Newly-elected student leaders must handle a sharp learning curve during their first days in office.
Leading At Duke, a new leadership orientation program, aims to simplify their initiation process by providing students with better training and a greater understanding of the resources available to them at the University.
The program is an updated form of Event Advising Center-led organization training, as well as financial workshops, offered in previous years. Organization leaders will have the chance to speak with key administrators and learn financial and administrative skills. The expanded three hour session, will take place tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday and will include dinner.
Zoila Airall, vice president for student affairs, said consistency is the ultimate goal for the program this year. "We want everybody to get the same message and understand some of the basic things they need to know about running a club," Airall said.
Assistant Dean of Students Andrea Caldwell said some of these basic administrative guidelines were underemphasized in years past.
"There were not a lot of clear directions for where students could go to find help," said Caldwell. "We want to make sure that no matter what, [students] know where resources are available." Kristin Jackson, chair of the Student Organization Financial Committee, said that currently, many clubs do not know where to get money, or even that they have access to it.
Concerned by such administrative lapses, Airall formed a task force in student affairs, which looked at the student leadership programs of other schools. They concluded that Duke was well behind its peers in providing support for student organizations.
In addition to providing information on financial and administrative strategies, the orientation program will also help students create a social network with peers and administrators.
David Chen, president of the Asian Students Association, is one of over 100 students planning to attend over the next few days. Chen described the program as "a very positive step on the part of the University to bring everyone together."
An additional facet of the program is firming the role of advisors to student organizations.
Airall said that there was not enough consistency in the advising that student leaders received, adding that she planned to have advisors be more prepared to address the needs of their particular organizations. Also, she assured that these advisors will "act as soundboards," not as policy makers.
Caldwell hopes that ultimately, students will leave the program more knowledgeable and headed in the right direction.
"We have the opportunity to get student leaders out on the right foot," she said.
Andrew Collins contributed to this story.
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