APCA Campus Life Trends Magazine - Aug/Sept 2014

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CONTENTS connect With Us The aPca campus Life Trends Magazine is published quarterly. submissions for articles must be emailed to editor@apca.com.

For advertising, please contact associates@apca.com.

Publisher: association for the Promotion of campus activities Graphic design: designs by Pinkie The campus Life Trends Magazine is a trademark of the association for the Promotion of campus activities. all rights reserved. no articles or images of any kind may be reprinted from this magazine without the written permission of The association for the Promotion of campus activities. anyone seeking such permission should forward their request by email to editor@apca.com.

editorial: From The desk of executive director, eric Lambert ..............Pg. 4 Finally...it’s Time To Make Leadership F.U.n.!

By Mike Fritz .............................................Pg. 6 Polish your Personal Brand and Reap The Benefits By alicia young .........................................Pg. 23 student Programming: interacting with our academic Partners

By Larry Lunsford ......................................Pg. 10 soul + charm + swag = nick hagelin ........Pg. 12

Fall

cOVeR sTORy: ..........................................Pg. 14 ..........................................

Battle of t he

Bands do you Lead Like a Teacher or a coach?

By Bobby audley .......................................Pg. 18 aPca nationals highlights

By Morgan Mccoy .....................................Pg. 20 sustaining a culture Of evidence in student affairs

By Lance Kennedy-Phillips & d’arcy J. Oaks ..........................................Pg. 22 notice: your campus Life Budget has Been cUT! By aPca ...................................................Pg. 24 Get To Know Odd?Rod ..............................Pg. 26 campus culture: Programming Versus Partying

By Tameka Bazile ......................................Pg. 28 aPca student of the Month ........................Pg. 29 Use your Passion To Push

By Montana Gray ......................................Pg. 30 3 #APCACLT

l year o o h c s A new ived has arr so excited to

s is A Team f #CLT Campu C P A e h o lot ssue and T remier i s have put in a p e h t e s zine ditor relea s! Our e sure this maga fesd n e r T Life to be ife pro nd work s our campus l We hope a e m i t of ide. cate and edu leaders worldw ur readers s e r i p s in ive o dent and stu articles will g er student s l a n o i s ured t oth our feat ore abou ur some of ity to learn m boards, and o g n n u i rt an oppo dent programm . u t e s n rs leaders, s and entertai s ist sponsor t r r a u o A o C t AP #CLT k you ge than r first issue of u h a d xten e ou like to e r helping mak our campus d l u o w I ge s fo er encoura tributor e a lead and con e’d also like to ticle, nominat s. W n ar a succes ders to write a s feature your . let u nned nt lea d stude f the Month, or t you have pla n a

s l a ent o l even ession e life prof mpus for Stud are a successfu s. Pleas u p a m h c a s c r d ial your on you nization an ou and ave or any spec y a g r r o o f / e d c boar ring esour you h d to sha eficial r estions r n g a e g w b r u o a s f e lb ook any this wil ff with es. We l We hope ontact our sta in future issu to c see e! feel free d like to of campus lif l u o w u yo rld articles ends in the wo r t t the lates ly,

Sincere

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FinaLLy…it’s time to Make Leadership F.U.n.! so you incRease inVOLVeMenT in your student Organizations and Keep your current Leaders involved Longer!!

By Mike Fritz,

america’s Leading authority on Making Leadership F.U.n.

I have had the honor to speak to college campus just like yours all over the country. Almost every campus asks the same question, and maybe you are too: “How can we engage more students in our campus organizations and increase campus involvement at our events?”

What is the cause of this massive decline? Is it because students are just too busy? Is it because student organizations aren’t connecting with their campuses on the relevance level of today’s college students? Does the typical college student even understand what being involved in a student organization or attend campus events can do for their campus experience and life after college? What do we need to improve to start increase engagement in our student organizations and?

According to research that I have personally done, students remain distant from campus organizations/involvement because they perceive that the organization either doesn’t offer them anything they want or it seems “boring”. In the research two questions were asked in reference to a particular event that was held on campus: did you know about the event (this tells me if the events are being promoted properly) and t he second one assuming they did know about it is why they didn’t attend.

It is easy to write this response off, however, I think it would be prudent to explore the “statement behind their statement”. What are these students really saying when they say that campus organizations and campus activities are 6

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“not fun” and/or “boring”? More times than not, they are saying the organization and it’s events just aren’t “fun.”

Depending on the person there can be many different ideas of what it means to have “fun.” To some it could be completing projects with friends, while others it is laughing etc. Don’t think of the word “Fun” as a word that diminishes your mission, but rather implant fun into your mission for the purpose of engaging the maximum number of students on campus!

Whether we like it or not, students will get involved in your student organizations and attend student activities events based on whether they believe your event is going to give them what they want while accomplishing what you want - student engagement and leaving an impact on people’s lives. We must remember the number one perceived desire of a stressed out college student is to have fun.

So what is the answer? How do we develop the kinds of leaders that can spearhead these kind of initiatives. I believe the answer is found in three words: Friends, Unique opportunities and what I call a “Next Level Structure”. This is the acronym for F.U.N. that I have used to help shape and shift the way college students think about how they run, talk about and think about the organization of which they are a part.

(1) Friends - there is no greater dRaW (getting people involved) and GLUe (keeping them involved) to an organization than deep friendships.

