Three major actions evolved:

! ! The 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Biannual Conclave was held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Campus June 2-4, 2014. The conclave proceedings were...
Author: Hollie Ray
5 downloads 2 Views 4MB Size
!

!

The 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Biannual Conclave was held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Campus June 2-4, 2014. The conclave proceedings were a call to action and the challenge was presented to transform Gamma Sigma Delta with the Synergy of Tradition, New Ideas and New Partnerships.

! Three major actions evolved: !• !• !

Make Gamma Sigma Delta a Big Deal: Gamma Sigma Delta membership recognition/ designation is identified and understood as a Big Deal by undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture and related sciences. Enact Generative Leadership:

• • •



! ! !

Plant seeds early in undergraduates and help them grow through faculty and alum Make overt the act of mentoring Gamma Sigma Delta promotes generative leadership and mentoring in preparing future leaders for both academia and professional careers.

!

Effectively Network and Communicate: Gamma Sigma Delta International Officers effectively communicate with a growing network of active chapters and members.

The content of this document is designed to provide a description of the evolution of the major actions. The document contains three parts: Overview of the Conclave Proceedings, Key themes from the 2014 Conclave, and an Appendix of materials developed by conclave participants. including presentations of chapter activities. Another major product of the Conclave is the chapter activities presentations which can be viewed by clicking here.



Overview of Conclave Proceedings !

The 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Conclave was filled with many productive speakers and discussions. The following section is intended to document the important information that was shared or discovered in each session.

! Revitalizing Gamma Sigma Delta and the Land Grant Mission – Dr. Ronnie Green !

Dr. Ronnie Green, Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), served as the keynote speaker for the Conclave. Green opened his remarks with an account of his initiation into Gamma Sigma Delta and how this was a significant achievement in his life. To illustrate why this was such an important accomplishment, Dr. Green presented a short history of the Land Grant Act and its impact on agricultural research and education through Land Grant Institutions.

!

For many years, the scholarly work conducted at Land Grant Institutions was greatly valued by society, but later declined with the prosperity of the early 1980’s as food production and resources were perceived to be unlimited. This decline in public opinion initiated a similar decline in the prestige of Gamma Sigma Delta; as efficiencies and innovations in agriculture became less important, so did the status of researchers in this field.

!

However, in recent years, a growing population, limited resources, and an increased demand for food security has caused a resurgence in the importance of research in agriculture. This was evidenced by the recent addition of UNL’s Innovation Campus, which is an entirely new development of research facilities dedicated to advancements in global initiatives on food, water and fuel issues.

!

Green emphasized that this increased importance on agricultural research and the challenges it seeks to overcome will necessitate a similar transformation in the quality of scholars conducting this work. Gamma Sigma Delta is well positioned to facilitate this transformation, but it needs to regain its former stature. In short, Gamma Sigma Delta needs to be a “big deal.”

!

To make Gamma Sigma Delta a “big deal,” Dr. Green suggested a number of points he thought to be most important. First, leaders within Gamma Sigma Delta need to strategically reevaluate its mission, structure, and procedures to ensure it is rising to meet the pressing challenges in agriculture. A hallmark of this reformation process should be an overt emphasis on mentoring new faculty and students. This emphasis on mentoring should not only seek to develop the knowledge and strengths of future agricultural scholars, but also to generate awareness of the strong legacy that comes from contributing to the Land Grant mission. Finally, Gamma Sigma Delta members should strive to raise the level of excellence in their respective fields to attract the very best faculty and students.

! ! ! ! !

Why I am Excited About the Future of Gamma Sigma Delta – Dr. Steven Waller

!

Dr. Steven Waller, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln expressed great enthusiasm for the potential of partnering with Gamma Sigma Delta chapters on campus to develop add value to undergraduates and the new professoriate. Dean Waller outlined the following reasons why he is excited about Gamma Sigma Delta: (1) Gamma Sigma Delta has produced an outstanding heritage within the landgrant tradition of integrating teaching, research and extension in agriculture and related sciences. (2) Gamma Sigma Delta joins students, faculty, alumni, and industry leaders in agriculture and related sciences and (3) Many Gamma Sigma Delta chapters have activities devoted to service and leadership development.

