Strategic Guidance: Blazing a Path to Student Employee Excellence in Leadership

1. Strategic Guidance: Blazing a Path to Student EmployeeExcellence in Leadership Presented by: Tabatha Verbick Written by: Tabatha Verbick Scott Shields Kim Todd Northwest Missouri State University

2. Summary • Introduction • Fall Training • On-Going Training • Leadership Opportunities • At-Risk Interventions or Assessments • Training Assessment and Evaluation • Supervisor Initiative and Development

3. Introduction • PERT – Peer Educator in Residence for Technology • Provide technical support for personal and university equipment • Technology educators – virus and spyware removal, standard university software questions, current trends in technology • Disseminate campus computing policies • Liaison between Information Systems and Residential Life • On-call on assigned weekends for network and server outages • Training – holistic involving both IS and Res Life

4. Fall Training • Mandatory, 2-week training • Enhance both technical and interpersonal skills • All Res Life student staff members attend • Serves as team building effort for staff members in each residence hall

5. Fall Training - Goals • Res Life implemented standardized, curriculum based training in Fall 2002 • Goals • Provide staff with a development plan that will provide training skills and opportunities throughout their career as a staff member. • Provide consistent training from year to year. • Assist professional staff with preparation of training presentations. • Recognize returning staff members’ experience and minimize mandatory attendance at sessions they have attended in previous years.

6. Fall Training - Goals • Goals (continued) • Provide an opportunity for evaluation of skills learned in training. • Assist Residential Life with student staff evaluations. • Provide an opportunity for returning staff to develop additional skills and to be involved in training. • Provide staff with the opportunity to select sessions that they need and are interested in learning more about. • Provide concise information for staff resumes.

7. Fall Training - Goals • Training model originally developed and implemented for RAs only • Fall 2004 – PERTs joined the RA training • Benefited from professional development skills • Sessions did not always fit PERT needs • Fall 2007 – Core curriculum developed for each specialty position (4 positions total) • PERTs and other specialties continue to join RAs for applicable sessions

8. Fall Training - Goals • PERT Core Curriculum Example • Computing Policies - All PERTs • Part I – 45-Minute Presentation • PERTs will… • 1. Be familiar with policies for personal computers on the Northwest network, including configuration and anti-virus expectations. • 2. Be familiar with prohibited equipment, programs and actions on the Northwest network. (ex. Routers, peer-to-peer file sharing, webcams, Xboxes, etc.) • 3. Be familiar with acceptable resources allowed on the Northwest network. • 4. Be familiar with the disciplinary process for campus computing policy violations. • 5. Be familiar with when a computer virus will and will not result in a computing policy violation.

9. Fall Training - Goals • All Staff Core Curriculum Example • Life in a Fish Bowl/Ethics – All New RA Staff & PERTS • 30-minute presentation • Staff will… • 1. Follow expectations with regard to being a positive role model and setting an example. • 2. Follow all University policies. • 3. Understand that all student staff (mention all positions) are noticed and evaluated by peers and University Staff both on and off campus – living in the fish bowl. • 4. Understand that the behavior of one staff member will affect the impression of all staff members on campus and the entire Residential Life team. • 5. Know what to consider in order to make good decisions about personal behavior and social life. • 6. Understand the 5 principles of a person with integrity. • 7. Understand Blanchard and Peale’s “Ethics Check.” • 8. Understand ‘The Peer Ed Code of Ethics.’

10. Fall Training - Goals • Northwest’s training routinely scores very high on national student staff satisfaction surveys • Data is important when justifying continued funding Fall 2007 Student Staff Training Survey

11. Fall Training – Presentations & Topics • Facilitators recruited from Res Life, IS and the Student Affairs Division • Presentations prepared by facilitators based upon curriculum • Variation of presentation formats required • Group discussion • PowerPoint presentations • Role playing and games • Some lecture permitted • Presentation outlines proofed against the curriculum by training coordinators

12. Fall Training – Presentations & Topics • Wide Variety of Core Training Topics: • Community development • Professional ethics • Communication • Conflict resolution • Confrontation and discipline • Programming • Personal Wellness • Crisis Response • Diversity • Teamwork

13. Fall Training – Presentations & Topics • PERT Specific Training Sessions • Specific technical skills • MAGIC training • Computing policies • Effective communication and presentation • Computing policy enforcement