Even though I like Facebook as much as the next person, Facebook has redefined the word “Friend”. It has created an illusion that a friend is just a click away, when we know that most of us only have a few TRUE friends in our lifetime. This is the most powerful element of an organization.

So part of every member’s job in the student organization is to connect with and deepen the relationship with those who are on their team. This certainly doesn’t mean that everybody has to be BEST friends, however, there is a direct correlation between the closeness of a team and their success! One of the exercises I put students through who attend the campus events that I speak at is what I call “gathering the ‘Whats Up’ session.”

A “What’s Up session” is simply giving other people a chance to share what is going on in their life that they are excited about. I have built relationships with people very quickly by letting them talk about their favorite subject (it’s all of our favorite subjects) - themselves. It tells them that I care about what is going on in their life and (and I really do). The cool thing about doing this is that students learn about each other, and then a couple of weeks later they can ask a question that references the “brag session”. For example, “Hey, you said you were trying to land a job with Apple.

Have you had any breakthroughs with that? Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” This is a huge friendship builder. Imagine if this was the practice of your entire team; how would this change your organizational culture and thus your campus culture?

(2) The next major element to your team’s success is to create Unique Opportunities. What this means is that your organizational leaders get to do things that only those who are involved in the organization get to do. For example, maybe you take your team to the White House and they get to meet some amaz-

ing leaders in Washington DC (um… that’s where the White House is…just making sure you knew); Then you come back and post pics all over campus of what “YOUR” organization got to do.

And why did you get to do it? Because you made a sacrifice to be on the team; therefore you got to reap the benefit.

You post the pictures so others see it and begin to think, “Man I wish I could go there. I wonder what I would have to do to be a part of that group.”

You want to make sure you don’t make exceptions and take people to your organizational outings who aren’t a part of the organization. This is called “Inclusion by Exclusion”. You exclude people and then they want to be a part of the group; just because they can’t!

(3) The last key element in organization involvement and retention is having a Next-level structure. This means that the longer you are involved in an organization, the more responsibility and more benefit you get. This might look like your first year on the team you get to help out with events, the second year you get to lead one of the event teams, the third year you go to the programming conferences and the fourth year you are on the executive team where you are spearheading the major decision making. This keeps people involved longer because there is always something new to look forward to the next year.! !

The top three reason colleges and universities from all over the country have me come to their campus to speak is because they want to increase involvement, increase retention of organizational leaders and get more people to their campus events.

There is no better way than adopting the FUN philosophy of leadership!

You can get more information about Making Leadership FUN and review Mike’s speaking availability at www.mikefritz.net. Hope to see you on your campus soon. Making Leadership F.U.N., Mike Fritz. #APCACLT 7 #APCACLT

PoLiSH Your PerSonAL BrAnd - And reAP THe BenefiTS! By alicia young, speaker. alicia@savvylife.net name a national pizza chain. your go-to shopping site. your favorite airline.

I’ll bet you answered in seconds.

Have you ever considered yourself as a brand? Logos have become a shorthand for a certain standard of service and a certain consumer experience. In short, they set up expectations—then deliver.

Companies invest millions, even billions, in cultivating that sense of familiarity and trust, and protect it ferociously.

Because here’s the thing: you are one. Of course, I’m not suggesting you’re a product to be sold (cue outraged activists and parents), but rather, that you represent an overarching quality, a practiced reliability, a consistent way of doing things. Imagine your life as a movie. Now imagine the movie posters and ads. What would your tagline be?

Whether or not we realize it, our brand is broadcasting to the world each moment who we are: how we do business, how we deal with conflict or stress, the type of intern or employee we’d make—even the type of friend we’re likely to become. Add to the mix: a 24/7 media landscape. It used to be that only celebrities had their images and quotes plastered everywhere.

Today, we upload our thoughts, tastes, hobbies and humor in rapid fire. Some tips to ensure your brand shines: The Social Media Spring-clean. Take a sample of your social media posts. Are you overly reliant on emoji? Are your words dripping in sarcasm? Are the links you share cutesy, or considered?

Do you tend to one-up others, or do you give credit where it’s due? Crucially, how is your grammar? Imagine these posts on the front page of The New York 8

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Times—with your handle and photo, of course. Do you cringe, feel neutral, or puff your chest in pride? What if any of your tweets started trending? Would you be fine with it, or would you have to change your name, flee to Bolivia and raise alpacas to escape the storm coming your way?

Try a Digital Detox. Put down your phone. Step away from your screen. If you’re driven to keep hitting that “refresh’ button, consider that you might have a mild case of FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Seriously. Dare to step out of the loop—and refuse to explain your absence. You’ll create a fabulous sense of mystery! Milk the allure.

Review your backing vocals. We all have verbal crutches. Often, they’re filler words such as “you know” and “so”.

Other times, they’re phrases that hint at our world view, hang around in the background and form part of our brand.

You won’t want to be known for repeatedly injecting your conversations with “It’s not fair!” or “I’m exhausted.” People might regard you as a bit of whiner, or someone who’s permanently fatigued.

Upgrade your personal soundtrack, and others will notice in the best way.

We’re each a brand. it’s up to us if, when and how we polish it.

