Mission ImPossible:

How Sponsors Can Develop and Optimize Chapter Life

Presenter: Dr. Kathi Vosevich, COAFacilitator: Ms. Caitlin Burnside

Develop a clear mission statement Craft a sponsor job description Craft a chapter president job description Create measurable outcomes Assess results GOAL:

Develop re-usable examples in real-time workgroups, as we try to be effective leaders, cultivate relationships, manage risk, and motivate students for success.

Agenda

What is Alpha Chi’s mission? “Promote academic excellence and exemplary

character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction.”

What is YOUR chapter’s mission? “Make scholarship effective for good”? Send out an e-mail and hope people respond? We don’t have one?

Mission

For a mission statement to be effective, it must be: Disseminated, known, and appropriate. Reviewed regularly. Consistent with the mission of the institution. Reference student learning.

Mission (cont’d)

--adapted from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

What is Shorter’s mission? Provide quality higher education, enabling and

encouraging student commitment to active life-long learning, personal spiritual values, responsible citizenship, and community and societal leadership in a global context.

What is Georgia Theta’s mission? As part of the mission to provide quality higher education,

Georgia Theta promotes and honors academic excellence and exemplary character, providing learning opportunities for scholarship and leadership.

What is yours?

Mission (cont’d)

GROUP WORK!

How can you disseminate this mission? How can you make it known? How can you judge if it is appropriate? What will the review cycle be? Is it consistent with your school mission? Is student learning emphasized?

Let’s Share and Compare!

What is Alpha Chi’s job description of a sponsor? Alpha Chi says that the sponsor functions as the

“liaison to the Alpha Chi national office. The chapter sponsor is responsible for overseeing all aspects of local chapter life.”

What is YOUR job description? Send an occasional e-mail? Do paperwork? Something to put on my annual review?

Sponsor

For a sponsor job description to be effective, it must: Define the role. Define responsibilities and objectives. Provide clear direction and expectations. Designate a specific supervisor. List minimum requirements.

Sponsor (cont’d)

What is Georgia Theta’s sponsor’s job description? Act as primary liaison between Shorter and the Alpha Chi National Office. Function as the single point of contact for developing and disseminating information

about the society and scholarship opportunities. Set the mission and strategic direction of the chapter. Select and induct new members, as well as plan the ceremony and reception. Have excellent communication, PR, and marketing skills to promote, motivate, and

advance the chapter. Develop academic and service activities to retain Star status. Set the calendar of events. Supervise the chapter. Advise scholars, as appropriate. Manage the budget. Report to the Provost directly. Be a full-time faculty member in good standing.

What is yours?

Sponsor (cont’d)

At Shorter, this job is considered SERVICE to the school.But maybe you can maneuver for a raise?

What is Georgia Theta’s Chapter President’s job description? Act as primary liaison between the sponsor and the members. Function as the Alpha Chi delegate at conferences. Have excellent communication and managerial skills. Implement activities to retain Star status. Cord new members at the induction ceremony. Report to the sponsor directly. Schedule ad hoc meetings. Mediate conflicts. Be a full-time student in good standing who will NOT be doing an

internship or practicum during the term of office. What is yours?

Chapter President

Should you have your Chapter President sign a contract?

GROUP WORK!

How can you make your job descriptions clear?

Does your Chapter President have a “job” description?

Are the descriptions consistent with your school mission?

What skills are necessary at YOUR school?

Let’s Share and Compare!

Effective outcomes must be: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-delimited

Outcomes

In other words, SMART—just like an Alpha Chi Member!

Examples? At least 90% of the students invited will join Alpha Chi

annually. The chapter will at a minimum develop service and

academic programs to qualify it for Star status annually. The chapter will be featured for at least one photo of

the week on the university Web site to promote accomplishments annually.

The chapter will team with at least two other organizations on campus for service and academic programs annually.

Outcomes (cont’d)

GROUP WORK!

What are some examples of SMART outcomes that you can develop and use?

How many do you need? Let’s shoot for three!

Let’s Share and Compare!

Assess how well you achieved your outcomes annually.

Does your school use a tool, such as ComplianceAssist or TaskStream for assessment? If so, can Alpha Chi be added as a section to

ensure assessment is accomplished? Or do you prefer a more informal, yet

structured, means of assessing success?

Assessment

Establish expectations and maintain accountability.

Create buy-in among all stakeholders—sponsors, students, upper administration—due to the rigor of assessment.

Substantiate the need for celebration of scholarship and service.

Provide a basis for fundraising. Manage risk.

Assessment (cont’d)

Hold a lessons learned meeting for continual process improvement.

If you do not achieve your outcomes, then what? Repeat the assessment to look for trends

before making perhaps unnecessary adjustments.

Adjust expectations based on this “reality check.”

Adjust outcomes to better map to your mission and job descriptions—or vice versa.

Assessment (cont’d)

Do you have some good ideas now? Do you have a template for success? Do you have usable examples? Now…

Be more effective leaders Cultivate relationships Manage risk Motivate students for success

GET A RAISE/PROMOTION!

Conclusion

I would like to thank Alpha Chi for giving me the opportunity to attend the Mortar Board Leadership Workshop.