GW Students Experience Positive Outcomes of Student Involvement

Center for Student EngagementMay 14, 2018May 14, 2018Leave a comment

by Kaitlyn Schmitt (kschmitt@gwu.edu)

As part of their 2018 Commencement Guide, the GW Hatchet student newspaper reported on graduating student leaders' reflections on their involvement. The students discussed positive outcomes from their involvement in student organizations, including:

Applying skills they learned about in class to their student organizations,
Leveraging leadership experience in job interviews, and
Feeling a greater sense of belonging and community.

The Center for Student Engagement is committed to cultivating these positive outcomes through student organizations - part of why CSE staff have dedicated over 2,500 hours in the last academic year to advising student organizations. We're thrilled these students and many others have experienced these positive outcomes, and we will continue to encourage the involvement of incoming and current students to promote the opportunities to practice leadership, apply transferable skills, and feel connected to one another and to GW.

Reflections on Elections: Behind the Scenes of GW’s Student Elections

Center for Student EngagementMay 11, 2018May 16, 2018Leave a comment

by Bob Wu (bobwu22@gwu.edu) and Kaitlyn Schmitt (kschmitt@gwu.edu)

The Joint Elections Commission (JEC) is a select group of five students responsible for administering the student body elections. Appointed in December 2017, the student members of the 2018 JEC recruited candidates, oversaw campaigning, and encouraged students to vote in elections for the Student Association, Program Board, and Class Council. This year, we undertook several new initiatives to improve the student body elections.

Comprehensive Candidate Recruitment

A campaign season is nonexistent without candidates, and this year’s Commission placed a high priority on recruiting candidates across the University’s spectrum of colleges and undergraduate and graduate populations. We employed a variety of strategies to inform students of both the ability to run for student government, and the importance it has to our campus community. In the weeks before candidate registration officially began, we created and placed individualized blurbs in each of the University’s college newsletters, informing students of the opportunity to run for office. We also tabled at the Spring Student Organization Fair and within District House, a large student hub on campus, providing handouts and additional details for interested candidates. Finally, in tandem with student government leadership, the Commission hosted three information sessions for prospective candidates to obtain campaign calendar details and receive tips from current leaders on running a successful campaign. ...continue reading "Reflections on Elections: Behind the Scenes of GW’s Student Elections"

The Mount Vernon Campus Student Experience

Center for Student EngagementMarch 30, 2018May 16, 2018Leave a comment

by Maria Silva (mariasilva@gwu.edu) and Ty Miranda (tmiranda@gwu.edu)

In fall 2017, the Mount Vernon Campus conducted a survey to evaluate student satisfaction on campus. Students were surveyed over five days about Mount Vernon campus resources. For each day, surveyors polled participants in five different locations across the Mount Vernon Campus: Eckles Library, the Academic Building, West Hall, Somers Hall, Ames, and the central campus Quad. In addition, respondents were offered popcorn in exchange for their time and the individually collected responses were all anonymous. ...continue reading "The Mount Vernon Campus Student Experience"