Student Organization Academy
The Student Organization Academy is anticipated to resume in Fall 2024.
This one day conference is built to offer you, as a club leader, a comprehensive and tailored training for your role ahead. We'll bring in experts from around the University and beyond to offer you tools to navigate policies and procedures and direction to make your organization a success.
This event is mandatory for student organization Presidents and Treasurers - early departures will not count toward your attendance for the day. Brunch is provided.
2022 SPEAKERS
Welcome: Jean Griffin
Interim Associate Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Collaboration: Dustin Lewis
Senior Associate Director for Student Involvement
Keynote Topic: Collaboration & Brainstorming Session (slides) (handout)
This interactive and large group session kicks-off the Org Academy as you get to know officers from similar but different organizations to your own and exchange ideas as well as brainstorm ways you may be able to collaborate and combine efforts this year.
2022 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
Educational Block 1: Organizing your Organization
12:00 pm -12:55 pm
Ready, Set, Go: Planning to travel this year (slides) (handout)
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
As COVID-19 heads toward endemic stage, travel is opening up for more opportunities as student groups will travel more regularly again this year. Learn how to plan for travel and also what additional funds could be available to support new travel ideas and opportunities!
Goal setting for your organization (slides)
Sophie Stewart, Assistant Director for Orientation & Transition Programs (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
When you aim for nothing, you’re sure to hit it. Setting goals as an organization is a great way to ensure a strong future and to have a plan or a target with how you invest your time, energy and resources as an organization this year. Learn more about how to build meaningful organization goals in this session.
Understanding the impact: You and your club make the difference (slides)
Autumn Richards, Associate Director (Student Success)
Student organizations are a vital part of our campus and help many students create community and find their home at Xavier. Learn more about how your organization contributes directly to student success so you can motivate your members and positively give back to the community.
Building a budget and sticking to it
Dr. Leah Busam Klenowski, Senior Director (Division of Student Affairs)
Your organization has funding, so now what do you do with it? The budget that was proposed last spring does not mean that is the only way you’re allowed to spend this year! This session will talk through the basics of developing a budget and how to implement it so that your group can maximize resources throughout the year.
Using social media to tell your story (slides)
Sophie Stewart, Assistant Director for Orientation & Transition Programs (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Social media is bigger than just scrolling TikTok for hours. It’s a way to communicate who you are, what you’re all about, to have a voice to a larger audience on and off campus. But as an organization, you have to work to find your voice and tell your story. Learn how in this session!
Philanthropic endeavors (handout)
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
If you are a charitable organization or a group interested in raising money for charity, this is the session for you. That’s it! See you there!
Fundraising (slides)
Jill Finch, Coordinator for Student Involvement (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Not enough in your fund to make all the ideas happen this year? Learn more about how fundraising works and also some helpful ideas on how your organization can increase your funds to meet your goals.
Educational Block 2: Forms & Resources
1:00 pm -1:55 pm
The Big Finance Session (slides)
Jill Finch, Coordinator for Student Involvement (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Treasurer? Or plan to be? This is the session for you! The Big Finance Session talks through all the in’s and out’s of your funding – how to access it, ways to spend, and more! Save yourself a headache and come learn more about the world of student organization finances with Jill!
Recruiting members ()
Ryan Spolar, GSC Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Membership recruitment is vital to sustaining and growing your organization. Its more than just setting up a table at Club Day or waiting for new members to join on EngageXU. Learn how you can successfully and actively recruit members to join your organization in this session.
Brand, Apparel, and Licensing (handout) (handout)
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Planning on ordering some kind of apparel (shirts, sweatshirts) or branded material (giveaways with your logo on them)? Learn how the process works and understand how to navigate the university business with brand, licensing and apparel to make the whole process smooth and easy on you as a group.
EngageXU communication tools & member management (slides)
Dr. Leah Busam Klenowski, Senior Director (Division of Student Affairs)
EngageXU has a lot of great features that you may not be utilizing yet. The Communication and Member management tools are fast, easy to use, efficient ways for you to communicate and do business as an organization. Learn some quick pro-tips on how you can better use EngageXU for communicating and interacting with your members.