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AdviSor’S Corner

sTUdenT PROGRaMMinG: interacting with our academic Partners By dr. Larry Lunsford Vice President for student affairs Florida international University

AdviSor’S Corner

syneRGy: Webster’s defines synergy as the action of two bodies to accomplish something. Activities and program advisors can play a major role in assisting students to develop collaborative efforts between students and their academic partners to jointly plan and produce effective programming that meets student learning outcomes as well as meets academic goals and the mission of the institution.

How do you get students to understand the importance of developing these partnerships? The opportunity to work with faculty is exciting, and students will become challenged and motivated. The connections made and benefits are long-lasting.

The true story of what you do is not known by others. Our academic partners often believe that you are the ones that just plan parties, dances, and movies. They don’t see the full scope of what you do or realize how much you contribute to student learning and development. What goes on outside the classroom is as important as what goes on inside the classroom.

You have an opportunity to improve your programming and at the same time, increase student learning outcomes. We need to have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities. We need to have more knowledge about and confidence in our ability to develop these partnerships and work with others.

Please convince your students that what they do matters, and when faculty are involved, it matters even more! Then others tell the students’ story. They will witness firsthand that students are contributing significantly to campus life, which results is affinity to the institution, and faculty will feel appreciated outside the classroom. #APCACLT #APCACLT

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SOUL + CHARM + SWAG #ACOUSTICKILLA www.therealnick.com

Nick’s journey

with APCA began at APCA Nationals in Atlanta, GA when he performed at Late Night Jam. As soon as he stepped up to the mic, his presence demanded the attention from the crowd. Nick lit up the room with his soulful voice, skills on the guitar, and entertaining showmanship.

After his first

APCA conference in Atlanta, Nick joined the roster for the Purposeful Programming Showcase at the APCA Student Life Advisors Institute and Student Leadership Workshop in Nick’s hometown of New York City. To no surprise, Nicked wowed the audience and had them up on their feet before his first selection ended.

This is what Nick had to say

about his APCA experience… “I’m new to APCA but I had a great time performing in NYC. I loved the energy and enthusiasm from the students. It seems like the key to harnessing the power of the organization is networking. Participants representing colleges come from all over the country to learn about you and your talent. The best things you can do are 1. Connect with all of them and 2. Learn about how you can improve their student’s on-campus experience. That’s how you can constantly improve your value as a performer- through all this amazing interaction and feedback.

That’s the power of APCA!”

We are excited

Nick will be joining us at each of the conferences this fall. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with! Get to know a little more about this upcoming star!

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NICK HAGELIN FUN FACTS ABOUT NICK...

1.

nick is a professional Ballet dancer. he is also known to freestyle rap and beatbox, but usually only at parties.

2.

he loves making beats, skim boarding, fitness, and dJing

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Michelle Obama is his celebrity crush!

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nick, what’s your favorite tv show? “TV gives you brain cavities. i don’t even have one... i do try and catch postseason/playoffs sports and Parks and Recs is hilarious. (honestly i do have a TV but it fried in a lightning storm and it’s in the repair shop right now.)”

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he’s inspired by: sting, Michael Jackson, steely dan, Bob Marley, notorious BiG, Jay-Z, Marvin Gaye, Bobby shmurda, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars

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ask nick to show you his “shmoney dance” at his booth in exhibit hall at your aPca Fall Regional campus events Planning conference! #APCACLT

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Fall

B at tle of the

B an ds

With the fall APCA conferences right around the corner, numerous submissions for showcases have been coming into the APCA office from all over the country! With only four band slots available at each regional conference, bands have a tough time getting a spot if they do not submit as soon as the registration opens. This year, nine bands have secured the band slots for the fall conference season. Each of the bands will battle it out to see if they are a fit for your campus events. Before the battle heats up, APCA would like to introduce the bands you will see this fall. With old favorites and some new bands added to the APCA showcase roster, they will no doubt entertain us all this fall at each APCA Regional Campus Events Planning Conference. For more information or to book these artists, please contact aPca. 800-681-5031 jordan@apca.com

Mockingbird Degy Booking International Sun facebook/mockingbirdsun, @mockingbirdsun

How did your band come together? We met through a mutual songwriter friend in Nashville after an event at the Bluebird Cafe. The next day we got lunch and started the band.

Who makes up your band? What instruments do you all play? Charlie Berry, guitar, melody vocals. Brett Taylor, guitar, harmony vocals. Truck Roley, banjo, mandolin, keys, harmony vocals.

What is the favorite song that your band plays? “Hey Mary” is a blast to play every night.

Brazilian 2wins

Houla Entertainment facebook/brazilian2wins, @brazilian2wins

How did your band come together? We met in college and just loved playing with each other.

We all had a lot of fun, so put this band together a couple years ago.

Who makes up your band? What instruments do you all play?

Walter: Electric Violin/Vocals. Wagner: Ukulele. Riley: Bass. Raqwon: Drums.

Which bands/band influenced your band and why?

Growing up in Brazil, whatever was hot in the US influenced us.

With our group now, to focus on one or two bands would put us onto a path to emulate. Our identity is really influenced by us just exploring as many sounds and genres as possible.

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Royal Hoax

facebook/royalhoaxdetroit, @royalhoax

Who makes up your band?

What instruments do you all play? Jake Hoke, Mark Hoke, and Jeff Hutchins. Jake plays bass and sings lead vocals. Mark plays guitar, keys, and sings harmonies. Jeff plays drums.

