Introduction:

Welcome to the UVM Student Leader workbook. Being a Student Leader is an honor, a privilege, and a challenge. We hope this workbook can provide you with a space and some guiding questions to aid you in overcoming those challenges and leading your organization with grace and efficiency.

It is you the Student Leader who ensures your organizations thrive year after year and there is no doubt that proud tradition at UVM will continue

Table of Contents:

Section 1: Leadership Transition …………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Section 2: Recruiting ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Section 3: Retention ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10

Section 4: Setting Goals and Expectations …………………………………………………………………………….. 12

Section 5: Event Planning …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15

Section 6: Fundraising …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18

Section 7: Delegation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21

Section 8: Evaluation and Assessment …………………………………………………………………………………. 25

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Section 1: Leadership Transition

Transitioning leaders can be a difficult change for an organization and for individuals. In the world of student leadership this task can be even more daunting. Outgoing leaders can oftentimes be more focused on their futures such as post-graduation or studying abroad. Incoming leaders may or may not have had a prominent role in the organization, been taught about behind the scenes, or feel they have the needed skills to succeed.

Transitions can be made easier though by putting in place some strategies to ease into the change. Some such strategies include:

As a whole organization, evaluate the year – this can be accomplished with feedback forms, large group meetings, or 1on1 discussions

Don’t wait to long to hold elections – earlier elections provide opportunities for overlap with outgoing leaders

Shadowing – the act of shadowing allows the new leaders to get a grasp on the workload before absorbing the responsibility that goes with it

Documentation – Write things down; it is impossible to go over everything and even if you do it is impossible to remember everything. Documentation allows for new leaders to reference information at any point in time

Hold a transition meeting – get the incoming and outgoing leaders together to discuss the past year and the job responsibilities

Highlight the challenges and workload – while it is exciting to be a student leader don’t forget to discuss some of the challenges from time commitment to interpersonal conflicts that may exist

Highlight the positive parts of the experience – being a student leader is a rewarding and powerful experience

Below you will find some additional resources to guide your transition planning. Included are discussion questions, items to document, important resources, and a planning worksheet.

Are you currently an:

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Outgoing leader Incoming leader Returning leader

General Club Information:

Outgoing and Incoming Officers should complete the following questions together

1. What types of events will the club be involved in next year?

2. From a Financial standpoint, how sufficient was the budget this year? What types of things were additional funds needed for? In what ways were additional funds raised?

3. What is the most effective form of communication for being in touch with club members?

4. How much recruitment will be needed next year? What are the ways the club has recruited in the past?

5. In evaluating the year what were great successes and areas for improvement?

For Outgoing/Returning Leaders:

1. My responsibilities included:

2. I most and least enjoyed what regarding the position:

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3. The greatest successes this year were:

4. The things that could have gone better or I could have done better are:

5. The people, resources, and aids were most helpful in completing my job were:

6. Create a list of important tasks or events and a starting and ending date for each. If tasks are repetitive outline a general timeline rather than a specific date.

7. List any important contacts for leagues, advisers, opposing teams, etc:

8. What needs to be done over the summer or as soon as school resumes in the fall:

9. Are there any interpersonal or team building issues that you foresee?

10. List any other suggestions you feel would be helpful to your successor or items you wish you had known when taking over the position:

For Incoming Leaders:

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1. Are there any philosophical or personnel changes that need to be made before next year?

2. What are your goals for the organization?

3. What expectations do you have of yourself as a leader?

4. What expectations do you have of your organization members?

5. Who do I need to contact before next year? What, if anything will I need to register for over the summer or at the start of the fall?

6. Has the club been registered for Activities Fest or First Year BBQ?

7. What resources will I need?

8. How does scheduling of practices and events work?

9. What are tips for budget management?

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10. What challenges do you foresee? What are you most concerned about?

