2. Mission ImPossible: How Sponsors Can Develop and Optimize Chapter Life Presenter: Dr. Kathi Vosevich, COA Facilitator: Ms. Caitlin Burnside

3.  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

4.  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

5.  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

6.  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)

7. GROUP WORK!

8.  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!

9.  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

10.  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)

11.  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?

12.  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?

13. GROUP WORK!

14.  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!

15.  Effective outcomes must be:  Specific  Measurable  Achievable  Relevant  Time-delimited Outcomes In other words, SMART—just like an Alpha Chi Member!

16.  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)

17. GROUP WORK!

18.  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!

19.  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

20.  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.

21.  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)

22.  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.