aol.com - handout

    It is all about getting to know each other! This Conference is proud to offer a great selection of education sessions for you. HOWEVER, we are all educators and we know that learning in communities and learning from peers is a much more powerful and effective way to create real transformations. With that knowledge in mind, we present our favorite community building energizer, “It’s About Time.” Join us as we kick the off the Conference with the best getting familiar, information exchange, comfort zone creating activity that is out there. See you for “It’s About Time”!!

Your Facebook Network(Tips and Tricks)

I'm sure by now you are fairly familiar with the Facebook interface.  Many users don't use all of Facebook's features.

The Network page can be a very powerful tool, but the Facebook interface does not allow the Network page to reach it's full potential.  The reason?  The only way to access your network is by clicking the network link at the top of the page.

It doesn't really jump out at you.   I think it would be a lot more effective if the News Feed dedicated a portion of the page to list Network Activity.

So what does the Network Page do?

• The Networks page lists
• Shows all the upcoming events in your network.
• Shows all the recently posted items in your network.
• Shows all the recently active groups among members of your network.
• Shows all the items in your networks marketplace
• Shows network statistics such as top music, movies, and Interests, TV shows, Books, and also displays percentages such as sex, political views, and relationship status .
• Shows nearby Networks
• Provides a discussion board and a wall.

So what can I do with all this?

Let's start with the groups. 

While searching through the active groups in your network you may stumble upon one titled Fall 2007 Freshmen, or something of the sort.  This is a great place to promote, and Recruit.  Tom recently posted a blog discussing this The Strange Power of the Go Getter Freshmen.

There may be other great active groups in your network you can promote with.  Take a look, just don't over advertise, because nobody likes spam, and overuse of these groups will begin to look like spam.

Let's move on to the people in your network. 

Near the top of the Network page six random members of your network will be displayed.  Above these six members will display how many people are in your network, and a couple links to search or browse within your network.  I don't see much use with the browse feature, as it only displays ten random people in your network.

Click the search link, and then continue on and click the advanced link.  I'm sure you have seen the advanced page before, but have you ever used it for student affairs networking?  The advanced search page allows you to search within every portion of a Facebook profile.  From the basic info to contact info, personal info, education info, and work info.  If you are looking for any particular characteristic to promote, or recruit  from you can easily search it from here.

Have you ever wondered which staff and faculty members have signed up for Facebook?  Well it's fairly easy to find out.  Scroll down till you see education info, and in the school status drop down menu you will see staff, and faculty.  select whichever one you would like to search, and click the advanced search button at the bottom of the page

What do your students like to do? what are their interests?  Sounds like you need to put out another survey.  No not at all, Facebook already did the Assessment for you!!  Check the Network Statistics page and you may find what you are looking for.  The best part is you can click each particular interest and get a list of the people who have added that interest to their profile.

How can you use this?  Look at each category, is there something that jumps out at you that you can create an event about?  perhaps if there is a particular type of music that is popular you can have a dance focusing on that type of music.  Maybe under interests you see a sport such as ultimate frisbee, why not host a tournament.  Look under the movies category, why not play one of the top movies for your students?  Be creative, and you can put together a great event.

Does anyone else have any networking, promotional or recruiting tips or tricks that they use with Facebook?