Workshops

Identifying the traits to be an effective and proven leader is essential for growth and opportunity. In this workshop, we will discuss techniques designed to highlight your strengths and utilize them to achieve the goals and objectives of your organization. We will explore leadership from the perspective of being a “servant leader.” Specifically, we will examine the cost of leadership, being a change agent, and maintaining professional control for the desired outcomes. If you are ready to study and develop the skills to be a proven leader, this workshop is for you.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand that leadership is earned, how to earn it, and how to connect with the individuals you are leading.
   
2. Articulate how your organization can attract great leaders and develop member’s leadership skills.
   
3. Convey an attitude of servant leadership – one focused on leaving a legacy vs. building a resume.

For many campuses, the past months have brought a variety of changes, some expected, some perhaps unexpected. Whether you’ve been impacted by change recently or not, the reality is at some point in your life you will likely experience significant change, either positively or negatively. Discover the processes associated with change; learn strategies to increase your own resilience – and that of your students – and develop a personal program for maintaining stability in times of uncertainty. “If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.”

Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize the processes/stages associated with change.
   
2. Discover strategies for increasing resilience in the face of change.
   
3. Create a guideline for helping students deal with change.
   
4. Recognize the role of grief/loss associated with change.
   
5. Develop personal and professional strategies for dealing with individual and organizational change.

What are the “hot topics” on your campus? What resources would you like to share and what issues do you need help with? Join your colleagues for an NCSL tradition that always proves to be informative and timely.

Learning Outcomes

1. Be involved in dialogue with fellow advisors on issues related to advising student organizations.
   
2. Receive advice and counsel on responding to “hot topics” for colleges and universities.
   
3. Receive resources that will assist you in your role as an advisor.

Leaders are often encouraged to be “positive role models to others.” But what does being a positive role model look like? This session presents five practical and easy-to-remember strategies that are guaranteed to encourage you to influence others in a significantly positive way. An interactive and power-packed learning experience for all student leaders, this session will serve as an opportunity to learn practical leadership skills and establish a plan for intentional influential efforts. Participants are sure to gain life-long skills that can be utilized in your personal and professional lives.

Learning Outcomes

1. Learn and practice five strategies for positive influence.
   
2. Articulate specific ways to serve as a positive influence within each of the five strategies.
   
3. Identify figures of positive inspiration in your life.
   
4. Identify your own primary style(s) of influence.
   
5. Determine five strategies you can employ in order to serve as a positively influential leader.

This workshop will cover many of the important aspects necessary to become a seasoned advisor. It is important for all advisors to be fully knowledgeable about their campus, its politics, contacts, and the organization they advise. This session will provide motivational strategies for students, goal setting techniques, and ways to empower students to succeed. This workshop will also allow colleagues to interact on a professional level regarding important advising topics.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate motivational strategies for students and organizations.
   
2. Explore goal setting techniques for student development.
   
3. Define key campus resources available to students and your organization.
   
4. Identify collaboration opportunities within the scope of your organization’s mission.
   

This workshop is geared at helping participants understand how the artists build their performance pieces collaboratively, and by extension, how those pieces can be broken down to create a platform for further investigation into an idea. First Wave will present an interactive lecture/demonstration beginning with a short performance and then a discussion and break down of the components and hip hop elements engaged in the performance. The performance will involve movement, beat-boxing, spoken word, and other elements of hip hop theater. The First Wave performers will work with participants on the de-construction of the work and the re-fashioning of those principles to deal with specific group needs. This process is geared toward providing participants with basic tools for creating/facilitating safe and trusting environments for the expression of one’s creativity, demonstrated through hip hop arts.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explore an alternative option for engaging both young leaders and the students those leaders are working with.
   
2. See leadership through the lens of creative and artistic problem solving.
   
3. Use the elements of hip hop to influence and lead through team building, self awareness, personal responsibility, and mutual respect.
   

Whether you are meeting people from other countries, students from other states, or classmates who may have just attended a different school – it’s critical to get a sense of their different cultural perspective. This isn’t just about knowing their language or trying new foods, it’s about listening to the cues that are below the surface. Learn to mine for values, meet needs around space and identity, and become tolerant to new perspectives and belief systems. This is leadership at its core – building critical and powerful relationships with people from across the globe (or perhaps from just across the room). Be prepared for a different, transformative kind of workshop as Cindy and Carol teach through live-action theater and interactive exercises.