!

Dean Waller highlighted how he has partnered with Gamma Sigma Delta. He described his sponsorship of membership in Gamma Sigma Delta for new faculty. Dean Waller also explained how he has increased the visibility of Gamma Sigma Delta by inviting Gamma Sigma Delta award winner to keynote banquets and speak at college faculty meetings.

!

Dean Waller challenged the leadership of Gamma Sigma Delta to be aggressive and innovative seeking new ways to: (1) greater recognition and involvement of students and faculty in nontraditional majors and disciplines related to food, fuel, water, landscapes and people; (2) greater number of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty recognize Gamma Sigma Delta as relevant and rewarding on campus; (3) local chapter awards recognized as strong evidence for high scholarly activity for promotion and tenure; (4) stronger role on each campus in preparing the future professoriate and (5) greater unity of local chapters in addressing current issues related to food, fuel, water, landscapes and people and collectively report results.

! ! Mentoring and Generative Leadership, Dr. Lindsay Hastings !

Dr. Lindsay Hastings, Director of the Nebraska Human Resources Institute, a leadership-based youth mentoring organization, and Associate Professor of Community Leadership Development at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln presented on generative leadership and how mentoring can be largely influential in preparing future leaders. Hastings is considered a leading expert on generativity, which is defined as concern for establishing and guiding the next generation.

!

Hastings initiated her presentation by introducing a vision for Gamma Sigma Delta to serve as a society of fellows that is deliberately preparing the next generation of agricultural and academic leaders who are actively contributing to the land grant mission. But, in order to achieve this vision, certain challenges need to be addressed.

!

The main challenge is with the promotion and tenure process. Many young faculty members are placed under a great deal of stress to achieve tenure, and must do so by producing in the Big Three: teaching, research, and extension. The pursuit of tenure creates a series of external pressures that force a faculty person’s viewpoint to suddenly become very myopic. The measure of success becomes metered as opposed to mission-driven—“how many articles do I have published?” as opposed to “how is this state able to advance itself by virtue of having access to this newfound knowledge?” These pressures to produce can detract from the mission to make meaningful contributions to society.

! !

Hastings suggested that Gamma Sigma Delta should be driving the conversation on returning academic efforts to a more mission-driven endeavor. Well-established tenured faculty members in Gamma Sigma Delta should deliberately invest in young faculty members to prepare and guide them to make meaningful contributions through their work to the citizens of their respective states. Hastings specifically used the word investment as opposed to mentorship to suggest that a dividend be produced as a result. The investment made in young faculty and students through the Gamma Sigma Delta community would result in the expectation of a reinvestment in the following generation.

!

This return to a more mission-driven academic climate is not only important, it’s imperative. Dr. Hastings cited the pending transfer of leadership – over half of all management occupations will be transferred to a younger generation in the next two decades – as the impetus for developing the leadership capacities of younger generations. In the case of land grant institutions, Gamma Sigma Delta members are responsible for adequately preparing the next generation faculty and students to carry on the land grant mission.

!

So how can this be accomplished? Hastings suggests this will require Generative Leadership, which is leadership that actively seeks to promote and establish the next generation. Before describing Generative Leadership, it’s important to understand current research on generativity.

!

According to Rossi (2001), generativity is the highest predictor of social responsibility; i.e. the more a person feels a need to establish and guide the next generation, the more likely that person will make meaningful contributions to his or her relationships and communities. Also, it has been documented that generativity peaks during mid-life as people are raising children or trying to advance their social position. Young adults are not considered to be highly generative.

!

However, in Hastings’ dissertation work, which received local and national recognition, she found that college student leaders who mentor demonstrated significantly higher levels of generativity than their peers. So, leaders who mentor, and, as shown by previous research, leaders who are mentored tend to be more generative.

!

! Thus, mentoring is a critical element in building a generation of generative leaders who will likely be taking on senior leadership roles and tasked with furthering the land grant mission at a young age. But again, mentoring to develop generativity takes on a very specific form called investment relationships.

! !

