Advocacy and civic engagement can play an important role in a student鈥檚 experience at CU 麻豆影院. Faculty and staff can act as a key resource in helping to support and guide students through their advocacy and civic engagement activities on campus.
Graduate student Liz Marasco听speaks at a rally on campus in November 2017 addressing proposed congressional tax reforms and effects on graduate students.
The importance of student advocacy
Students learn to advocate for their values and beliefs through engagement with one another, and in so doing, help to create a university environment that fosters awareness, encourages further inquiry and, in some cases, moves individuals and communities to action. That action challenges students to develop a variety of leadership skills, such as diplomacy, responsibility, accountability, motivation and communication. It also helps students to understand the role and value of free expression on campus.
Student Engagement Response Team
Student Affairs staff established the Student Engagement Response Team (SERT) to support students鈥� awareness of campus policies, impacts to CU鈥檚 academic mission and the Student Code of Conduct when they have an event (planned or impromptu) that may fall under descriptors such as demonstrations, protests or rallies. SERT is not responsible for the event, its activities, messages or logistics鈥攊ts goal is to help students hold educational and successful events that follow campus policies, while also allowing their voices to be heard.
How faculty and staff can help support students
The Center for Student Involvement is hosting a series of workshops this month to help educate and empower students to be civil, active and engaged on campus with the issues that are important to them. The workshops cover various topics including navigating campus policies when planning events, learning about free speech, managing conflict and more.
- Be receptive and open to students鈥� ideas.
- Encourage students and student organizations to collaborate with others.
- Engage students in a conversation about their desired outcomes鈥攚hat they want to do, what their key message is, who their audience is, and how they plan to get the message out.
- Share campus policies and resources. The Campus Use of University Facilities policy establishes the parameters for using indoor and outdoor spaces on the 麻豆影院 campus. This policy also outlines facility usage priorities, posting flyers, banners and chalking, vendor sales and fundraising, security and parking, distribution of literature and more. The Center for Student Involvement and CU Events Planning and Catering are also helpful resources in reserving space and learning more about planning events on campus.
For more information, contact Kristen Rollins, director of the Center for Student Involvement and SERT co-chairperson.