Learning Outcomes

1. Examine how Cultural Intelligence fits into leadership effectiveness.
   
2. Recognize your own cultural values and how they may differ from others – identify the pros and cons of differing values.
   
3. Begin to notice how cultural “below the iceberg” values can sometimes impact “above the iceberg” behaviors.
   
4. Explore three different cultural scales to build awareness around where you fall and where others come from: priority of work, physical space, and task v. relationship.

Leaders communicate with the press regularly. Sometimes the circumstances are positive, such as when the campus newspaper covers your organization’s upcoming event. Other times the circumstances are negative, such as when the campus TV news station wants to interview you about your organization’s perceived lack of accountability with student fees. This presentation will help student leaders think like journalists so they can get the positive coverage they want, while surviving the turbulent times.

Learning Outcomes

1. Define the seven values that constitute news in the eyes of journalists.
   
2. Indentify techniques to pitch stories, write news releases, and prepare for interviews.
   
3. Articulate the differences between positive and negative methods of communicating with the press.
   
4. Demonstrate the ability to remain calm and on message when answering a reporter’s questions.
   
5. Identify tactics for cultivating a healthy relationship with the press.
   

Discover various leadership styles, communication patterns, and how communication is influenced by gender and culture. Acquire the skills necessary to communicate effectively, listen actively, and resolve conflict in peaceful and meaningful ways. Understand the different conflict management styles and how they affect conflict resolution. Through role playing, you will learn to be empathetic and understand the different perspectives individuals bring to communication and conflicts.

Learning Outcomes

1. Discover various leadership styles and communication patterns.
   
2. Understand how communication is influenced by gender and culture.
   
3. Acquire the skills necessary to communicate effectively, listen actively, and resolve conflict in peaceful and meaningful ways.
   

Who are you? If someone asks this question of you, how will you answer? Most people answer this question by giving standard responses such as "My name is" or "My major is" or " I was born in" or "My ethnicity is," etc., but beyond these common responses, who are you REALLY? In this interactive presentation, Marlon will dive deeper into this question and explore the many sides of you, which ultimately contribute to the many sides of a people. Remember, there is no such thing as “self-made.” We are all interdependent and connected. Through experiential activities, you will learn insights for enhancing the quality of your relationships.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand how to develop rapport with strangers.
   
2. Learn strategies for building a “Community of UNITY” on your campus.
   
3. Participate in a high-energy exercise so you may better appreciate and value others.
   

Throughout your college career and beyond, you will exist in environments which will require the skill of self-advocacy. The intent of this workshop, designed for experienced student leaders, will be to draw upon insights from communication and negotiation theory in order to teach you the essential skills of self-advocacy.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and apply basic concepts of communications theory.
   
2. Understand and apply basic concepts of negotiations theory.
   
3. Formulate an individual strategy for self-advocacy.
   

Have you ever wondered what your dean of students really thinks about your organization? Do you wish that sometimes you could get more support, recognition, and buy-in from your dean? Have you ever wondered what the "best strategies" are for ensuring your organization’s success and the institution’s support? Look no further – combining humor with interactive exercises, Dr. Joe Bertolino, a university vice president and dean of students, both explores and helps answer these questions. Dr. Joe will answer the questions you are dying to ask administrators and will provide you with solid strategies to create a successful organization that has institutional support.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the relationships (historical, cultural and political) and communication styles between institution administration and student organizations/leaders.
   
2. Examine the intricacies of what makes an institution and its administration tick. You will gain a better understanding of your administration and how to more effectively communicate with them.
   
3. Demonstrate knowledge of five proven concepts and strategies that will help your organization secure support and recognition from your institution and community.

In this session, participants will learn about the concepts of social justice, privilege, and oppression. This is a highly interactive session; participants will be asked to engage in higher-level experiences that model and punctuate the concepts of targeted populations. Folks will need to come ready to learn from each other and be open to confronting their own sense of privilege.

Learning Outcomes

1. Learn about the concepts of social justice, privilege, and oppression.
   
2. Recognize how to use interactive activities that will articulate the concepts of social justice, privilege, and oppression.
   