What is your favorite memory of an APCA event or college campus event? Driving through the back woods of upstate New York on our way to play a show at SUNY Platzburgh. We almost hit 3 deer, saw remote cabin shacks that looked they could be in the movie “Evil Dead”, we had no cell phone reception, and only got radio reception to a station that was playing creepy M Night Shyamalan esk music. All of this was just hours before “Snowmagedon” where it dumped a whopping 14 inches. However, the show was well worth the effort! Thanks again for having us SUNY Platzburgh!

DNK

Bass/Schuler Entertainment facebook/dnkofficial, @dnkofficial

Fall

B attl e of th e

Bands

How did your band come together? We both attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN. We had classes together and sang back up vocals for each other and other artists in concerts. We did a show together where Kayla rapped and I sang because we just thought it’d be fun. Little did we know, our now-publisher Becki Devries was in the audience, and she basically told us to make what happened on stage our lives! It’s been an on-going adventure ever since.

Who makes up your band? What instruments do you all play?

1.Kayla Erb – Rap / Vocals / Ukulele / Tambourine, 2.David Davis – Lead Vocals / Piano / Guitar, 3.Blake Swiggum – Drums, 4.Occasional Additional Touring Members, 1.Peter Ferguson – Guitar Why do you want to be in the college market? We do a lot of venue shows and love them, but there is something about being in front of people our age who just show up to have a good time during a really fun period of their lives. Plus, the college market provides direct access to fans that would otherwise be hard to reach in a heavily saturated industry.

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Melodime

Degy Booking International facebook/melodime, @melodime

How did your band come together? MELODIME was started in Virginia after two brothers that grew up playing music in the hayloft of their family farm were introduced to lead singer Bradley Rhodes. Years later, they met lead guitarist Jon Wiley and now tour the country playing over 150 shows a year.

Who makes up your band? What instruments do you all play?

MELODIME is Bradley Rhodes (vocals, guitar), brothers Sammy Duis (piano, organ, bass) and Tyler Duis (drums), and Jon Wiley (guitars, vocals) How many times has your band changed their name? We’ve gone through a total of 4 band name changes over the course of our 8 years (Road Less Traveled, Adage Rd., and Bradley James & the Roadies).

We landed on MELODIME in our second year which is the combination of melody & time.

Fall

Battle Brena

LRS College Entertainment facebook/LRSCollegeEntertainment @JasonScarcelli

of t he

Bands

Who makes up your band?

What instruments do you all play?

Band members include: Steffan Copenhaver - vocals, trumpet, violin, Sean Copenhaver - vocals, guitar, trombone, harmonica, Craig Avery - keyboards, keytar, vocals, Dan Vanlente - bass, vocals, Sam Parks - lead guitar, Sam Briggs - drums What is your favorite memory of an APCA event or college campus event? We had such a great time at the APCA conference in Hershey, PA. When we started our set, everyone got out of their seats and came to the front of the stage. There was so much energy and excitement in that room. The band and the crowd were really into the performance. We hope to experience that again at the next APCA event!

We made many friends at the conference, especially all of the Penn State schools. We hope to make more friends in the years to come.

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Midnight Mosaic Houla Entertainment

facebook/midnightmosaic, @midnightmosaic Who makes up your band?

What instruments do you all play? A.t. Hunte: Vocals, Trent Carter: Guitar, Harrisyn Hartt KeyboardsSynthesizer, AJ: Drums, Gil T. Brown: Bass, and Dee M: Backing Vocals How do you get hyped up for a performance? Our ritual is we all come together like a football team and give a big Ric Flair[-like] “WOO!”, then we are off and running.

Old Salt Union facebook/oldsaltunion @oldsaltunion

Who makes up you band? What instruments do you all play? The band consists of five members: Dustin Eiskant (Guitar, Vocals, Ukulele), Ryan Murphey (Banjo, Vocals), Jesse Farrar (Bass, Guitar, Vocals), Justin Wallace (Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals), John Brighton (Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals) How do you get hyped up for a performance? Warming up is the most beneficial way to get ‘hyped’ for a show. Getting your fingers and mind ready is essential.

Phillip Fox Band

Houla Entertainment facebook/phillipfoxband, @phillipfoxband

Who makes up your band?

What instruments do you all play? Band members include: Phillip Fox (primary song-writer, rhythm guitars, and lead vocals), Jonathan Kampfe (Bassist and backing vocals), David Morckel (Lead guitars and backing vocals), and Austin Nill (Drums and percussion).

Why do you want to be in the college market? Phillip Fox Band has a lot to offer the college market and its music appeals to multiple generations and crosses ethnicities. Until now, the band has never actively pursued collegiate venues; however, more and more we are discovering how much our music resonates with crowds from all walks of life. #APCACLT #APCACLT 17

“do you Lead Like a TeacheR or a cOach?”

By Bobby audley

Back in April a good friend Tweeted me simply this, #DontBe Intimidated.

When I asked her what this was all about she explained that she has been having trouble speaking up at her new job. This reminded me of the simple power of Don’t Be_________.

When I was in the 10th grade I finally heard my coach say, “Audley!

You’re in!” I ran on to the lacrosse field and the ball came right to me! At that moment I missed the catch, missed the scoop, finally picked the ball up and then threw the ball away! On my first play ever as a varsity athlete! I missed the catch, missed the scoop, and threw the ball away!