Retaining members (slides)
Deb Ekeke, Assistant Director for Leadership & Activities (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
After you recruit new members, now what do you do with them? Retaining members is an important function of student organization officers – finding ways to build relationships and engage students so they keep coming back and find value in what you do. Learn more about membership retention in this session.
Reserving and using spaces effectively ()
Ryan Spolar, GSC Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Join Ryan, the GSC director, as he walks you through how to reserve spaces quickly and efficiently as well as using the right space effectively. Save yourself time in your meetings and events by learning more about how space works on our campus.
Submitting event forms (slides) (handout)
Deb Ekeke, Assistant Director for Leadership & Activities (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
The event form in EngageXU can be confusing and have a lot of pieces to it. If you are likely going to be planning some of your organization’s events this year, then this is the session for you! Deb will show officers that attend how to quickly and efficiently create events and also how to use some of the great features with EngageXU that you probably haven’t tried before.
SORF – understanding how it all works
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
The Student Organization Resource Fund is returning this year after a three-year hiatus. This pool of funding is a supplemental opportunity for your group to request and quickly get funds to help support new ideas, initiatives, and travel. Learn more with Dustin.
Educational Block 3: Improving Your Plans
2:00 pm -2:55 pm
Planning more inclusive programs (slides) (handout)
Deb Ekeke, Assistant Director for Leadership & Activities (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Does your club spend time considering your activities and whether or not they are welcoming or inclusive to all people? Do you book meeting spaces that are accessible for all students or do you consider what graphics and images you include when promoting yourselves or a program? Explore how your organization can make programs, events, and even meetings that are more inclusive for all students.
EngageXU: Maximizing the system for your club (slides)
Jill Finch, Coordinator for Student Involvement (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
EngageXU has a lot of features you’re not even using yet. Learn about some of the neat and hidden (or not so well-known) ways to get the most out of your EngageXU experience.
Incorporating sustainability into your organization (slides)
Sophie Stewart, Assistant Director for Orientation & Transition Programs (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
As the university looks at its commitment to ongoing sustainability, learn how you can do your part and become a more sustainable organization. Tips, tricks and best practices toward a better and more sustainable future start with you!
Risk management (slides) (handout)
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Every event has a certain amount of risk involved and an emergency could happen any time - even in a meeting. Are you prepared? Learn more about how to manage your risks and also about emergency response best practices in this session.
Time management (slides) (handout)
Hannah Sanders, Husman Hall Director (Office of Residence Life)
Are you feeling a little burned out or overwhelmed? Does it feel like there's not enough time to do everything you want or to meet the expectations that others have of you? Learn more about how to better manage your own time to help with stress-reduction and focusing your energy.
Delegating tasks effectively (slides)
Dustin Lewis, Senior Associate Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Learn best practices on how you can better delegate tasks to others. You don’t have to do everything by yourself all the time. Don’t stress yourself out, learn how to coach and delegate so that you create other competent leaders that are capable of helping throughout the year.
Incorporating service
Ryan Spolar, GSC Director (Office of Student Involvement, Gallagher Student Center & Commuter Services)
Part of the Jesuit motto is being people for and with others but not every organization incorporates service into their mission. Learn more about the benefits and value to your organization and its members by incorporating service opportunities for you to be in service to others. Its easy to get started and can be a lot of fun and bonding for your club as well as beneficial to the community.
Evaluating your programs
Dr. Leah Busam Klenowski, Senior Director (Division of Student Affairs)
After you’re finished with an event, do you ever evaluate the program? It can be incredible valuable to discuss what went well and what you’d change if you did it again. And not only discuss, but write it down – document it – for next year’s leadership. Learn more from Leah in this valuable session.
Educational Block 4: Planning Your Next Steps
3:00 pm -4:00 pm
Translating your experiences to resume and career preparation (slides)
Rachel Dieter, Associate Director (Career Development office)
Your time spent leading a club gives you some real life, practical experience that you can actually include in a resume or in a job interview, but you have to know how to use it and include it correctly. In this large group session, Career Development will help you learn how you can translate your club experience into valuable resume and interview skills.