3. Articulate strategies that other institutions and organizations are utilizing to embrace social justice and combat indifference and oppression.
   

Student apathy is 100% beatable. It’s easier than you think, too! Jonathan Sprinkles reveals his new strategies for increasing member retention and keeping people motivated…all year long. These are the tips, verbatim, that have inspired people to call Jonathan the leading authority on student motivation. Based on his solutions from his book The 7 Secrets of Thriving Student Leaders, you will receive ideas on everything from creative marketing ideas to structuring your organization so people actually want to participate. Get ready to laugh and learn.

Learning Outcomes

1. Discover the secrets to conquering mid-year apathy and keeping members fired up all year long.
   
2. Understand where to find the best leaders…and how to put them to work.
   
3. Learn how to master the 8 Sacred Steps to writing emails so your members read and respond to them.
   
4. Recognize why using social media can be the best way to LOSE new members.
   

The key to being a leader who transforms organizations is developing “Irresistible Influence.” Discover how to be a leader with a magnetic personality who attracts incredible results. In this workshop, you’ll learn exactly which people skills will make the difference in the way people respond to you. Jonathan will also show you how to exude huge amounts of self-confidence and self-esteem to help you earn your organization’s respect, even if you’re not the one in charge!

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate the three styles of leadership and why not knowing your style will doom your organization.
   
2. Create an exciting vision for your organization.
   
3. Determine how to leave a legacy that students and staff will remember for years.
   
4. Understand which people skills will make the difference in the way people respond to you.
   

Examine, experience, and engage in the dynamics of difference to develop an understanding of the concepts of privilege and discrimination. Through interaction with difference on both a theoretical and practical level, you will develop a heightened awareness of yourself and your position in an increasingly diverse and interdependent society. Examining our ethical and moral responsibility will aid us in shaping organizations and communities where all people feel valued and included.

Learning Outcomes

1. Examine and engage in the dynamics of difference to develop an understanding of the concepts of privilege and discrimination.
   
2. Understand the foundations of diverse learning communities and how to activate this within your organization.
   
3. Develop a heightened awareness of yourself and your position in an increasingly diverse and interdependent society.

What do song lyrics have to do with a leadership conference? This interactive workshop will discuss how cohesiveness enhances group performance. We’ll invite participants to work in groups to create analogies, using popular lyrics, of their own organization’s effectiveness. No singing talent required, just a creative and innovative spirit!

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop alternative systems of thought using analogies.
   
2. Use abstract ideas to interpret reality.
   
3. Foster clarity, precision, and relevance through group discussion and interpretation.
   

Influence is the science and art of motivating people toward specific ends, without the use of coercive, unethical, and illegal tactics. For student leaders, influencing others requires a complete skill set that will empower you to provide effective leadership. In this workshop, experienced student leaders will learn about and apply the D.I.S.C. model of personality development as the basis of understanding their leadership style. Additionally, they will practice the art of influence.

Learning Outcomes

1. Define leadership.
   
2. Define influence in the context of leadership.
   
3. Articulate the goals and methods of influence.
   
4. Demonstrate an understanding of leadership and influence in real-life situations.
   

Learn strategies for managing your organization’s members, activities, and meetings. Acquire the skills necessary to implement and maintain Robert's Rules of Order as a tool of efficiency in organizational meetings. Understand how your organization can benefit from member mentoring and task delegation. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as how to focus your organization’s energy for greater success.

Learning Outcomes

1. Implement and maintain Robert's Rules of Order as a tool of efficiency in meetings.
   
2. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as how to focus the organization’s energy for greater success.
   
3. Understand how your organization can benefit from member mentoring and task delegation.
   

This generation of college students may be the most socially conscious in history. Student leaders have a unique opportunity to organize community service and humanitarian relief efforts that could involve hundreds, if not thousands, of students and make a positive difference in people’s lives. Using student-initiated projects at his university as case studies, Dr. Miller will help students consider how they can organize projects across the country that can make an impact.

