It's still cold just about everywhere, even in Florida where ASGA is based (we had 13 straight days of freezing temperatures at night this month!). But it's not too early to start thinking of "spring cleaning."
What I mean is "cleaning" up your Student Governments in a couple of ways:
1. reviewing your goals and accomplishments and focusing on what you realistically can accomplish the rest of your term of office
2. aggressively recruiting candidates for this spring's elections, making sure that you'll have contested races which will mean higher voter turnout.
3. getting ready to train the new officers and members so they can become competent as quickly as possible.
Spring cleaning should be about getting your organization in good shape for your successors. It should be about making sure you leave your SG in better condition than when you arrived.
Butch Oxendine is founder and executive director of ASGA, the national professional association that serves and supports collegiate Student Governments. www.asgaonline.com
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thank you!
Just a short note to thank all of our ASGA members across the world. I'm thankful for the privilege of serving you, and hopefully, helping you to create a more effective Student Government for your campus.
I can tell you that the whole ASGA team, everyone from me to our data-entry specialists, believes that you are our nation's future. What you're learning now will later translate to you being an effective, ethical leader in the future. This is why what ASGA does is so important.
It it an honor to be entrusted to teach and train the future leaders of this nation. We take this responsbility seriously and do everything in our power to make sure ASGA's resources are as accurate, current, and thorough as possible.
Here's to a great 2010, and thank YOU again for 2009, ASGA's best year yet!
I can tell you that the whole ASGA team, everyone from me to our data-entry specialists, believes that you are our nation's future. What you're learning now will later translate to you being an effective, ethical leader in the future. This is why what ASGA does is so important.
It it an honor to be entrusted to teach and train the future leaders of this nation. We take this responsbility seriously and do everything in our power to make sure ASGA's resources are as accurate, current, and thorough as possible.
Here's to a great 2010, and thank YOU again for 2009, ASGA's best year yet!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Just because...
It's pretty common for new student leaders to want change. They come into their positions and have lots of ideas about how to improve their organizations.
Unfortunately, a lot of time the "change" is just for the heck of it. They just want to make their mark without doing any research to prove the change is wanted or needed.
An example: I just saw that the SGA at St. Cloud State University is not only changing its constitution (I'm guessing that at least half of SGs across America change their constitutions each year), but they're actually changing their name.
If their name were "student parliament" or "Student Council" (which brings up memories of high school), I could understand. But they're changing from the very-clear name "Student Government Association" to "Student Association."
My experience is that now they'll have to explain that Student Association is the student government for SCSU. Changing from SGA, which is clear to everyone who sees Student Government Association, to Student Association will muddy the waters for this organization. They'll have to spend time explaining to students, administrators, faculty, and staff that they are the student government.
In the newspaper article I read about this upcoming change, I saw no evidence whatsoever that the SGA there made any effort to determine if fellow students were having trouble understanding their name or their role. I saw no proof that they surveyed anyone, had a marketing class conduct research or focus groups, or anything beyond "let's change because..."
They're making a major, major change (your name is about as major a change as you can make) without any research to prove that it is either needed or warranted.
Making a change "just because" is just not good leadership.
Unfortunately, a lot of time the "change" is just for the heck of it. They just want to make their mark without doing any research to prove the change is wanted or needed.
An example: I just saw that the SGA at St. Cloud State University is not only changing its constitution (I'm guessing that at least half of SGs across America change their constitutions each year), but they're actually changing their name.
If their name were "student parliament" or "Student Council" (which brings up memories of high school), I could understand. But they're changing from the very-clear name "Student Government Association" to "Student Association."
My experience is that now they'll have to explain that Student Association is the student government for SCSU. Changing from SGA, which is clear to everyone who sees Student Government Association, to Student Association will muddy the waters for this organization. They'll have to spend time explaining to students, administrators, faculty, and staff that they are the student government.
In the newspaper article I read about this upcoming change, I saw no evidence whatsoever that the SGA there made any effort to determine if fellow students were having trouble understanding their name or their role. I saw no proof that they surveyed anyone, had a marketing class conduct research or focus groups, or anything beyond "let's change because..."
They're making a major, major change (your name is about as major a change as you can make) without any research to prove that it is either needed or warranted.
Making a change "just because" is just not good leadership.
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