The needs of the one...

Just got back from ASGA's National Student Government Summit in DC. It was the largest training conference we've ever produced, with 555 registrants from 101 institutions in 35 states. The entire ASGA staff and nearly all of our speakers participated. We think it was the best conference we've ever produced.

With this said, we did encounter a new situation there. One student told me that she was very uncomfortable being photographed. We always have a professional photographer and videographer capturing "moments" that we can then post at the conference web site. Potential future attendees then can learn what it's really like to come to the conference.

I personally don't think it's a "big deal" to be photographed, and initially thought this student was overreacting. "Just deal with it," I was thinking to myself.

But then I reconsidered. Maybe she had something happen in her past that caused her to feel this way about photos. ASGA and I certainly need to be considerate of all of our attendees' concerns and opinions. We need to be listening and trying to serve them better.

When an SGA registers for one of our conferences, they agree on the form that all photos and video taken are ASGA's property and may be used for promotional purposes. But individual students rarely see this form, as an advisor or one officer signs up for the entire group.

I don't want to make the registration process take longer and be more complex. But I'm thinking that in the future, we may allow students who don't want to have their photo taken to put a red "sticker" on their conference name tags. This would alert our photographers that these students are "off limits" for photos.

ASGA's conferences serve thousands of students and advisors each year. We've now produced nearly 60 conferences in the past five years. While we've never had a complaint before about photos, we are taking this one student's concerns seriously. And we may change and improve policy because of it.

ASGA does serve the "masses," but we're also conscious about the needs of the one.

Doing more with less

I've been noticing the past few days that several Student Governments are lauding themselves for saving money on their "retreats" and "training" for new officers. Schools like the University of South Alabama are proud of saving money by having their "retreat" on campus. Georgia State University's SGA says it saved 93% on what it spent in 2008 for its annual retreat.

This is great news for their constituents. It's proving that the SGAs are serious about saving money and using it to serve fellow students, even in a "down economy."

Most student government budgets are somewhat protected, as they usually get their funds from activity fees which are tied to enrollment. In a recession, people typically go back to college, which means more activity fees to disburse. This usually is restricted, however, to public universities and colleges, and less often to community colleges and private institutions.

Still, with many universities making cuts to faculty positions, reducing their budgets because of less revenue coming from the state or donors, and cutting back programs, Student Governments should follow that example and also be extra careful in the use of their limited budgets.

Student Government retreats are CRITICAL for the health and effectiveness of any student government. These retreats are typically done in August/September and often are at an off-campus location, so that members can be immersed in SG issues, plans, and goals without the distractions they have on campus.

But a helpful and useful retreat can easily be done on campus-- I just worked with two institutions (one in Illinois and one in Boston), where their trainings were done right on campus before the start of school. Where the retreat is housed is not as important as when. If it's after the start of school, there are myriad of distractions, so SG members and officers are less focused and can give less of their attention.

In a down economy, it's wise for SGs to be cost-conscious on their training and planning retreats. Having it at an off-campus retret locale may sound great, but you can save a lot of money for your constituents by getting your training right there on campus.

On the run

Every weekend this month, plus at least one other trip mid-week, I'll be either speaking at an ASGA conference or training/consulting with an ASGA member institution. August is typically my busiest travel month for serving ASGA members.

While I don't look forward to the airport waits and delays, I do look forward to the work itself. It's rewarding and satisfying knowing that I can help less-experienced student leaders and advisors.

Fortunately, I'm only gone for two days at a time, so I'm not away too long from my wife and children. That's the hardest part of travel for business: being away from the family.

But when I come home, we always take a family day to do something fun. Yesterday it was bowling (my first time in 31 years). The kids loved it. Next week when I get back from Boston, I'm thinking of taking them to the Tampa zoo.

Travel nowadays, let me tell you, is hardly romantic. Just because I go to cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles doesn't mean that I sight-see and spend time enjoying cool drinks, music, and checking out the landmarks. I usually see the inside of a hotel room, meeting rooms, and the airport.

It's also hard work to travel. All of the preparation takes a ton of time. I'm my own travel agent, so that adds to the complexity. I'm also the "roadie" at our conferences and handle set-up before the event and take-down after. Sweaty work, particularly at this time of year.

But again, I focus on the work and what it is accomplishing and who it is helping. That knowledge that ASGA and I are doing important work that matters helps me make it through the flight delays, jam-packed planes, and over-priced airport meals.