11. What other questions do you have of the outgoing leaders?

Important Resources, Documents, and Forms:

FY14 Final Budget Club Update Sheet Sign up for Activities Fest and First Year BBQ Club sports Manual: http://www.uvm.edu/~clubsprt/imgs/Manual%20FY13.pdf Adviser contact information SGA Treasurer’s Manual:

http://www.uvm.edu/sga/documents/TreasurerManual_FY13.pdf

Project List

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List the events/tasks/projects you executed this past year and include pertinent information needed to execute them successfully (note: this should be a general outline, for more detailed outlines of a specific event use the Event Management Tracking Chart)

Event/Task/Project

Dates/Timeline Resources needed

People/ Contacts

Special Notes

EXAMPLEClub Sports Broomball Tournament

Event in February; begin planning right after Thanksgiving

Sticks, Balls, Rink reservations, Lynx form

James in IM sports (656-5555); Mike the rink manager (656-5554)

Promote 6 weeks in advance; review rules; make schedule

Section 2: Recruitment

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Gaining and keeping members can be a daunting challenge but is essential to the organization as it cannot exist or thrive without healthy membership numbers. While you might not think these tasks would be challenging as you already know why your organization is awesome and believe in it’s mission, it is important to convey that to others.

On that note, it is essential to package your organization, essentially your product or brand, in a way that is easily accessible to new people. Think about the few essential details you want people to know about your organization. What is it about your group’s identity that you want to convey to people?

Once you’ve determined what it is you want people to know, the comes the how. There are a couple of opportunities at the start of the year to table and promote your organization and those are the First Year Barbeque and The Activities Fest. For more information on both of those, including sign up information check out this site: http://www.uvm.edu/studentlife/?Page=actfest.html&SM=programs_menu.html

But there are also other ways to get your name out there. Information sessions are a great way to answer questions for individuals who might be nervous to jump right in or want to know more. Doing demonstrations or having an introductory day open to all may also entice folks to show up. Alternative programming to mix and mingle can also create the personal connections that can convince someone to join your organizations. Most of all don’t be afraid to be creative in selling your organization.

Think about these questions below and map out recruitment strategies.

Why does your organization exist, what is its purpose:

What are some of the projects or events your organization is planning this year:

Why are you a member of the organization?

What benefits come along with membership?

What makes your organization special and unique?

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**Questions above adapted from College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas - Austin

Now that you have identified key components of your organizations, select the methods and formats in which you will convey these to potential students. Only choose items that are practical at this time for your organization:

Information Events

__ Flyers

__ Handouts

__ Ads in Campus Media

__ Flatscreen flyers

__ Website

__ Lynx page

__ viral videos

__ First Year Barbeque

__ Activities Fest

__ Tabling

__ Info sessions

__ Demos or open events

__ Bring a friend day

__ Alternative events (bbq, movie night, etc.)

Below are links to some great sites that address additional recruiting strategies and ideas:

http://www.oxnardcollege.edu/assets/pdf/currentstudents/asg/101_ways_to_recruit.pdf

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Effective_Student_Organization/Recruiting_and_Membership

http://www.uaf.edu/woodcenter/leadership/organizations/student-organizations-han/RECRUITMENT-RETENTION.pdf

Finally, remember that recruitment can have a lot to do with the attitude you bring to it. If you and your organization exude energy, positivity, and a welcoming environment potential members will be much more excited about joining.

Section 3: Retention

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Recruiting members is only half the battle as retaining them is second part of the challenge. Many student organizations do a wonderful job drumming up interest in their organizations but they do not put enough effort into maintaining this interest.

It is important to have retention strategies built into your organizations operating procedures. In essence retention boils down to two key principles, creating a welcoming atmosphere and getting new members invested in the mission of the organization. There are numerous ways to accomplish those two overarching philosophies but this section will focus on creating those two concepts within your organization.

Creating a welcoming atmosphere means having a space where you are wanted and feel safe. It is imperative that returning members interface with new members. Simple things like introductions and icebreakers go a long way. Just once is not enough though as there needs to be a continued effort to onboard and integrate new members. An important caveat to these interactions is ensuring that your organization is a safe space. Make sure your organization practices inclusive language to ensure all walks of life feel welcome. Making statements of inclusion and addressing potential areas for bias also make clear that your organization is open to anyone.

College is a very busy time for most students with a host of commitments and interest pulling students in a multitude of directions. It is important that your members see the value of the organization but also the value of their participation. What important aspect of that is setting goals and providing expectations which will be addressed in the next section. But beyond goals and expectations it is important to create a culture where everyone’s voice is heard and valued and where members have an opportunity to participate and gain from the organization. Making those benefits explicit can be a key to retaining membership.

Creating a welcoming atmosphere

In what ways will you introduce new members into the organization and teach them about the organization? In general, what team building strategies will you employ?

1.

2.

