Student Activities and Clubs

by Sarah Gutowski, Chair, New Member Mentoring Program

 

Yesterday, I met with members of the student club I advise for the first time this semester. I’m brand new to my campus (I transferred from Ammerman to Eastern) and so I’m also brand new to the club. Our meeting was part “get to know you” session and part planning session for the year’s activities, and on the whole, I think it was fairly productive. I left our meeting with a better idea about the interests, commitments, concerns, and experience of the students at the Eastern campus than I’d gathered from my experience in the classroom over these first two weeks of school. It was eye-opening, and also energizing. I’m looking forward to working with them over the coming year.



Pine and Sky, Eastern Campus

This isn’t my first time as a club advisor, though. For several years on the Ammerman Campus, I’ve co-advised a student writing group that meets to workshop their poetry, short stories, and plays outside of a classroom setting.  My experiences as an advisor at Ammerman made me eager to become involved with Student Activities on the Eastern Campus, so when Cynthia Eaton asked if I’d like to take over as advisor to the campus literary magazine (a student group she’s ably advised for several years now), I jumped at the opportunity.

 

I encourage all of you to consider being a student activities advisor as well, and if you’re presented with the opportunity to do so – well, jump at it. All three of our campuses offer our student body a richer, more diverse college experience by providing numerous activities throughout the semester – and by facilitating and supporting a number of different student clubs and organizations. Being an advisor can help you learn so much more about our students than time in the classroom can – and I say this after receiving lots of really personal personal essays in Freshman Comp.

 

PAs, Specialists, Counselors, and faculty can become more involved with student life by being an advisor to a student club or organization. Not only is this a wonderful way to mentor students, it’s also a good way to garner some campus-wide service you can cite on your application for promotion.

 

As an advisor, you’ll need to assist the club officers when necessary (you aren’t required to attend all the meetings, although the presence of an advisor is necessary for any off-campus excursions the club may make). You’ll attend an Officer and Advisor meeting during Common Hour once a month. You’ll sign some forms. You’ll be invited to a lovely, catered Student Awards Ceremony at the end of the year. And that’s about all the heavy-lifting that’s involved, unless you’d like to be more active.

 

The Ammerman Campus in particular needs faculty and staff advisors for student clubs, so if you’re located on the Ammerman campus and you’re interested in becoming involved, contact Frank Vino at x4814. If you are located on the Eastern campus and would like to become involved, call x2522 and let Chris Conzen know you’re available to advise; likewise, if you’re on Grant, call x6702.

 

Lastly, I’ll say this: Because the college is changing constantly to accommodate the needs of our students and community, our roles and requirements as faculty and staff are changing constantly, too. You may find that you’ll join some committees your first year or second year and that by your seventh year, you’ll either be chairing those committees or you’ll find yourself on entirely different committees.

 

Well, I began co-advising The Society of Writers back when I was an adjunct faculty member. Over the years – after being hired as full time faculty and going through the process of two promotion cycles – the one item that’s never changed on my promotion applications is my role as an advisor. I love mentoring students, and I’ve found the experience extremely rewarding. It’s a fantastic way for us -- new and “senior” members alike – to connect with our students in a meaningful way.