T i p s To S o l v i n g S t u d e n t A p a t h y5
It’s Not About Marketing Posters are great at a*rac,ng the a*en,on of students who are already paying a*en,on. But what about the other 60-‐84% who, the NSSE says, will never
par,cipate in your ac,vi,es? Posters and flyers don’t work for the dis-‐engaged First, you have to get their a*en,on.
Create Positive Confusion The first step of student engagement is to get a student to pay
attention. Attention happens in many ways. One way is to scare a student by doing a zombie run with blood on your face. While you’ve captured attention, it will end up doing more harm than good. Instead, focus on creating positive confusion. Confusion leads to interest, and
interest leads to engagement.
Find Parades Already in Motion Ever felt like the only one on the dance floor trying to get everyone else involved? Instead of trying to start your own parade, listen to what your
fellow students are interested in, and then use your resources as a leader (budget for food, room reserva,ons, posters, etc.) to create an
event around THEIR parade.
Make Introductions Happen It’s a simple rule; Dances are more fun, and last longer, when there are
more friends on the dance floor. As the host of the “dance,” your responsibility is to connect as many people together on the dance floor so there are more friendships. If someone is new, make sure to connect that person with at least two other people. Even better, connect people around shared interests so the conversation will flow more naturally.
Gradual Elevation Ever tried to drag a stranger from the edge of a Dance Floor to the center? It’s usually not a pre*y sight. Know that everyone is at a different stage of their leadership journey and just like in a video game, if you skip too many levels too fast, it can be overwhelming and demo,va,ng. Instead, recognize an individual’s current level of
engagement and give them one step at a ,me up the ladder.
Dance Floor Theory Intro Video
bit.ly/DFTLeaders
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