Eric Fortenberry and I (Nicole Andreas) recently returned from a campus visit at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa! We were warmly welcomed by Dr. Stacy Jones and her team in the Student Involvement and Leadership office.
Nicole and Eric with the Leadership and Involvement Staff
The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Alabama is actively pursuing opportunities to maximize each UA student’s learning experience. “After searching for a solution to manage students’ co-curricular involvement on the student side, campus side and staff side for about three years, we brought OrgSync to our campus as the “Source” to manage our student involvement. After conducting focus groups composed of faculty and students, we quickly learned OrgSync was the only choice that fully met our management needs and excited students,” said Dr. Stacy Jones.
UA is creating an entire program and team dedicated to providing their students with the services and tools they need to manage their student organizations and involvement needs. They are branding the program as the “Source”, as in: the source to go to for all student involvement and student organization management.
To kick off the launch of the Source powered by OrgSync, Stacy Jones and Kristen DuBose planned an exciting Launch Party on the Plaza with games, prizes, food and fun to intrigue students about the new Source program. Everyone signed up on OrgSync through their “My Bama” accounts(a single-sign-on solution that UA chose to implement to simplify user registration through their current campus sign-on information), and the Launch Party was a brilliant success.
Our visit also included meetings with several campus departments including Bama faculty, advisors and administrators. Each department was excited about bringing OrgSync to campus for different reasons. Vice-President of Student Affairs, Dr. Mark Nelson, immediately saw value in getting every campus department at UA on board. He even asked, “Does OrgSync print money too? What can’t this [OrgSync] platform do!?”
Signatures for the Children's Miracle Network
In between scheduled meetings, Eric and I were shown around Alabama’s extraordinary campus by Daniel Ware, a student leader from UA’s Residence Hall Association. It was fascinating to learn the history behind the Tuscaloosa campus, and it was great to meet so many friendly students during our tour. While traveling through campus, Zeta Beta Theta and Phi Mu were campaigning on the Quad to gain signatures on a giant blow-up ball. For each signature, a donation would be made to the Children’s Miracle Network. Of course, Eric and I had to sign the ball. We are all about giving back to those in need.
Daniel was a great tour guide! He brought us to see the football stadium and to see the famous “Walk of Champions.” The Walk of Champions honors Bama football coaches who have lead the school to victory, and it displays the SEC titles and awards the football team has been recognized for.
After our tour, we met in the Student Recreational Center on campus to get all of the club sports team signed up. We had a great turnout and we met with many different teams who were excited to start using OrgSync in the Fall. The women’s soccer team was especially excited to be able to manage different user groups and target their specific information to manage and engage their team more efficiently. Primarily, the players were particularly excited to learn that they could juggle their hectic sports schedules AND their involvement with other campus activities from just one place.
Before we left, Eric and I were asked to share our story with two entrepreneurial classes in the business school. We really enjoyed talking to the students, and we felt inspired as these future entrepreneurs sat in the same seat I was in not too long ago. I think a lot of them were inspired too, just to know it really was the same seat, and many of them told us about their dreams of starting their own company some day. Several students even came up to us after the class to learn how they could get involved, and help spread the word about OrgSync.
Overall, our visit was extremely successful, and I can’t wait to go back to the University of Alabama. Roll Tide!
Tags: campus communication, club sport communication, maximize learning experience, residence halls, student involvement, student organization management, The Source
ROLL TIDE!!!