Evangel UniversityAdam Crawford, Robin Hamilton, Keri Cerda, Rainer Gall, Sarah Nyquist, & Erin Sullivan

Student Activities

• Relationship to Student Affairs Professiono Campus Wide eventso Student Involvemento Leadership

• Historical Origins of Student Activitieso Student Unionso Astin's Theory of Involvemento Co-curricular involvement and development

Student Activities @ EU

• Historical Origins of Student Activities at Evangelo Around 1960so Director within the last five yearso "Boldly Christian, Unquestionably Academic"o Current director, Christy Rowden, has been there

about a yearo Undergoing restructuring for the upcoming merger

Student Activities @ EU

Organizational ChartBoard of Governors

President

VP of Student Development

Administrative Assistant

Director of Community Life

Student Activities Director

Activities Board

EU Launch Leaders

Student Activities @ EU

• Role/Purposeo Campus wide eventso Activities Boardo EU Launch

• Financial aspectso Funded by VPSD & Student Feeso Christy recommends knowing how to work with a

budget

Student Activities @ EU

• Mission, vision, purpose or goal statementso Mission Statement: To provide opportunities for

Assemblies of God individuals to develop both academically and intellectually in an accredited Christian liberal arts educational program and to inspire them within a Pentecostal environment to develop spiritually, emotionally, and culturally in order to use their chosen careers to serve both God and humankind (Mission, 2012).

o Theme: Christ is Lord

Analysis of Student Activities

Challenges• No guide or handbook• Letting students fail• Relinquishing control• No other professionals• Stakeholder balance• Limited diversity

Analysis of Student Activities

Successes• Delegation• Utilizing student ideas and creativity• High event attendance and participation• Open door policy• Feedback from various campus offices

Analysis of Student Activities

• Intertwining mission, purpose statements or goal statements• opportunities for students to utilize their spiritual passion

in order to develop a meaningful, Christ-centered life• fun, interactive events for all of campus

• Assessment activities • Informal feedback from offices and students• Formal feedback through student surveys

Analysis of Student Activities

• Student Activities accessible to students• Numerous opportunities• Open door policy

• Address diverse and non-traditional populations• Lack of diversity• Limited by affiliation with the Assemblies of God• Working on improvement• Separate position that works with non-traditional

student involvement

Strategic Direction @ EU

• Issues in student affairs and higher education impact Student Activities offices• Retention rates

• Higher in religiously affiliated schools• Still only in 60s & 70s

• Astin's theory• More involvement, more motivation to stay

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Diversity Initiatives

Hire Diversity Resource Director Recruit a diverse population of students Multicultural Resource Center on campus

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Defining responsibilities and successes

For Student Activities Director--Christy Rowden• Improve management role

For Student Board• Include feedback

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Self-Authorship & Learning Partnership Model

Baxter Magolda's Theory• Hands off with students to encourage reflection

and independent thinking• Professionals practice reflection

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Mentoring Communities

Sharon Daloz Parks Faith Development Theory• Use students Faith to help grow student's

development in other ways• Past Student Activities Board members as mentors

to current Board members

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Student Activities Consolidation Committee

Students and Administrators from Evangel, Central Bible College, and the Assembly of God Theological Seminary

• Develop student activities for all students throughout the consolidation process

Recommendations for EU

• Recommendations to enhance learning for Students:o Increased Attention Toward Nontraditional Students

Due to the consolidation of Universities• Student Activities Board gear programs towards

new demographic of students

Current Trends @ EU

• Trends in Student Affairs:o Attend professional conferenceso Stay current in other areas of Student Affairs

• Trends in Student Activities Offices:o First and Second year experiences

EU has improved the E-Launch Orientation Program

o Multicultural Affairs EU needs to increase awareness in this area

Relations to Student Learning Imperatives

• Students getting the most out of his or her education o Increasing EU's Inclusive environmento Adding additional professional staff to Student

Activities Officeo Incorporating EU's mission statement to Student

Activities Office's mission statemento Integrating mentoring communities to the spiritual

development of the student

Conclusion

• Student Activities Office at Evangel University commendable:o Engaging, accessible, and welcoming atmosphere for

students on campuso Balancing stakeholders and students wishes

• Recommendations for improvement:o Diversity Initiativeso Preparation for institutional consolodationo Encouraging development of self-authorshipo Mentoring communities on campus

References Part 1

About Evangel (2012). Evangel University. Retrieved from: http://www.evangel.edu/about/about-evangel/ ACPA. (1996). The student learning imperative: Implications for student affairs. Retrieved from:

http://www.myacpa.org/sli_delete/sli.htm.ACT. (2010). 2010 retention/completion summary tables. Retrieved from:

http://www.act.org/ research/policymakers/pdf/10retain_trends.pdfActivitiesBoard at Evangel. (2012, November 27). Unite night [facebook promotion]. Retrieved from:

https://www.facebook.com/activitiesboard.evangel#!/activitiesboard.evangelACUI. (2012). Role of the college union. Retrieved from:

http://www.acui.org/content.aspx? menu_id=30&id=296Albright, R. L., Barr, M. J., Golseth, A. E., Kuh, G. D., Lyons, J. W., Rhatigan, J. J., & Sandeen, A.

(1987). A perspective on student affairs: a statement issued on the fiftieth anniversary of the Student Personnel Point of View. Retrieved from:

http:// www.naspa.org/pubs/files/StudAff_1987.pdf

References Part 2

Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3/4). Retrieved from: http://ceps.pef.uni-lj.si/dejavnosti/sp/2011-06-02/Internac.%20HE%20-

%20motivations%20and%20realities%20Altback,%20Knight%2007.pdf Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of

College Student Development, 40 (5), 518-529.Burks, S. A., & Barrett, T. G. (2009). Student characteristics and activity choices of college

freshmen and their intent to persist in religiously affiliated institutions. Christian Higher Education, 8, 351–392. doi: 10.1080/15363750902917276

Campus life (2012). Evangel University. Retrieved from:http://www.evangel.edu/campus/ campus-life/

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. Washington Center News. Retrieved from:

http://wwwtemp.lonestar.edu/ multimedia/SevenPrinciples.pdf

References Part 3

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development theory: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-

Bass.Degree Programs. (2012). Retrieved from: www.agts.edu/academics/programs/index.html.Mission (2012). Evangel University. Retrieved from: http://www.evangel.edu/about/mission/Owlia, M. S. & Aspinwall, E. M. (1997) TQM in higher education - a review. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 14(5). Retrieved from:http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=840304&show=abstractParedes-Collins, K. & Collins, C. S. (2011). The intersection of race and spirituality: Underrepresented students’ spiritual development at predominantly white evangelical colleges. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 20, 73-100. doi:10.1080/10656219.2011.557586

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