When I came off the field my head coach didn’t even look at me. My assistant coach waved me over to him with his cane. My assistant coach looked at me and asked, “You nervous?” I said yes! Coach looked at me and I’ll never forget it, all he said was Don’t Be and then he looked back at the field. Don’t Be. That was it.

i had the skill and the ability to soar in that moment but my nerves caused me to fail.

Bobby audley is a college leadership speaker with Outside The Zone. OTZ seeks to increase student engagement and involvement on college campuses.

To learn more visit www.bobbyaudley.com and www.dontbeblog.com.

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Don’t Be is the reality that most of have untapped potential. Don’t Be is the understanding that most of us are in the positions we are in because someone of authority knows we have the ability, the skills, and the knowledge to fulfill this role better than anyone else they know. Most of us sit on the sidelines of life hoping we don’t hear our name called because then we might have an opportunity to fail! But deep down inside we all know that if we could just stop being intimidated, stop being scared, stop being nervous, if we could just stop being whatever it is that is holding us back and keeping us

down…deep down most of us know we would soar!

I had the skill and the ability to soar in that moment but my nerves caused me to fail.

Understanding this, how do we as educators empower student leaders to soar? I believe we empower student leaders by taking a page out of the coaching playbook.

Great coaches have mastered the art of creating a culture of empowerment on their teams. Coaches are forced to lead from a place of absence rather than a place of management. A coach spends tremendous time preparing her players for their moment of performance and when their moment arrives, a great coach throws her players in to the fire!

But a great coach does not leave her players alone; she stands on the sideline for her players. She is there to help them but not to do for them.

I have seen this same empowering dynamic with student leaders, specifically in my experience with student orientation leaders. This August I planned and facilitated orientation leader training with 12 student leaders. On the morning of their orientation I was walking around checking on the OLs I had trained and I noticed one OL in particular was having trouble with her group.

The new students were not responding well to her icebreaker activity. My immediate thought was to step in and help out! I was confident in my ability to remedy the situation and ensure these new students had a great session!

Right before jumping in I stopped and thought, “Am I coaching or teaching?”

As a teacher I am expected to instruct and I have the ability to jump in at the first sign of struggle. As a coach I do not have this ability. I am forced to watch from the sideline. I always want to coach! When a coach stands on the sideline and watches a player struggle, they must trust that they have prepared their player for this difficult situation. So

as a coach, I left the situation alone and moved on.

Later that day we sat down as a group to debrief their first day of orientation. This OL spoke up to admit that at first she was having a lot of trouble with her group. She said her students were not interested in doing any “silly icebreakers” and thought this whole thing was “stupid.” The OL then went on to explain how she handled this: “I said OK well do you want to talk?

And they said YES! So we had a great discussion about college, what they’re excited about and what they’re nervous about. It was really a lot of fun!”

I was floored! If I had stepped in not only would I have prevented this student leader from growing in her struggle but also I would have forced icebreakers on this group of new students. This group had a great discussion about college and after all, isn’t that the point of breaking the ice in the first place? To open new students up! When I affirmed her decision and congratulated her on this experience she reminded me that she learned this from our training. When I told her that the purpose of the icebreaker session is ultimately to get the students interacting, socializing, and talking about their expectations of college. I had coached her well enough in training, now I had to accept that she was in fact ready to soar.

As a Student Leader Coach you have to prepare your students to the best of your ability in practice and then give them the space to perform. The risk with this approach is that when your student leader steps up to perform there is the risk that they might miss the catch, miss the scoop, and throw the ball away. In this moment I challenge you. I challenge you to tell your student leader Don’t Be. Don’t Be whatever it is that holding you back from achieving you full potential as leader. Don’t Be that thing. #DontBe Intimidated to give your student leaders this chance. #APCACLT 19 19

APCA Nationals

Highlights

A new powerhouse to the APCA lineup, Morgan McCoy flourished on stage during her one-woman show, “Evolution of a Black Girl…” Morgan’s ability to reenact women such as Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King moves the audience and helps connect them to a time of civil injustice in our country’s history.

Because of her charismatic personality and passion for enlightening and educating her audience through drama and comedy, Morgan’s talents took her to the top of the bookings for the APCA National Conference held in March 2014.

We are excited to add Morgan to the APCA roster and can’t wait to hear about her travels to your campuses. Get to know Morgan McCoy!

Do you have any hidden talents?

One hidden talent is event planning; however, I don’t like the pressure that comes along with it so I rarely tell people about that gift.

What is your favorite food/foods?

I love breakfast food and Mexican food. You can give me a Quesadilla, Chimichanga, Burrito, Waffles, Eggs, or French Toast any time of day and I’m a happy girl!

What are your hobbies?

I love poetry, so I go to a lot of spoken word events and host open mics. I love writing and going to the movies, plays, and a lot of museums. I also love mentoring young ladies and helping out at my church.

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Tell us about your APCA experience?

What advice can you give to new APCA members?