3.

How will you start your meetings or practices to ensure new members feel welcome and are part of the group?

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What does inclusive language mean to you and are there ways for your organization to improve in this area?

Detail an intervention strategy if you notice acts of bias:

Value and Investment

What are the greatest benefits for your members (you can reflect on your responses in Section 2):

1.

2.

3.

What spaces or opportunities will you create to hear members’ voices and feedback?

1.

2.

3.

Aside from formal leadership positions, what other meaningful opportunities can you create for involvement?

Check out some additional sites with retention strategies:

http://www.nmu.edu/organizations/node/97

Don’t forget the most important thing when it comes to retention, make sure everyone is having fun!

Section 4: Setting Goals and Expectations

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While Setting goals and expectations does not guarantee success, doing so can be a step in that direction. As a student leader you have the ability to influence the culture of your organization and create a path you would like the organization to follow. This can be a great challenge though from numerous standpoints. Creating buy-in from your membership can be a challenge; finances may prove a challenge; priorities might shift mid-year; as well as a variety of other variables.

However, creating goals and setting expectations at the start of each year can be an important stepping stone. Having common goals unites membership and gives the organizations something to strive for. Expectations make clear what you expect from a member on a day to day basis and in achieving your goals. Expectations also help shape the culture of an organization.

An important thing to consider in setting goals and expectations is what your members believe these should be. It is important that members feel invested in these as they will be more likely to buy-in if they have been part of the process and believe in the outcomes. So while the activities below are designed to be completed by an individual soliciting member feedback through a large meeting, feedback survey or 1on1 conversations may be an important part of the process.

Below are some activities to guide you in identifying your own individual goals and expectations as well as the groups.

Setting Goals

List one or two strategic/competitive goals for the organization. These could victories for a sport, number of performances, bringing a speaker to campus, raising awareness, etc. Give a brief explanation of what it will take to accomplish these:

1.

2.

List two organizational system goals. These can include improving a processes, growing your membership, revising your constitution, etc. Give a brief description of what it will take to accomplish these:

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1.

2.

List two goals for you personally or from a leadership standpoint:

1.

2.

Setting Expectations

1. Think about a profession (Coach, Teacher, President etc.) that holds a level of authority but also provides a service. As someone to whom a service is provided by those professions, what are some expectations you have of them?

2. As a former member of your club, what expectations did you have of your leader(s)?

3. As a leader what expectations do you have of your membership?

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4. What expectations do you think the administration (Club Sports Coordinator, SGA, LCE, UVM) have of you? What expectations do you have of them?

After considering your answers to the questions above and soliciting group feedback layout the top five expectations for your membership to be successful in reaching its goals and having a positive culture. Consider items like commitment, behavior, social justice, and so on. For each expectation, provide a sentence or two explaining why these expectations are important to your organization’s success

Organization Expectations

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Make sure these expectations are shared with your membership. If possible, find a prominent place to display them such as at meetings or on a website.

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Section 5: Event Planning

Checklist for on-campus events:

Before:

o Reserve the Space – Reserving space takes between one to two weeks so this should be done at least a month in advance if not sooner - On campus spaces: https://emsweb.uvm.edu/VirtualEms/Default.aspx

o Confirm time and date with visiting team/parties/community partners

o Book referees, officials, event staff, etc.

o Medical coverage – If your event requires an Athletic Trainer, an EMT or any other type of medical service make sure to contact the Club Sports Coordinator at least two weeks in advance

o If your event requires security or police services be sure to include that need in your initial reservation

o Be sure to have an emergency plan and be aware of any Risk Management needs

o Within 48 hours of the event re-confirm:a. space reservationb. external partiesc. Staffingd. Medical coverage or securitye. Check-in with your club members

o Make sure you show up early to set up and greet all partiesa. Have Tax forms if necessary to be filled out by speakers, officials or game staffb. Score sheets or other documentation required

After:

o Process payment for speaker, officials, staff, field rental, etc. (turn in tax forms if applicable)

o Confirm # of hours of medical coverage

o Share your success with appropriate parties and media outlets

o Report any injuries or incidents to appropriate parties within 48 hours

o Reflect on the event and assess how it went with your club

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Event Management Tracking Chart

Event Name: ______________ Event Date: ______________ Event Location: ______________

