RECAST | Supporting Student Community & Connection in Student Activities
From: Mahnke, Kayla <mahnkek@evergreen.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 3, 2020 11:44 AM
Hello Faculty & Staff,
Many of us have been hearing from students struggling with loneliness and disconnection resulting from the remote college experience. As we move toward end-of-the-quarter evaluations and one-on-ones, Student Activities wants to provide some information that can help you advise students who bring up these topics. We are asking for your help in connecting students to the programs Student Activities provides during a time when our regular outreach strategies are limited. All of the following opportunities are open to all Evergreen students.
WHAT WE OFFER STUDENTS
Student Activities has options for students to connect right now, with more coming in Winter Quarter. This is not an exhaustive list of opportunities available to students, just an overview of what Student Activities can offer:
- Student Organizations, Groups, Clubs
- Join Student Groups – We are about to start registering a whole new batch of student organizations that will be hungry for new members. Find contact information listed in the Student Group Directory – it is updated regularly as more student organizations get started.
- Start Student Groups – Encourage students to start and lead student organizations. Group Registration workshops start December 15 and are scheduled through Winter Quarter. We are not requiring 4 students to start student groups at this time – if a student is interested, please encourage them to reach out to advisors.
- Support, Resources, and Tools – Student Activities advisors get student group leaders on the path to meet their goals with advising, tools, and resources on the fundamentals of running a student group at Evergreen and how to engage people and run events virtually.
- Student Government and Leadership Positions – We have multiple paid leadership positions open and are actively recruiting applicants! Students can help brainstorm and put on virtual events and activities with Greeners Planning Activities (GPA) or get into the nitty gritty of allocating student group budgets with the S&A Board. You can help by recommending the positions to students and helping them navigate to CODa through my.evergreen.edu.
- Spirituality and Mean-Making – Chaplain Melissa Bennett is supporting students through questions of belonging, purpose, meaning-making, and spiritual grounding. She can assist in finding practices that help students navigate these uncertain times. Students can schedule a meeting with Melissa by emailing bennettm@evergreen.edu.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
These are some ways faculty and staff can help connect students with community. All of these ideas are suggestions! Take what works and leave the rest:
- Word of mouth is a strong tool – if appropriate in your evaluations and one-on-ones, ask students about community connection. Highlight options above to point them in the right direction. Again, this is not an exhaustively list of options available at Evergreen: consider First People’s Multicultural Trans and Queer Support Services weekly Glitter Hour, Recreation offerings on social media, Student Wellness Services’ Therapist Assisted Online (TAO) tool, and others as well.
- Post an announcement in your program Canvas or send a program email about student groups – an email sent from a person students already have a relationship with can help get a better response than an all-student email. If this is something you are willing to do, template language for students is available here, feel free to modify for your audience:
- Collaborate with Student Activities – we are looking for faculty, path groups, and offices who are interested in (or already are!) supporting student groups that align with their program/path/area of expertise/office. These can be formally registered groups or informal groups looking for more support. You have content experience and we have community-building tools, administrative support, and resources for student groups. Together, we can build coordinated support for student leaders to strengthen peer communities, help plan events and activities, and provide applied learning opportunities alongside the classroom. Please reply to me (Kayla) if you are interested in collaborating!
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate everything you do!
❤ The Student Activities team
Jeannette, Greg, Jon, Kayla, Shirley, Melissa, Jodi, Jadon, and Anthony
The Evergreen State College
studentactivities@evergreen.edu | evergreen.edu/activities | instagram.com/studentactivities.evergreen
Transparency | Equity | Inclusion | Mentorship | Fiscal Responsibility | Fun