My APCA experience was amazing, which is an understatement. A friend of mine who is a motivational speaker told me about APCA and after hearing from him and talking to the APCA staff I decided to participate in the APCA National Conference. I ended up booking 30 contracts from attending just that one conference in Atlanta, which totally blew my mind! I would tell all new members to not be afraid to ask questions. The APCA staff wants to see you succeed and has been doing this business for a long time and can give good insight. Also, talk to other members who have had success with APCA. So many talented artists shared their experiences with me which helped me

properly prepare for my set. Remember that everyone is important so stay humble and be kind to everyone you come in contact with. You never know who you are talking to. Also be sure to put your best foot forward when you go on stage for your showcase. To sum it all up prepare, network, and work!

Favorite song?

I have a new theme song every month or so. Right now, my top song is Closer

by Nikki Thompson.

heRshey, Pa FeB 27 - MaRch 1

Favorite movie?

I am a movie buff so that’s a hard question but I would have to say the top of this list would Sister Act 2.

Favorite TV show?

I absolutely love NCIS! My dream is to be in an episode with Mark Harmon.

Las VeGas, nV JUne 18-20

Favorite dance move?

I’m going to go with the throwback cabbage patch

Who is your celebrity crush?

My celebrity crush since I was 16 is Vin Diesel. While I was in high school, I had pictures of him posted up on my wall.

neW yORK ciTy, ny JULy 17-19

Which artist influenced you?

So many talented artists influenced me while growing up. Maya Angelou influenced me to write and Angela Bassett and Julia Roberts influenced me to want to become an actress. Whoopi Goldberg was one of those who influenced me to look further into the world of one woman shows and thus my producing “Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House”.

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Sustaining a Culture of Evidence in Student Affairs

Lance C. Kennedy-Phillips, PhD Associate Vice-Provost for Institutional Research University of Illinois at Chicago

D’Arcy J. Oaks, PhD

Associate Director, Center for the Study of Student Life The Ohio State University 22

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Introduction

It is impossible to develop and sustain a culture of evidence in student affairs without commitment, consistency, connection and communication. All student affairs divisions should develop a culture of evidence to support the decision-making processes of the division and the university. The accountability movement has become an important consideration for all levels of management in American higher education. On college and university campuses across the country, there is a growing need for a shared responsibility for student learning and success. Internal and external constituents are demanding results backed by clear and convincing evidence. Parents, legislators, employers, and students want assurances that the higher education environment will be a pathway to employment upon graduation. They want to believe the university is providing students with the skills they need to be successful in their career pursuits and as citizens in a global society A strong and sustained culture of evidence is vital to any student affairs organization and does not happen without hard work and intervention.

In a student affairs context, we believe there are four components necessary to creating and sustaining a culture of evidence in student affairs.

First, there must be commitment at all levels of the organization to assessment and data collection. Second, the organization must be consistent in all aspects of its assessment processes. Third, a strong culture of evidence is connected to goals and outcomes both internal and external to the division. Finally, communication is key to developing a positive and sustained culture of evidence.

The 4 C’s

For any culture of evidence to be sustained and successful, it needs executive support and it needs commitment from all levels of the division. The culture will not be successful without a charge from the chief student affairs officer (CASO).

The CSAO sets the tone for the division.

If the CASO provides only casual support for assessment and data collection, the effectiveness of these actions diminishes immediately. In addition to the CSAO, a senior-level professional must lead the assessment and data collection for the division.

With the cyclical nature of our student body and entry-level to mid-level staff, consistency is the most difficult component to achieve. Assessment and evidence gathering must become part of the institutional process. Just as we develop budgets and content for our programs and services, we must also develop clear outcomes and the method for assessing those outcomes. Building a culture is more than just designating “the year of assessment”. The assessment process should not change every year. The process should be ground in best practices and fit the unique needs of the organization.

A strong and sustained culture of evidence is connected to the larger university mission and goals. Student affairs divisions must be able to demonstrate that their work aligns with university values so that senior staff can secure monetary and personnel resources, participate in institutional accreditation, and help students develop the skills necessary to achieve career success.

Without transparent, clear and frequent communication, a sustained and strong culture of evidence is not possible to develop or implement. Communication regarding the division’s assessment process should involve all layers of the organization. Failure to clearly articu-

late the assessment process may lead to confusion and frustration. The language describing the process should be clear. We advocate for divisions to develop a glossary of terms. This is helpful to prevent unnecessary barriers regarding participation in the process.

Having consistency in language is key to any culture, and is especially necessary for a culture built around evidence.

Conclusion

No longer can the division rely on anecdotal decision-making. Decisions must be made based on data that are collected as part of a systematic and systemic process. Data provides a context to understand the effectiveness of programs and services offered by the division. Members of the division must receive training regarding how to collect student learning outcomes data quantitatively, qualitatively, and through the use of mixed methods.

These data enhance the discourse regarding what students are learning and adds to the culture of evidence In summary, we would recommend the following take aways: 1. Be committed. For any culture of evidence to be sustained and successful, it needs executive support and it needs ownership from all levels of the division.

2. Be connected. A strong and sustained culture of evidence is connected to the larger university mission and goals.

3. Be consistent. Assessment and evidence gathering must become part of the routine institutional and divisional management process.

4. Be communicative. Without transparent, clear and frequent communication, a sustained and strong culture of evidence is not possible to develop or implement.

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800.681.5031

your campus Life Budget has been cUT!

www.apca.com

Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities

NOTICE:

Many programmers have nowhere to turn when they read this announcement. But if you’re like hundreds of other progressive thinking APCA student life advisors, you’ll know exactly what resource to use to combat this problem.