The idea of investment relationships originated in the late 1940’s from the work of Dr. William E. Hall and Dr. Donald Clifton, who were psychologists most interested in studying successful people. They found that individuals with high “human relations capital,” or the ability to positively influence others, all shared one thing in common: they all could point to one or more “Difference Makers” who had made a significant impact on their life. Because someone had made a difference for them, these successful individuals wanted to do the same for others. This concept was characterized as the Ripple Effect, where one person’s impact influences another to continue the act of making a difference for others.

!

So what are investment relationships and how can they be created? Investment relationships can be characterized by (1) the intentional identification of talents, (2) development of those talents into strengths through stimulus situations - specific activities provided by the mentor to isolate and enhance one or more of the protégé’s talents - and (3) directing the protégé to invest talents in the process of reinvesting others. The process is outlined in the Investment Relationship Model.

!

!

!

Many may find that creating effective mentoring relationships can often be an elusive task. Hastings found that successful investment relationships typically start out by focusing on establishing trust and building a friendship before entering into more formal mentoring relationship. Over time, the friendship and mentorship become integrated so that meaningful, intentional conversations become a natural part of each interaction. The four phases through which Hastings found investment relationships to progress are described below.

!

Phase

Description

Building Friendship

Focus on establishing trust, building friendship; occurs through asking questions and finding commonalities

Transition to Mentorship

Focus on strengths recognition and development; Strong emphasis on reciprocity within the relationship and reinvestment in others

Friendship X Mentorship

Friendship and mentorship occur simultaneously; Total openness, honesty, high levels of trust; Emergence of being a true difference maker

Generative Integration

Mentors are more intentional about investing in all relationships; Become more others-centered; Desire to establish a legacy

!

Generative Leadership takes a much different approach than traditional conceptions of leadership. Instead of a distant, visionary figurehead, a generative leader is one who takes an active role in investing in others and provides them with opportunities to do what they do best. Hastings challenged the members of Gamma Sigma Delta to see themselves as Difference Makers and take every opportunity to create investment relationships with fellow faculty members and students. By doing so, it will create a Ripple Effect that will encourage future generations to carry on the legacy of the Land Grant mission.

! !

Reinvesting in Gamma Sigma Delta at the Individual, Chapter, and International Level

!

Following Dr. Hastings’ presentation on generativity and leadership, Dr. Dennis Brink and Seth Barnes facilitated a discussion on how to apply this newfound knowledge to the various levels of Gamma Sigma Delta. The purpose of this session was to help conference members develop tangible action steps related to generative leadership and mentoring that they could take back with them to their local chapters.

!

The following framework was used to help

facilitate dialogue:

G

I

!

C

!

Note: Framework adapted from the Social Change Model of Leadership (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996).

!

In this framework there are three different levels, the Individual (I), Group (G), and Community/Society (C). These three levels represent the different areas in which we are able to influence as leaders. The arrows represent the bidirectional interactions between each level. For example, decisions that are made at the Group level will influence an Individual, but an Individual is also able to have an influence on the decisions made by the Group. Similar interactions occur between all levels.

!

Linking this framework to the concept of generativity, one can begin to think more intentionally about the potential to have influence and create investment relationships. The process for doing this includes three steps that can be applied at each level.

! !

Step 1

Identify Investee

Step 2

Identify Talents, Interests, and Goals

Step 3

Create Stimulus Situations

The first step is to identify in whom you would like to invest. In a true investment relationship, the investee you choose would be an individual with which you already have influence, or would like to have in the future. For example, this might be a close friend or family member, your advisee, the freshmen student who came to your office asking for help in your class, a new faculty member, or even the person you sit next to on the bus every morning.

!

Next, after you have identified the individual you would like to invest in, you should take an inventory of this person’s talents, interests, and goals. Study this person closely, try to interact in multiple settings if possible, and note specific instances where you observe special or exceptional abilities. Learning about interests and goals provide opportunities to find commonalities and build trust, and they likely provide clues to help you identify talents.

!

The final step is to create stimulus situations, which are planned activities that contribute to the development of an isolated talent. Talents, like any other skill, require practice and positive recognition to improve. As an Investor, you should intentionally plan ways to directly recognize the Investee’s talent and then provide opportunities for him or her to express this talent.

!

