All units have in place an ongoing evaluation process of their programs. This allows units to change and adjust to the current needs of students. Here are examples of changes from last year:
- This past year Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) hired and moved forward the new Coordinator for Civic Engagement and Service. OSU has lagged behind its competitors in creating a dynamic environment for civic engagement and service and SLI engaged with multiple partners across campus (including Academic Affairs and the Division of Outreach and Engagement) to develop a long-range plan for enhancing service learning on campus. For our part in Student Affairs, and in SLI in particular, we have taken on general and global civic-engagement and service as well as provide better support for the Student Sustainability Initiative. Over the past year we have seen great strides in foundational work that will help OSU students become more engaged in community service work. Last year alone the new Center for Civic Engagement helped to:
- The CCE/CSC was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a national honor from the U.S. President’s Office.
- Facilitate new risk management and volunteer management procedures for students and community partners.
- Enhanced our Alternative Spring Break program and celebrated three successful and maximum occupancy trips to Yakima, WA; Newport, OR; and San Francisco, CA.
- Expanded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service from 9 participants in 2011 to 125 participants in 2012.
- 34 community partnerships were fostered with community-based organizations in the greater Corvallis area in order to meet community-identified needs and develop a menu of service and civic educational opportunities for students.
- The Non-Profit & Volunteering Expo brought 55 community-based organizations to campus to share volunteering, internship, and career opportunities and resources with OSU students on January 25, 2012.
- 479 students participated in 10 service days/programs contributing 4,243 hours of community service in the areas of hunger/homelessness/poverty, health and wellness, environmental, and others.
- 753 students participated in 8 educational programs or conference sessions totaling 570 hours coordinated through the Center for Civic Engagement.
- Student Events and Activities Center (SEAC) developed a facilitator model to provide a standard of care, accountability, and student and community development opportunities creating measurable activity involvement as well as student organization leader, member and advisor learning outcomes. The Oregon University System has identified the OSU Student Organization Relationship Model as best practice and has asked for support in educating others OUS universities about this model.
- Opened Ava’s Café in the Linus Pauling Science Center bringing in additional $174,000 in revenue to the Memorial Union.
- Student Media’s Fall Student Training: Annual training for as many as 20 student leaders on daily production skills. 20 students x 20 hours paid. Fall training will continue with more unified approach. Training reviews showed the training be more successful with date changed back to preterm. Feedback showed individual training with pay was appreciated and preferred. Trainings were most successful with professional guest speakers. Training is evaluated at the end of each training session.
- Student Media Presents is a speaker series connecting Student Media with the OSU community through the guidance of leading media professionals. So far Student Media Presents has teamed with NAL, Chinese Language Department, Ethnic Studies Department, Veterans Services, NMC, Media Services, ISS, AAPC. All have enjoyed broad campus support with little impact on Student fees. On average, 40 guests, attend lectures. This program is funded primarily with foundation accounts and donor dollars. These lectures are evaluated at the conclusion of each lecture/gathering.
- “Media in Community” is a mid-term lecture organized for all Student Media students and to test the knowledge of students around the responsibilities of media makers in a diverse society. The seminar is a requirement of those students on media ethics and diversity. A mid-term seminar essay is required to earn an A grade. These lectures are reviewed at the conclusion of each lecture.
- Multimedia Challenge with Fire, State Patrol, Hazmat, and Theatre is in its third year. Students are teamed and compete in a two day, spot news, multimedia training. The students are taught how to work in teams and teach one another media skills. Teams cover a staged, spot news event and report it on a website they create on deadline utilizing at least 3 media. A team of three media professionals judges the teams. This year thanks to a donation the winning team will be treated to back-stage-passes to a digital broadcast production of a Trailblazer’s game.
- Professional staff retreats: Two-day strategic goal and planning sessions with cross training and staff development. Reviewed at the end of sessions. Will continue.
- Biweekly student leader team meetings planning, training and communications sessions take place between director and student leaders. Feedback at the end of the term.
- Students evaluate all “SM Presents” programs at the conclusion and feedback is made available to instructor/speaker.
- Memorial Union Marketing’s graphic design team replaced one of its designers with a videographer last year. Student groups have expressed excitement with the new option of having a short You Tube clip to help promote their events.