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How Did You Hear?

9/16/2014

by Nicole Polito

I had been checking my email for the past week expecting my letter to arrive with hopefully good news. So nervous about finding out the results, I didn't open my email for a whole day.I was laying in bed at 1 a.m. in the morning just thinking of how fast time had been flying around me. I grabbed my phone and opened my email. I continued to open the first email on the list, it was from Mrs. Medley. As I read her email I saw, "I trust that you have received notification from the foundation this week." Quickly I went back to my inbox and there is was, a letter that stated I was now a Terry Scholar! I woke both of my parents up and we had a little celebration party that probably woke the neighbors as well. Congratulations never looked so good on a page before I got my Terry Letter.

by Veronica Araiza

I had been checking my email for the past week expecting my letter to arrive with hopefully good news. So nervous about finding out the results, I didn't open my email for a whole day.I was laying in bed at 1 a.m. in the morning just thinking of how fast time had been flying around me. I grabbed my phone and opened my email. I continued to open the first email on the list, it was from Mrs. Medley. As I read her email I saw, "I trust that you have received notification from the foundation this week." Quickly I went back to my inbox and there is was, a letter that stated I was now a Terry Scholar! I woke both of my parents up and we had a little celebration party that probably woke the neighbors as well. Congratulations never looked so good on a page before I got my Terry Letter.

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17 Do's and Don't for LEaders

9/1/2014

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Terry Scholars are leaders, not just within our organization, but also in many others across campus. At the beginning of the year, get off to a fast start and keep the momentum going all year long.

Do learn people’s names, and use them often.
Don’t assume everyone knows who you are. Introduce yourself.
Do respect the advisors role in your organization.
Don’t surrender the groups leadership role to the advisor. Work together as partners.
Do get to know the other support staff, they are probably willing to help you.
Don’t treat them like the organization's hired help. They work for the school; they aren’t there to do your grunt work. Treat them with respect, and they can help the group in many ways.
Do set a good example by following school policies and your own by-laws.
Don’t park illegally just because you know you’ll be in and out of the school quickly. Follow protocol when you use the photocopier or other privileges extended to you.
Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Do learn from the past. Share the old project binders. Talk to previous leaders. Talk to advisors who have been around for a while.
Don’t disregard the knowledge of your past president.
Do approach her as your mentor. Better than anyone, they knows the challenges you face. Listen to what they says. Ask for advice.
Do train your committee chairs and lay out the expectations for each committee.
Don’t micromanage the committees or your fellow officers. Let them apply their time and talents, even if it means they don’t do things exactly the way you would have done it yourself.
Don’t put all the emphasis on fundraising.
Do focus on involvement first. A community that feels connected to the group will step up to support activities when asked.
Do repeat longstanding, successful events.
Don’t ignore the value of tradition; it gives your organization an identity in the community.
Do run efficient meetings.
Don’t treat people’s time carelessly. Use an agenda, prepare minutes, start and end on time. Clean up after yourself. Listen to the members.

Do familiarize yourself with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Don’t get bogged down in layers and layers of parliamentary procedure. Use it to keep your meetings running efficiently, not to overwhelm your members.
Do read your group’s bylaws.
Don’t give up if there are no bylaws—creating them can be one of the most important things you do for your organization.
Do become familiar with your group’s formal organizational status.
Don’t assume everything is in order simply because your group has been around for years. Find out whether your student org has a tax ID number (EIN, or employer identification number, in IRS-speak), whether you’re incorporated with the state, and whether you’re registered as a tax-exempt charity with the IRS under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code.
Do seek out information. Reach out to leaders in other campus organizations to share experiences. Attend Campus Life Leader Fairs and Lunch and Learn Sessions.
Don’t assume you know it all. There are loads of groups with great ideas and experiences you can use for your group.
Don’t be afraid to make the tough decisions.
Do accept responsibility for unpopular but wise decisions, such as canceling an event due to lack of volunteer support.
Do say thanks.
Don’t lump every “thank you” into one blanket statement at year’s end. Work hard throughout the year to thank individuals by name for their contributions to the group.
Don’t let the stress level get too high. It’s OK to scale back to avoid burnout, and it’s OK to hold purely social events to boost morale and teamwork.
Do have fun. Being a student org leader can be a very rewarding experience. Even small steps to create a supportive community really make a difference for students.

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How Did You Hear?

17 Do's and Don't for LEaders

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