An example of this process might be a faculty member who is new to your department (Step 1). You notice that she often stays late or schedules lunch meetings to make time for student appointments, she frequently shares success stories of helping a student through a difficult personal situation or find clarity in future aspirations, and her advisees have nothing but positive things to say about her. Based on these observations, you recognize that she has an interest in serving students and a talent for building strong rapport (Step 2). Citing the specific examples you have inventoried, you communicate the talent you see in her. In this interaction, you encourage her to join you in serving as an academic recovery coach for students on probation so that she can use her talent to further impact students (Step 3). This would also provide you with additional opportunities to continue investing in her.

!

Referring back to the guiding framework, true investment relationships occur on a one-to-one basis at the Individual level. However, the same process can also be extended to the Group and Community/Society levels where the Investor and Investee are collective groups of people. For example, your local chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta could identify a student organization that is effective at raising awareness on campus of the agricultural-related issues of the state.

!

To help gain familiarity with the framework, Seth facilitated the group through a practice round where participants were identified a person in their life for whom they served as a Difference Maker. Participants were then asked to make an inventory of this person’s talents and write down specific examples of when these talents were observed. Finally, each person practiced

brainstorming stimulus situations that would provide their Investee with the opportunity to develop specific talents.

!

After a discussion at each table, volunteers were asked to describe the person they chose, the talents they identified, and the stimulus situation they created to develop one of those talents. Anowarul Islam, a Forage Agroecologist from the University of Wyoming, shared about a graduate student he has invested in. After noticing a talent for responsibility and taking initiative, Anowarul provided this student with the opportunity to independently manage a laboratory as a stimulus situation.

!

A significant moment in the discussion occurred when Seth asked Anowarul if another professor had done the same for him. After a moment of introspection, Anowarul replied, “Yes.” This example perfectly highlights the impact of generative leadership and investment relationships. Because of the investment another professor had made in him as a graduate student, Anowarul is now reinvesting in his graduate students.

!

After this general discussion, Dr. Brink transitioned the focus to how the guiding framework could be applied directly to the context of Gamma Sigma Delta. He challenged individual members and local chapters to be more intentional about creating investment relationships.

!

Dr. Brink then asked the group to think specifically about two parts of the guiding framework: (1) How individual members can invest in their local Gamma Sigma Delta chapter, and (2) How Gamma Sigma Delta International could invest in individual members.

!

Small groups were charged with the task of creating action steps that could be enacted at these two focal levels. Discussions were held, and each group recorded their action steps on the Where Do We Go From Here? Report Sheet. A compilation of these action steps can be found in Appendix A.

!

There were a number of themes that emerged from these action steps. At the individual level, a majority of action steps mentioned mentoring or forming relationships. Certain emphasis was placed on planning more informal social gatherings that would facilitate relationship formation and lead to mentoring. Another theme surrounded the idea of making greater effort to personalize recruitment and recognition. For example, instead of sending a mass email to all new faculty members or grad students, make a point to ask them to join Gamma Sigma Delta in person or through a handwritten note. The final theme that emerged was to recognize success stories and share them at the local and international level.

!

Themes that emanated from the action steps related to how Gamma Sigma Delta International could invest in individual members were (1) formalizing procedures, (2) establishing/enhancing a network, and (3) communicating best practices. Noteworthy ideas include: developing a short history of the Land Grant Act to help member understand its legacy and communicate Gamma Sigma Delta’s mission, developing a database of leading scholars and their areas of expertise to assist local members in accessing best speakers, and using the website to distribute webinars on generative leadership, mentoring, and other professional development topics.

! ! !

Engaging Students on our Campuses, Student Panel Discussion

!

On Tuesday morning, after a short walking tour of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus, a student panel was held to better understand the perspectives of graduate and undergraduate students towards honor societies. Specifically, what are the factors that influence students’ decisions to join honor societies, what factors motivate students to be active members of honor societies, and what differences exist between the needs of undergraduate and graduate students?

!

!

The three panelists were all students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and provided a diverse range of experiences.

!

Joseph Bennier is a Sophomore, Animal Science major with a Meat Science option from Unadilla, NE. After graduation, Joseph plans on pursuing a Master’s degree in Meat Science.

!

Jordyn Lechtenberg recently graduated from UNL with a major in Agribusiness and minor in Entrepreneurship. She intends to obtain a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics and work with rural community development.

