STUDENT LEADER ROUND TABLE
I joined the Student Leader Round Table (SLRT) to learn how to become a better leader. SLRT is a space for UHP student leaders to collaborate and learn from one another. This is especially helpful because we discussed challenges faced due to a remote semester because of the pandemic.
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Over the semester, my group discussed recruiting students, managing projects virtually, inter-organizational collaboration, transitioning leadership, hosting engaging meetings/events, hosting remote events, campus issues, developing member engagement, inclusion- welcoming community and accessibility, UC policies and more.
I was one of two first years in my group. This was challenging at times because I do not have much college leadership experience. I was just a basic member in all my clubs as a first year. I used this to an advantage and was able to present how a first year student feels with the overwhelming start of college.
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Below I added weekly summaries and my student leadership charge. The weekly summaries showcase what we discussed as a group each week. Since there were only seven weeks, we had to talk about tons of information each week. The student leadership charge includes some of my goals I have for the following year in terms of being a leader and how I will use tools I learned about in SLRT to become a better leader.
MEETING SUMMARIES
Meeting 1/25- This was the first meeting of this group, we discussed what we hoped to get out of the semester. This included what we would talk about each week and the structure that we would follow. Each week we decided that two people would present on topics relevant to organizations. We also discussed that for this to count as an honors experience, we would have to attend each meeting and provide input.
Meeting 2/8- I gave a presentation with another member about recruitment and the first-year experience of getting involved. I chose to talk about this because I am a first year student and have struggled trying to figure out what clubs and organizations to join. I think giving my own experience to other UHP leaders who are incredibly involved in their clubs, can help them adapt to helping first year students get involved. After my presentation, we discussed a lot about how important breakout groups could be in bigger groups to create a more welcoming and tighter knit environment. Many groups do not utilize breakout rooms to the fullest potential. Breakout rooms can allow for quieter students to be heard and even have executive members relay information.
Meeting 2/22- We discussed mental health and the mental health resources at UC in this week. The presenters discussed ways to involve the importance of mental health in organizational meetings. This could be by strict ‘mental health’ meetings, mental health training sessions, and ways to get help if needed. Many students (including me) do not know how to easily find mental health resources if I need them. I feel like mental health is extremely under discussed and it needs to change. I think it is hard, especially for college students, to discuss mental health because we feel vulnerable, but one person telling their story can impact others.
Meeting 3/8- This week we discussed managing meetings virtually. The presenters explained that that using tools such as miro, mural, notion, group me, doodle, Microsoft teams, email, social media, and other tools will help get students involved and up to date. The terms “quality over quantity” was strongly enforced. Most of the time, students do not have motivation to read super long or multiple emails. Instead, sending a few sentences in an email can do just the trick. Communication is very important because since UC has students from all around the world, time zones greatly affect students and their availability for events and meetings. The presenters suggested to work with technology, not against it, this means that breakout groups or individual video watching may be more beneficial than watching a video as a big group. Having a well-organized and structured meeting will allow for members to feel like no time is wasted and they are using their time in an efficient way. We also talked about the struggle people face with having members help out. The bystander effect typically kicks in and all the members will think that someone else will step in. If an executive member were to talk or message an individual one on one, there is a better chance that the task will get done.
Meeting 3/22- This week we discussed transitioning leadership between organizations and elections. To ensure a successful transition, the new leaders should communicate with the old leaders to discuss resources, roles, advice, and more. Forming meaningful connections off the bat will open up new opportunities. Old leaders can help smooth the transition by making all the resources available that were used previously so the new leaders are not on their own right off the bat. A few ideas that the presenters went over were learning the difference between leading and managing, creating new social dynamics with former members, and letting go of your previous role. There is also the idea of ‘shadowing’ that could help created a smooth transition because the new leader can witness what their roles will be. In terms of elections, there are a few ways to go about voting. Some organizations may choose to appoint individuals based upon their characteristics and the goals of the organization, while others may have a democratic election where the members of the organization vote on a candidate. In some cases, there are rules and regulations that organizations put in place when members are campaigning their role to ensure a fair election.