Task Start Date End Date Resources needed

People Assigned

Completed Special Notes

Space

Promotion

Legal/Paperwork

Day of Management

Risk Management

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Space refers to reserving the space as well as any considerations that need to be taken care of such as decorations, resources, and food

Promotion refers to any and all advertising, ticketing, etc. that might be needed

Legal/Paperwork refers to any contracts, documentation, or bills that may be needed

Day of Management refers to all tasks needed day of to insure the event runs smoothly including set up, breakdown, greeting guests, crowd control, collecting information, additional supplies and so on

Risk Management refers to any issues of risk that might need to addressed for example weather, an event that might spur controversy or opposition, potential for injury. It also includes having a point person an action plan in case of emergency.

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Section 6: Fundraising

Fundraising is an important yet challenging aspect for many clubs and organizations. With so many organizations vying for SGA funds clubs will undoubtedly be underfunded for their needs. Therefore fundraising becomes a necessary task for most clubs. Having said that, rare is it that an organization is designed in a way that it would be easy to generate income.

In this section you will find some important questions to jump start your fundraising process. Fundraising can be more than just the process of making money. It can be an opportunity for team building or marketing. It can also be a powerful opportunity to think outside of the box.

With that in mind fundraising can no longer be the arduous task that must be done but rather in an important piece of your organizations’ activities.

Fundraising Planning Worksheet

Brainstorming Questionnaire:

Is generating publicity or recruitment a goal in your efforts:

A. Yes B. Maybe C. NoRealistically, what is your goal amount for an individual fundraiser?

A. $100 B. $500 C. $1,000+How large is your team?

A. 10-20 B. 20-35 C. 35+Realistically, how much time can/should each person be able to contribute to your fundraiser

A. 1-2 hours B. 2-5 hours C. 5+ hours

If you predominantly chose “A” then small fundraisers with little to no overhead are likely your best bets. These are all simple and good ways to generate some additional funds without huge commitment of time or resources. Many of those are also simple ways to get your organizations name out there.

Bake Sales Flower sales Candy sales,

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Sticker sales Car washes Penny wars Garage sales

If you predominantly chose “B” then you might have to invest a little more into your efforts. For these groups projects such as these are all good ways with some upfront investment but with a chance for higher rewards.

sending out donation letters to alumni and families Producing small amounts of apparel for sale Seeking sponsorships with local businesses 50-50 Raffles at events Partnering for a day with a restaurant Performing or putting on clinics in the community Hosting tournaments or smaller scale events such as fun runs

If you predominantly chose “C” then you may require a larger upfront investment of time and resources. For these groups here are some ideas that should all be considered. Many of the ideas in “B” should also be incorporated. Keep in mind that some of these also run the risk of failure and you must be prepared for such a consequence.

large scale raffles banquets silent auctions bringing a speaker or performer to campus larger inventory or apparel and items for sale Large Scale donation campaigns

Tips for fundraising:

What has your club done in the past? Be Creative – unique ideas get attention Who is your target audience? Is it peers, parents, alumni, or the community? Tailor

your efforts to accommodate your audience Make sure your location fits your audience

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Make sure you consider if you would like your efforts to also be a recruiting or publicity tool

Links to fundraising ideas:

http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/resources/financialinfo/fundraising/fundraiserideas/

http://www.umbc.edu/studentlife/files/fundraising.pdf

Also, see the Fundraising section in the UVM Club Sports Manual

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Section 7: Evaluation and Assessment

The final part of a project or even a year is evaluation and assessment. While you might inclined to move on after completing an arduous project or an exhausting semester taking a little time to recognize and analyze what you have just done can go a long way.

The first step is acknowledging what you have accomplished. Even when you fell short of your goals there was often hard work that went into your process. It is important to take a moment to recognize yourself and other individuals efforts. Of course, this is true when you have been successful and you have an opportunity to celebrate your achievements. Your participants have also dedicated themselves to the organization and shared in the successes, applauding their contributions can go a long way psychologically in reinforcing investment.

The next step is to take a step back. Take a look at what you have done and see what went well and what needs some work. Being able to identify what made things work can help greatly in planning the same or similar events in the future. Likewise, identifying internal and external issue can help make things go smoother in the future.

Recognition:

List the 3 greatest accomplishments of the organization for this year:

1.

2.

3.