!

Samantha McConaughey is originally from Bourbonnais, IL and received her Bachelors in Genetics from Iowa State University. Currently, she is finishing up her Master’s in Agronomy with a specialization in Plant Breeding and plans to continue on to get her PhD. Her research focus is in soybean breeding and genetics and hopes to obtain a job as a plant breeder.

!

Seth Barnes facilitated the panel discussion while concurrently keeping notes of students’ responses on a Google.doc. Notes from this Google.doc can be found in Appendix B.

!

Panelists were first asked to describe their previous involvements in honor societies, and what motivated them to join these organizations. Common factors that attracted students to join honor societies are goodness of fit, established reputation and prestige, opportunities for active involvement and personal development, and a personalized invitation to join from a respected elder.

!

These students made it clear they didn’t just want to have another line on a resume. If they were going to be a part of an organization, they wanted it to mean something and have the ability to make contributions. They also wanted to feel like they achieved something. Random letters in the mail informing them of membership in an obscure organization didn’t seem like much of an accomplishment.

!

Anticipation and personal striving also played a role. Each spoke of the motivation they received from seeing an accomplished upperclassman and trying to emulate that person. Achieving membership in the same honor society as the person they admired became an important way of being “like that person.”

!

Next, students were asked to discuss factors that caused them to be active members of an organization or honor society. Personal agency and mission valence were two important factors. Students needed to feel like they had some sort of ownership or responsibility in the group. Again, they expressed a need to feel like their actions were making a meaningful contribution toward a mission they valued. One mission that was conveyed was to continue the legacy established by the organization and give back to the campus.

!

Finally, panelists were asked to describe any differences that might exist between the needs of graduate and undergraduate students. Samantha noted that graduate students get plenty of opportunities for professional or academic development within their programs of study, but would benefit from an outlet to have more social events. For undergraduate students, professional development, networking, and learning about graduate programs would all be important.

!

After the student panel discussion, conference attendees were divided into small groups and tasked with taking the information they had learned from the students to create the ideal model of Gamma Sigma Delta. Each model was then presented back to the group and critiqued by the student panelists. Recreations of each model can be found in Appendix C.

!

A number of highlights emerged from this process. The first related to the students’ need for joining a prestigious organization. One group adeptly noted that if Gamma Sigma Delta seeks to

achieve this status, it must raise the level of excellence, i.e. meeting basic criteria doesn’t mean automatic membership. Another idea suggested was for the faculty members to seek out qualified candidates and personally encourage them to join. Provide opportunities for potential and new initiates to develop ownership in Gamma Sigma Delta engaging them in several activities.

!

To conclude the session, student panelists were asked to reflect on their experiences serving on the panel, and whether or not it influenced their interest in being a member of Gamma Sigma Delta. All three panelists quickly stated they greatly enjoyed learning more about the history and legacy of the organization and were now very interested in seeking membership.

! Legislative Council !

The 54th Gamma Sigma Delta Biennial Legislative Council meeting pointed to the future. Gamma Sigma Delta is planted on a solid foundation of dedicated leadership among the 19 chapters represented. The council challenged the International officers by unanimously passing a motion to: (1) distribute to all chapter leadership the results of the 2014 Conclave; (2) develop an enhanced communication system and (3) study by-laws and modify to implement the proposal from conclave discussions leading to allowing new initiatives in membership development.

!

Furthermore, the financial position of Gamma Sigma Delta International is very good. In addition, the Gamma Sigma Delta Foundation is growing through a generous gift from Dr. John Riley’s estate and new plans for development efforts to increase the ability of the foundation to support initiatives of Gamma Sigma Delta.

!

Finally, Dr. Dennis Brink, International President, challenged the Legislative Council to define the 2014 Conclave as the tipping point for Transforming Gamma Sigma Delta in the Synergy of Tradition, New Ideas and New Partnerships in honor of Dr. John Riley.

!

! Key Themes from 2014 Conclave !

Although many valuable ideas were shared, four key themes resounded throughout the 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Conclave. These key themes were (1) Cultivate the Land Grant Legacy, (2) Make it a Big Deal, (3) Enact Generative Leadership, and (4) Effectively Network and Communicate.