Who is APCA? The Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities specializes in low and no cost programming for campus life. Our mission is to help student life departments with limited resources make more of an impact on their campuses. APCA is a staunch advocate of purposeful programming that incorporates meaningful, assessable learning outcomes that can improve retention levels on your campus.

Why should i participate in APCA? Development! We will keep you up to date on the latest professional development trends and student theory, organize and motivate your student boards and give you the resources to stretch your programming dollars. Our workshops and campus event programming conferences feature nationally known student life theorists and cost saving programs to keep your budget under control.

PreviouS KeYnoTe PreSenTerS

dr. Vincent Tinto Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University, Former Chair of the Higher Education Program, Author of Leaving College and Completing College

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dr. Gwen dungy Executive Director of NASPA from 1995-2012

dr. connie Boronot Director of Assessment and Evaluation for dr. George Kuh Student Affairs and Indiana University Undergraduate Chancellor’s Professor Education at Florida Emeritus and Director International University

How does APCA help my budget? We bring value! APCA membership fees are the lowest by far in the marketplace, at only $299 per year. That fee covers every club and student organization on your campus. Our value packed conference fees also include 4 hot meals, student life educational sessions for advisors and students, showcases, conference swag and access to all conference events. If you program campus activities events or facilitate professional or student development programs, we will help you stretch your dollars!

Who else has tried APCA? APCA has been serving the college marketplace with cutting edge campus activities resources and training for over 20 years: “APCA: Friendly, Family, Affordable and Fun. The staff is professional and genuinely appreciative of school members. They offer quality programming, seasoned educational speakers and affordable conferences to schools of all sizes. Our students enjoy their experiences with APCA and call APCA family!”

Yonna Pasch, Director of Student Activities - Northwestern State University “I cannot describe how excited my students are every year for the APCA Conference.

With the discounts that we get from the Co-op buying process, we are able to save enough money to pay for the entire conference experience. Beyond that, however, it’s great to be able to work with the other schools in our area in a synergistic way. My students have developed great relationships with their peers at other schools as a result of the experience.”

Jeff Foote, Director of Student Life - SUNY Cobleskill “I would encourage all colleges to attend APCA. It’s worth every penny! The staff are extremely friendly and make everyone feel a part of the APCA family. APCA is a great opportunity to see very talented performers from all walks of life and block booking helps to place them in a price range that we can afford.”

Nancy Agan, Director of Student Life - Corning Community College

not happy with your APCA experience?

Money back guarantee! All APCA event delegate fees come with a

money-back guarantee of satisfaction. If for any reason you are unsatisfied, by the end of the first day of the event, simply return your conference materials and request a refund of your fees. All fees, minus your prepaid meal costs, will be returned to your school after the event. APCA is the only campus activities conference system to guarantee your delegation a positive experience!

APCA – the most value in the campus activities market! APCA is

the best decision you can make to further your professional and student development. We ensure the best value for your event programming dollars, and have a long track record of success. Our event experiences are guaranteed, with an excellent reputation for consistently exceeding our delegates expectations. Contact us now to incorporate affordable, assessable and meaningful campus activities resources and training into your campus event programming!

www.apca.com

800.681.5031

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GET TO KNOW

ODD ?ROD aPca 2014 entertainer of the year aPca 2014 spoken Word artist of the year facebook/poetoddrod @Odd_Rod Full name: Roderick Olabode Borisade Nick name: Odd?Rod Accomplishments I am most proud of: I am most proud how far I’ve come. My path started out rough but I kept pushing.

In five years, I see myself: Being a household name from my work.

I wrote my first poem when I was 13 years old, and it was called The Suicide Door My biggest inspiration is: my listeners In another life I was probably a: bird My go-to karaoke song is: Living On A Prayer

by Bon Jovi I can’t travel without: my music Tell us about “Eric’s Life, Inc.” and the organizations that benefit from it: Eric’s Life, Inc. is the organization I started in honor of my brother who passed away of a brain tumor. We randomly give to other non-profits to promote the idea of philanthropy.

Words of advice for our readers: Don’t ever expect people to do more for you than you can do for yourself.

Most memorable APCA experience: Most memorable APCA experience was my first showcase at Hershey 3 years ago. It was my first sample of watching my dreams come true.

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Where did the “Odd” part of your name come from? I named myself “Odd?Rod” because I felt like I was going against the odds by not selling drugs and doing my best in school. My surroundings and peers were much different.

You’re such an inspiration for those who are truly listening. I’m curious how do you reach beyond when you hit a low or rift as you are pressing forward? It’s funny when that happens I usually get a message from a listener that keeps me going. I think it’s a push from God. You talk about your grandpa influencing your life, what is one situation that is one of the most influential and memorable of the impacts he’s made? My grandpa taught me the importance of building things on your own. With little education he taught himself to build and has created additions onto our house. I feel like I’m capable of anything now.

With all that you have gone through, how do you answer this common question: What impact do you want to leave on the world? I want the world to know that they can succeed if they persevere. I would like to see more success stories birthed own. from my own

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Campus Culture: Programming versus Partying By: Tameka Bazile Pace University

We all face the same dilemma. Every year a new class of Undergraduate students enter college, all prepped with somewhat of the same ideas in regards to what college life is. Us, on the university student affairs side, know different things. Fun, for us, lies in a packed programming schedule with everything from “do it yourself” novelties to off campus trips. But how do you handle students who think campus life is nonexistent when there is no party this weekend?