Learning Outcomes

1. Compare three types of student-initiated relief efforts – citywide, statewide, and nationwide.
   
2. Identify success factors in planning, including calendar, costs, transportation, and housing.
   
3. Understand the legal concerns of community service.
   
4. Develop a list of efforts that could be initiated in your community.
   

The fear of failure is the greatest single obstacle to success in adult life. Failure alone does not hinder individuals from pursuing their goals; rather, it is the fear of failure, or the anticipation of failure, that holds people back. If we look at our lives, we realize that we have failed hundreds of times, more times than we could ever count. Everyone has experienced failure from time to time, but resolving to be too careful can sabotage your efforts to achieve your goals. This session will address both the importance of experiencing failure and the importance of overcoming the fear of failure. Don’t miss this workshop; you’ll gain vital knowledge and strategies to overcome the fear of failure – and succeed!

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate the impact failure can have on your attitude, character, and actions.
   
2. Identify six ways to overcome a fear of failure.
   
3. Learn four benefits of experiencing failure.
   
4. Identify and reflect on your own experiences with failure and explore ways in which your failures have been beneficial.
   

In this session, you will learn the principles that make publicity and promotion campaigns effective, understand the differences between publicity and promotions, and take away innovative ideas that college and university organizations use nationwide. This session will give you increased confidence in publicizing events and promoting your organizations on campus. Learning these skills will give your group the edge in capturing the mindshare of your target audiences.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge of innovative ideas that college and university organizations use nationwide.
   
2. Express awareness of the principles that make publicity and promotion campaigns effective.
   
3. Understand the differences between publicity and promotions and how they can be used to capture a greater mindshare of your target audience.

Leadership is not just about taking charge. To be an effective leader, you must be a person others want to follow. You must possess an appealing character and qualities that allow you to relate well to others and treat them so they want to look to you as a leader. What traits contribute to making you a better leader and person? This interesting, informative session will help to improve your leadership style along with your people skills, both of which are critical as you begin down the path of a person in leadership roles. Come join Dr. Paul and find out what you should be considering.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate why certain character traits are integral to effective leaders.
   
2. Understand how certain soft skills impact the effectiveness of your leadership.
   
3. Identify the four steps of goal setting.
   
4. Recognize the learned set of leadership skills and how to develop those skills.

What’s the difference between an average student group and an organization that compels, motivates, and sets new benchmarks on campus and in the community? The answer is clarity through a laser focus, a compelling culture, and creative communication. In this fun and engaging workshop, Amy Pedersen, author of Branding U: Student Leadership Strategies for Real World Success, will help student leaders chart the course for EXTRAordinary student organizations.

Learning Outcomes

1. Establish or solidify your organization’s vision and mission.
2. Learn how to create a compelling organizational culture.
3. Discover how to convert members to active members.
4. Understand the impact of creative communication.
   

Andrea Mosby-Jones offers a warm, funny, and motivational program that reminds students of the importance of thoughtful decisions in their lives. College students are faced with tough choices on a regular basis. With so many options today, you need to have the confidence to make good decisions that will lead you on a path to success. You need to seek options in alignment with your values and goals. Using the acronym DECISIONS, Andrea walks participants through the factors you must consider when making important personal choices. From having determination to taking control of your life, you will learn to lead yourself and have a solid connection with the organizations you lead.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand that the process of making decisions starts from within.
   
2. Express initiative to take healthy risks toward your dreams.
   
3. Recognize the value in turning obstacles into opportunities.

Attend this workshop and get the inside story on how to implement some of the best campus programs and ideas that are being generated by student leaders across the country. Everyone is invited to share their programs and ideas.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Develop ideas for campus or organization initiatives that stem from others’ programs, events, or ideas.
   
2. Recognize new opportunities for student engagement.
   
3. Engage in conversations about campus community involvement.

Successful people – the most influential – get things done (tasks) and at the same time, pay attention to the people on their team (maintenance). It is more than positive daily interactions and pleasant talk, it’s your ability to navigate through difficult conversations and maintain the connections within your teams. Uncover your conflict blind spots and ways to overcome them with a great tool from the National Coalition Building Institute. Practice expressing controversial and risky opinions in a way that allows all to be heard. It is up to you to set the stage for an open, productive, and inclusive environment – meet us on the Two-Way Street!

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply tools for inclusive, relationship-oriented leadership.
   