!

Cultivate the Land Grant Legacy Gamma Sigma Delta has had a strong tradition of upholding the legacy of the Land Grant Act by maintaining the “culture” of agriculture in our universities. This culture is one that embodies the mission of preparing current and future faculty to meet the challenges faced by the constituents of the state.

!

In recent years, the pervasiveness of this tradition has dwindled. The roots are still active, holding strong to what once was, but the leaves are becoming fewer and fruit has become scarce. The question now is: is this the final season or simply a harsh winter?

!

The energy and life present at the 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Conclave makes it very apparent that the spring will come, seeds will be planted, and new life will flourish. Now is the time to count our rings to understand how far we’ve come and how strong of a foundation we have.

!

Many Conclave participants shared a common thread that the name new faculty members and students don’t often recognize the history and tradition of Gamma Sigma Delta. Because there is not this recognition, potential new members are less likely to pursue membership or be actively involved in the organization. Others at the Conclave mentioned difficulties communicating the history of the Land Grant Act and how Gamma Sigma Delta seeks to continually support its original mission.

!

Although name recognition may not be there, Gamma Sigma Delta members must • develop culture in a mission-driven way • promote citizenship • draw attention of institutional leadership in support of teaching, research, and service activities for food, fuel, water, and health education and research.

!

Make it a Big Deal: • Gamma Sigma Delta membership recognition/designation is identified and understood as a Big Deal by undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture and related sciences.

!

Enact Generative Leadership: • Plant seeds and help them grow • Make overt the act of mentoring • Gamma Sigma Delta promotes generative leadership and mentoring in preparing future leaders for both academia and professional careers.

!

!

!

Effectively Network and Communicate: Gamma Sigma Delta International Officers effectively communicate with a growing network of active chapters and members. The final major theme that emerged during the conference surrounded the idea of communication, in a number of different forms.

!

The most prevalent issue related to communication was between Gamma Sigma Delta International, Chapter officers and individual members. Often, information is shared to local chapter officers, but at times this is not distributed to the rest of the chapter. Many conference attendees expressed that making information more readily available to all members via a variety of methods including enhancing the Gamma Sigma Delta International website, and considering new ways of distributing the annual newsletter and other communications via a variety of social media might be effective at increasing overall engagement.

!

Through increased communication to individual members, certain information would be more readily available, such as successful chapter activities, findings published by Gamma Sigma Delta members, best practices for mentoring, or quality speakers and their topics. This network would also be beneficial for facilitating mentoring by connecting promising students with leading scholars in fields of their interest.

!

Another area of concern was understanding and communicating the history of the Land Grant Act and how Gamma Sigma Delta seeks to continue its legacy. Members present at the conference suggested that publishing a brochure or short pamphlet or even a book that provided the history of the Land Grant Act and the Land Grant Institutions and information on the major contributions of Land Grant Institutions would be helpful to distribute to all members. This publication could also be given to all new members as a part of the initiation process to promote the legacy of the Land Grant mission.

!

Overall, the importance of communication was echoed numerous times during the conference. In order to achieve the goals set at the 2014 Gamma Sigma Delta Conclave, communication will be vital.

! References !

Hastings, L. J. (2012). Generativity in young adults: Comparing and explaining the impact of mentoring. Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research. Paper 84. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/84

!

Higher Education Research Institute. (1996). A social change model of leadership guidebook: Version III. Los Angeles, CA: University of California.

!

Rossi, A. S. (2001). Caring and doing for others: Social responsibility in the domains of family, work, and community. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

! !

Appendix A

!

Where Do We Go From Here? Report Sheet

!