Meeting 4/5-This week was the last week of presenting. The presenters for this meeting discussed diversity and inclusion at UC. At UC, there is an office of equity and inclusion, which strives to promote a safe and supportive environment on campus. In student organizations, the members should be inclusive for all, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation and more. Creating an environment where students feel welcome allows for members to speak up and feel included in the organization. Ageism has also been seen to be an issue in some organizations; since colleges include students with a wide age range, ageism should be avoided. A way to create a more inclusive organization would be breakout groups on a virtual platform. Breakout groups allows for less students to be in a group, so more people can communicate. Organizations can also send our resources of events that have happened to promote inclusion and diversity. To discuss diversity issues, it should not be forced upon members. Nobody wants to be forced to do something, if members have a passion about a topic, they will want to talk about it. As a group, we discussed our opinions on the honors program’s ability to add discussion to issues regarding diversity issues. In the past, and currently, the honors program has created communities where students in the honors program can come together (virtually) to discuss what has occurred. There are many benefits when students are able to interact about diversity. One student mentioned that students should be encouraged to take an honors experience regarding social justice. This is a great idea to get students in the mindset of social justice issues.
Meeting 4/19- This was our last meeting for this group session. We broke down into smaller groups and discussed the lessons, insights, and challenges that we learned in this semester and how will those be relevant next year. I mentioned that breakout rooms and breaking down larger meetings into smaller groups allows for students to get involved and speak up. Encouraging smaller groups should continue to be around and make its way from online to in person organizations. Mental health was also discussed as a valuable piece to carry into next year because mental health is just as important as any other health and continued to be discussed. With all the transitions from online to in person, mental health in people may increase or even decrease. In our bigger group, we discussed a few questions such as how we want to grow as student leaders, our biggest challenges, and how can student leaders learn to lead better. This was a really insightful conversation because we discussed opportunities that come up after rejection and to look at the positives in a situation. I think that for student leaders to learn to lead better, groups like the student leader round table creates an environment where leaders can bounce ideas off one another and learn from each other. I have learned many leadership ideas from this group, and I will use them in my future for organizations and in my career.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP CHARGE
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After completing a semester of the Student Leader Round Table, I have learned how to become a better leader. I can use the skills I have learned in my future and I am greatly looking forward to doing so
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Two personal leadership goals I have for next year is to apply for an executive member position in one of the organizations I am apart of. I was thinking about applying this year, but I do not want to overwhelm myself since next year will be a more ‘normal’ college experience. This goal can help my organizations that I am apart of by bringing new ideas to the table. I can use the organizational tools we discussed in SLRT as well as breakout rooms/small groups to create a new look for the organization. Another leadership goal I have is make myself known in my organizations as a normal member. As a member I am still able to be a leader and use the skills I learned to better the organization. I can be a leader in small groups I am apart of or even throw our new ideas that the executive board can do. This goal will affect the organization because the executive members can see that ‘regular’ members are just as capable of being leaders and they may even be better than those in leadership positions.
When facing challenges, I can use a few resources or networks to get out of those challenges. One of my resources would be CAPS here at UC. CAPS is Counseling and Psychological Services. The people who work here can help me and other members who struggle with mental health. I can reach out to CAPS if I think that one of the members in my organization is struggling and CAPS will be able to help. I can also use another resource, such as professors in CECH to provide information about criminal justice related careers and advice. I have taken many criminal justice classes and have started research with a professor. Each of these professors have had different experiences which I can have them come and talk about the experiences if my organizations are desperate for a spea.
One way to measure my success for my goals is if executive members know my name after a few meetings. Since meetings will hopefully be in person next year, my name will not be popped up next to my face anymore. If the executive members know my name, that means that I stand out to them as a leader amongst the group in a positive way. I hope to impact the organizations I am in by bringing upon new ideas and methods to increase the members in the groups. Most of the organizations I am apart of are small, but I feel like I can help promote the organizations and create a higher member turnout. If I can reach my goals, I will feel accomplished and proud of myself, I am only 19 years old and trying to figure out my life. If I can accomplish the little goals along the way, I will be bound for success down the line.
SLIDE SHOW FROM WEEK 2​
I included the slideshow I made when I presented. The topic I presented on was recruitment and the first year experience. This presentation was fun to work on because I was able to share my experiences with others who did not have the same experiences as I did. It is really important to discuss student recruitment in organizations because students need to continue to join the organization so the organization can continue once the original leaders graduate.