14. Fall Training - Process • Sessions targeted towards positions and level of experience • Over 75 sessions offered • Staff are directed to appropriate sessions with a position specific passport used for tracking attendance

15. Fall Training - Process 1st Year - PERTs • Passport then used to document training on each staff member’s tracking form • Excerpt from the PERT tracking form

16. On-Going Training • Development of software skills through Custom Guide Courseware • Professional development • Career Pathing presentations offered by Human Resources • Campus Activities presentations • Intercultural and International Center offerings • Sessions are preapproved by Hall Director • Training and motivational retreat • 2 to 3 days in length at the beginning of the Spring trimester • Offerings reflect new needs and perceived weaknesses in fall job performance

17. Leadership Opportunities • “PERTs – What can they do for you?” presentation • During fall staff training • Educators to other staff members • Freshman Advantage computer training • Co-teach with Information Systems Computer Lab Consultants • Introduction for new students to Northwest’s technological resources and campus computing policies

18. Leadership Opportunities • HALO LAN Party • Student gamers play against other students in a large group setting • Promotes policy awareness – game consoles are not allowed on the campus network due to bandwidth concerns • Door prizes and refreshments are provided • PERTs responsible for all aspects of the event • Securing funding and sponsorship • Catering • Acquiring necessary hardware and software – Xboxes, games, controllers, projectors, screens, etc. • Advertising

19. Leadership Opportunities • HALO LAN Party

20. Leadership Opportunities • Monthly active programming • Conduct in-person presentations • Variety of topics with technology incorporated into the subject matter • Development and refinement of communication and organizational skills • Facilitates cooperation with other campus staff • Ex. PERTs join with ARCHs to present registration information including selecting courses and technical assistance with the online registration process

21. Leadership Opportunities • Monthly passive programming • Informational, technology-related posters or handouts • Information Systems Computer Policies/Ethics Workshop • Act as both educators and enforcers • Trained for during fall staff training • Promotes greater understanding of the computing policies by the PERTs • PERTs are better able to recognize policy violations and disseminate policy awareness with their residents

22. At-Risk Interventions or Assessments • Identification of PERTs underperforming or exhibiting personal or emotional difficulties • Typically identified by supervisors, not from PERTs themselves • Intervention steps • Investigate and assess • Supervisory team collaboration • Develop an action/intervention and sanction plan (if required) • Meet with the PERT • Follow-up meetings

23. Training Assessment and Evaluation • Performance evaluation at the end of the year for each staff member • Evaluation results translated into a score for each item on the tracking form introduced during fall training • Scale: • 1 – attended training, understands topic, uses material effectively • 2 – attended training, needs special focused training • 3 – attended training, needs additional training

24. Training Assessment and Evaluation • Resulting actions based on evaluation score • 1 – information mastered, do not have to repeat session unless required for all staff • 2 – may or may not have to repeat the session, one-on-one time with supervisor to discuss information may be all that is required • 3 – required to repeat session during fall training

25. Supervisor Initiative and Development • Collaborative supervision is required to meet the requirements of remote supervision. • IS User Consultant – PERT group supervisor • Res Life Hall Directors – In-hall PERT supervisors • Liaison Res Life Area Coordinator – bridges the gap between Res Life and IS • Manager of Client Computing – provides IS technical support and departmental information • All supervisors collaborate for conducting evaluations

26. Supervisor Initiative and Development • Support of the individual PERT through role modeling, 1-1 meetings and open door policy • Pooling of departmental resources • Supervision • Staff training and teambuilding • Conference attendance

27. Supervisor Initiative and Development • Challenges of Collaboration • Communication concerns • Differing departmental cultures and expectations • Benefits of Collaboration • Facilitates inter-departmental communication • Team atmosphere promotes higher staff satisfaction and feeling of inclusion • PERTs gain greater perspective on their profession and life that will serve them in future endeavors

28. “To remove a mountain, you begin by carrying away small stones.” ~William Faulkner

29. Contact Information • Tabatha Verbick • User Consultant, Information Systems • tab@nwmissouri.edu • (660) 562-1434 • Scott Shields • Area Coordinator, Residential Life • sshield@nwmissouri.edu • (660) 562-1969 • Kim Todd • User Consultant, Information Systems • kdt@nwmissouri.edu • (660) 562-1434