Round 1: Individual to ΓΣΔ Chapter • Informal opportunity to build rapport and establish a relationship • Help encourage a mentoring relationship outside of the department • Create an informal social gathering to: o Build relationships o Generate new ideas • UNL Dean will pay GSD dues for all new faculty. Need to change UNL ByLaws to accommodate change. Promote a break to educate new GSD members. • Offer a forum for graduate/undergraduate students to educate them on the benefits of GSD • Write marketing articles on GSD benefits in COA newsletter • Team building workshops • Develop a sense of being a member of the community by modeling GSD engagement • Promote identification of strengths and how to motivate • Understand context and culture of GSD, as individuals step up and mentor • Establish friendships that lead to mentorships • Interact cross disciplinary in a campus community and establish relationships • Invite undergraduate student to work in research lab/special project • Develop contest to encourage excellence and recognition of others - especially students • Volunteer to mentor a junior faculty mentor or undergraduate student • Ask a colleague to mentor a specific faculty member or student • Nominate colleagues for awards to recognize their impact on others • Invite specific people to GSD events • Publicize accomplishments of GSD members to encourage others; especially important for overseas GSD members • Encourage activity through division of responsibility • Rewarding the activity; cards and public • Share success stories, mentor, and challenge • New member/Grad students receive personal invitations to GSD events • Sponsored poster presentations • Host event to facilitate dialogue between GSD alum now working in industry to current faculty members

!

Round 4: ΓΣΔ International to Individual • Develop an orientation for every new member, which would be done on a 1-to-1 basis • As part of the annual report, ask chapters to summarize mentoring activities and share with all chapters via website • List of questions to conduct a “focus group” to generate new ideas • Generate best practices list for informal gatherings • Expand newsletter and share experiences between chapters to promote visibility of GSD Int. and share great ideas. Get this to individual members. • Share chapter recognition with chapter administrators • Hire marketing undergraduate to develop marketing plan and write semester newsletter • Share success stories to be modeled by individuals through websites, etc. • Develop website that has more than demographics and statistics o i.e. presentations, etc. about generative leadership and mentorship

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

!

International student scholarships for undergrad and grad (enhance and publicize) Organize professional development webinars to support local GSD chapters so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel and to enable access to best speakers Develop list of best practices/case studies on mentoring relationships Develop quarterly or monthly newsletter sent to all GSD members - not just chapter officials Update website and advertise to individual GSD members - disseminate transformational ideas Develop social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Primers to talk to administrators Assist delegates to share conclave report Site visits and case example Create a brochure/pamphlet that provides a short history of the land grant institution. Includes overview of “what is GSD?” Personal letter from GSD president to new faculty members Create a database of scholars/speakers and their topics so that local members/chapters can invite them to classes/faculty meetings/campus List/description of successful local events Hire a traveling consultant to visit chapters and facilitate workshops, relate new initiatives, and inspire motivation

Appendix B

!

!

Notes from Student Panel Discussion

Factors that influence students’ decisions to join honors societies: • Focus on major specific organizations (needs to be a good fit) • More than just a letter • Strong tradition that links members from different years • Friends involved • Needs to offer activities - wants to be actively involved • Something that allows the student to grow • Strong social community -- developing friendships within the organization • Assigned a mentor from a profession you are interested in • First heard about organization through: o Founding member of the Genetics Club (Sam, sophomore year) ▪ Offers students direct involvement/engagement o Current members (respected member) encouraged student to apply ▪ making announcements/presentations in classes/student org. meetings • Needs to have a “face to the name” • Free Pizza • Social Media o Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat are most prevalent

!

Factors that motivate students to be active members of honors societies: • Strong group of friends with a common interest in Genetics o Became a “normal part of her social situation” • Seeing seniors with strong involvement/impact on campus o Want to “be that person” • Providing members with ownerships o Responsibilities help increase engagement • Networking opportunities with professors in field of interest • Proper balance between academic/professional development/social opportunities • Having to apply is important to helping students feel like the society is more important, that it is more of an accomplishment to be a part of it • History/Mission of the Land Grant institution would help provide motivation to students to uphold this mission and build community

! !

Distinctions between undergraduate and graduate students: • Graduate students o Need more of an outlet to do social events ▪ Get plenty of professional/academic development within career • Undergraduate students o Professional development is very important o Networking o Learning about graduate programs

! !

Appendix C

!

!

! !

Ideal Models From Student Panel Discussion

! Gamma Sigma Delta International-Chapter Innovation Grants Graduate Student Model early

mid-fall

Fall Semester •½ day mentoring workshop oStudents would be paired-grad/ undergrad •Leadership training

! Spring Semester •Presentation & Poster Competition •Grad student mentoring award

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!

!

!