In what ways will you share and celebrate these accomplishments with the community (check all that apply):

___ Write a letter to parents and alums

___ Share with campus media outlets

___ Share on social media

___ Table

___ Other:

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Who were some of the key people who contributed to these successes:

In what ways will you acknowledge these individuals:

___ Thank them publicly via email or in a meeting

___ Send them a personal thank you

___ Call them

___ Honor them at an awards banquet

___ Other:

In what ways will you recognize the general membership:

___ Public thanks

___ Year end gathering

___ Prizes

___ Symbolic tokens

___ Senior Recognition

___ Other:

Evaluation and Assessment

There are a number of tools to analyze how a year went. A simple conversation may suffice and other times more complex data collecting tools may be necessary. Below are three tools designed to help with the Evaluation and Assessment:

Year-end meeting Agenda:

1. What are the great things we accomplished this year2. A conversation on the level and method of communication throughout the year3. How was the club on an inter-personal level4. What factors most contributed to meeting our goals5. What factors detracted from meeting our goals6. What would you like to see less or more of7. Any general feedback

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8. Go around the room twice (once if its a big a group) and state your favorite part about the year (most proud of and most fun moment)

A year-end meeting might not be possible due to your numbers or schedule. Likewise, the atmosphere you have may be better served by anonymous or at least confidential feedback. For this we we will create a questionnaire not dissimilar from our agenda above

Feedback Form:

From 1 to 5 rank (1 is the lowest, 5 is the highest) your satisfaction with each of the following:

Expectation and Goals were clear ___

Communication was appropriate and clear ___

The club’s interpersonal relationships were healthy ___

The club created a safe and welcoming environment ___

Meetings/Practices were well run ___

Rate your satisfaction with the events the clubs put on ___

Please provide short explanations for each of the following questions:

What factors most led to the club accomplishing its goals:

What factors most detracted from the club accomplishing its goals:

What would you like to see less or more of:

Do you have any general feedback for the organization including additional comments to the first set of questions:

What was your favorite part of being in the organization

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SWOT Analysis

A SWOT Analysis an item often used by business but can be applied to your student organization. Feel out the diagram below to take a look at 4 key elements of your organization moving forward

Strengths – list all the strengths of your organization

Weaknesses – list internal areas that need improvement

Opportunities – What are some external opportunities the organization might be able to take advantage of in the future (eg. New league)

Threats – What external challenges might exist (eg. Increased travel expenses)

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Section 8: Delegation

You will undoubtedly be busy throughout the year. Therefore it would be great to get some help in carrying out day to day task, executing projects, and in decision making. Furthermore, the research shows that organizations where a wider range of individuals are empowered to carry out work are stronger and more dynamic organizations.

This section will help in easing your burden and creating a powerful organization.

Before delegating it is important to identify a few things. First off is identifying the scope of what you are asking the person to do. It may be as simple as dropping off a Purchase Order or may be as elaborate as developing a fundraising plan for the organization. Identifying the goals within the scope is important as it will measure success. For example, the Purchase order will be filled out with the necessary paperwork by Friday. If that is done then it was a success. A fundraising plan is more complex but identifying the goal for the person you are delegating for is essential. For example, the organization will have at least one fundraising initiative a month and our goal will be to raise $100 each month. In this way the individual who was delegated to has a clear goal to shoot for.

The next aspect is to make sure the person has the necessary resources and skills to be successful. For example with the Purchase Order you might ensure that the person has received a copy of the Treasurer’s manual and they have also done one with you prior. In regards to fundraising you may provide them with examples of what the club did in the past, the section above, and important information for reserving tables and so on. You may also need to find additional people to help them out. While taking the time to train them and conjure the resources might seem like a waste as in that time you could probably have just done it yourself that is not the correct way to look at it. The individual should now be able to do it on their own meaning the next time you can lean on them for support without any of the training. It also helps empower them to do more next time and to have ownership and leadership in the organization.

The final important aspect of delegating is checking-in. While micro managing can be an issue finding mechanisms to check-in is essential. You as the manager have the responsibility to ensure everything is done. Identify times and methods to check-in with the person you have delegated to in advance and also make sure they know you are available as a resource at any time.

Below are two outstanding resources from www.businessballs.com to begin delegating.SMART Tasks: http://www.businessballs.com/delegationsmarttaskform.pdfActivity Manager: http://www.businessballs.com/activitymanagementtemplate.pdf

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