It’s obvious that sometimes programming boards and committees need to think a little bit outside of the box in order to bring students together. With this, I find that embracing the partying culture does indeed help. Do you need to throw your own shindig? Maybe not. But add some party-like flare to your events and see how many students you attract with (A) some good music and (B) a little bit of food.

Some events can stand to be more like a block party and less like craft time in preschool. Try making your novelty events outdoors, on the green or in a large area like your student center. Campus lawns and student centers are usually areas bustling with activity so invite your campus radio station or a student DJ to pump up the crowd. The music will draw them in but by the time they leave, they’ll know that it was a programming board event. Plus, using campus orga28

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nizations like the radio station or DJ are both great ways to keep the costs low, build great relationships and make a great name for your programming board.

Can you afford to host a party yourself? Then go for it! If your school rules and budget allow for it, host a party yourself. Get a great DJ, an empty gym, and maybe some lights and do it up! It’ll show your campus community that programming board does listen to their requests and if it’s a good turn out, they’ll trust your judgement on other events.

Don’t change the idea, just work with it!

Be the bendy straw!

I know that it’s easy for us to fight the students need to party. My programming board spent a lot of time going against the students on the importance of parties or even how fun a party is in comparison to our events. But each year, it’ll get more and more difficult and each fight gets more exhausting. We finally concluded that we must create the fun they want to see, even if it isn’t exactly the atmosphere they want it to be in. You can’t convince them that your events are just as fun but you can show them. Students also need to be able to trust that your programming board will give them the amazing on campus experience that they will remember. What you need to remember as well is that you have to trust your students. So after you get them on board, let them help steer the ship!

APCA STUDENT OF THe Month CAB President-New York Institute of Technology Board Advisor: Mehtap Donuk Other Involvement on Campus: Member of Sikh Student Association, Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship, South Asian Student Association Major: Communication Arts

Future Plans: To become a performance poet, writer, editor, director, start his own radio station, and found his own charity organization aimed at giving middle and high school students a positive outlook on their future and to help them reach their full potential.

APCA Events Attended: Northeast Fall Regional Programming Conference Syracuse, NY (2 years) APCA Nationals, Atlanta, GA Nav speaks on his experience with APCA: “My experience with APCA has been absolutely amazing every single time. Not only have I grown as a student leader and learned about how to create a more improved campus life but I have also made some amazing connections, both personally and professionally. The best thing about APCA is that I meet other people who have the same ambition and desire to change their campus as I do.

At times, it can be discouraging for me and my organization when our events don’t go as hoped. But, APCA keeps my motivation going because I am surrounded by people looking to make an impact on college campuses and the world.”

Hobbies: music, writing stories, writing poetry and editing film. He also enjoys watching professional wrestling.

To nominate a student from your organization email Jondra@apca.com

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Use Your

Passion To Push By: Montana Gray Student, Dalton State College

APCA 2014 Southeast Regional Student of the Year APCA 2014 National Student of the Year Balancing multiple commitments can be tough. I myself, like most student leaders, try to get involved in as many areas on campus as possible. At Dalton State College I wear many hats. I serve as the Executive Director of the Campus Activities Board.

I am the SGA Senator for the Office of Student Life. I am an Orientation Leader.

I serve on the institutional marketing, diversity, and wellness committees. I am the chairperson of the newly developed Committee for the Advancement of Campus Culture. In addition to my extracurricular commitments, I am taking 15 hours of upper level history courses and I participate in community theater.

To most it would seem that I am a bit overwhelmed. According to my friends, mentors, roommates, and parents I work myself too hard. I don’t think I do. Something inside of me pushes me to complete my tasks. This force not only allows me to complete my tasks, but also allows me complete them with the best results. The force that balances my activities is passion. My love and passion for the students at DSC is what gives me the energy to balance all of my commitments. Without passion I could not fulfill my duties. Without passion I would become overwhelmed. If I didn’t have passion for what I do, I should not be doing it. I believe that passion is central for balancing commitments. Passion is the driving force behind your work ethic.

My passion keeps me mentally in check when balancing my schedule, but I have to watch myself physically. Being a student leader can take its toll on the human body. In order to keep my body in check, I follow three rules.

1)Delegate. If you are under a lot of pressure and you are afraid you cannot fulfill your duty, ask for help. Surround yourself with trustworthy peers, friends, and mentors. Develop trust with your team. You need to allow them to help you out when you need. You have to trust them before they can trust you.

2)R&R. Take a day for yourself once a week if you can. If you feel your body wearing down, take a break. Last semester, every Tuesday was “me day.” Do something that calms you down. I typically stay away from people on “me day” and watch a few hours of Barefoot Contessa.

3)Stop worrying. Worry is the worst drug. Focus on the optimistic outcome. Don’t focus on the negative. You will be healthier if you don’t.

If you are passionate about what you are doing you can find a balance in your duties. If you take care of your body you will not feel run down. Ask for help when you need it, you can’t carry the world on your shoulders. Be happy. If you are passionate about what you are doing then you should be happy doing. Keep it happy by looking for the positive. These tricks led me to balanced life.

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