2. Discover your conflict blind spots and learn methods to overcome them.
   
3. Utilize a four-step process from the National Coalition Building Institute to stay in conversation during controversial, high-stakes discussions.

Technology has changed the landscape of student advising and student programming development and advertising. In hopes of staying connected to each other and our students, many of us have turned to using Facebook™, Myspace™, Twitter™, IMing, texting, and others. While many of us have found pure delight in keeping our colleagues and students up-to-date, there are several inherent, complex issues that advisors must consider. In this session, Bil will provide an overview of current trends and uses of social networking with on-campus organizations. Bil will also provide an overview and insight on current challenges in using social networking for both the advisor and students. This is a great session for sharing your best practices and challenges as they relate to social networking and your campus.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify successful benchmarks for programming boards and college activities offices that are using social networking tools.
   
2. Understand liabilities as they relate to social networking tools and college student development.
   
3. Explore established social networking policies for college and university administrators.
   
4. Discover new approaches with social networking from other attendees.

During college, students often focus on academic concerns and not enough on some of the practical insights that could aid their development in college and beyond. Many times, students have to learn the hard way about life’s lessons. However, you can avoid making some common mistakes with the information provided in this workshop! In this insightful seminar, Dr. Earl Paul will provide helpful information in five categories: careers and majors, financial literacy, metaphysical laws, lifestyle and health, and goal setting. Dr. Paul will provide practical insights that can help you now and when you get out into the world of work. This is one workshop you will not want to miss!

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the basic areas of financial literacy and why these areas are important.
   
2. Articulate ways lifestyle and health choices can affect you positively or negatively.
   
3. Identify basic universal laws and how you can use them to your advantage.
   
4. Recognize the significance and benefits of working with the career center at your college now.
   

After being diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis), Jo learned firsthand that for people who are disabled, society handicaps them. In this experiential and interactive workshop, you will discover some of how it feels to be disabled while trying to make it on a college campus and in the world. You’ll experience the attitudes emanated towards those with disabilities and the words that hurt; although, most times unintentionally. But you’ll also discover enriching yet practical truths the disabled want you to know and the various ways they want to be treated. Most importantly, you’ll discover how you can make an impact in their lives by incorporating them in leadership and benefit from learning the vast treasure of resources those with disabilities utilize to operate and excel.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand in some part the life of the disabled.
   
2. Determine how your own potential biases might be disabling you, paralyzing you with fear, and ultimately keeping you from getting to know those with disabilities.
   
3. Articulate ways to include those with disabilities at your school and in the world around you.
   
4. Discover exciting new coping mechanisms that you can incorporate in leadership.
   

Jo has been told more than once “You can’t do that” since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It’s just one reason why she can inspire you to believe you can. Jo relates from her humorous and heart-touching experiences how she’s been emboldened to reunite others around her, creating a crucial support-system that benefits everyone. Her MS diagnosis as well as the cervical spinal cord injury that should have left Jo a quadriplegic or worse showed her how to recreate herself and her life. Jo will show you that absolutely everything can be turned into an adventure. Jo will prompt you to be the catalyst in others’ lives to dream big, achieve more than they thought possible, and make a dramatic difference in their lives while realizing a surprise in the process—by doing so you are more fulfilled and you are the one being reinspired!

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand how choice makes a difference in how you view your experiences and therefore live and lead others.
   
2. Understand the necessity for uniting others around you without embarrassment and see the advantage in doing it regularly.
   
3. Recognize the potential of recreating your life and that of your group at critical junctures.
   
4. Discover the impact of dreaming big and encouraging others to do so.
   

Ever wonder how to stop working from one program crisis to the next? Ever wish you had time to work proactively on long-term initiatives? Ever hope for more hours in the day and more than enough people to delegate to? Well, “hope is not a plan,” so let project management change your outlook! Learn project management fundamentals and practice developing a project plan during the workshop. Learn specific tools for project management and tips for communicating with your team members, stakeholders, and decision makers.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate project management fundamentals.
   
2. Utilize project mapping as a tool for connecting related projects and opportunities.
   
3. Develop a project plan with actual in-progress projects.
   
4. Apply tools and tips for communicating with team members, stakeholders, and decision makers.