What Can SD Look Like On Campus?
One of the strengths of SD is its flexibility. This makes determining where it should be housed (i.e. as a student club, supported by a specific Center, run as a course), who should be involved (i.e. faculty, staff, student leaders, Greek life, Resident Advisors, etc.) and how it should run (i.e. within a semester or quarter, in residence halls, etc.) very important for the success of SD on campus.
Learn more:
What SD Can Look Like on Campus
ORGANIZATION: Who Will Organize SD?
| Example | Structure | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia | Students organize
Students moderate |
Strong student ownership
Strong student leadership |
Requires significant commitment from students |
| Cuyahoga Community College |
Staff organize
Students moderate |
Paid employees are accountable and have more time |
Building student ownership |
| University of Nebraska, Omaha |
Faculty advise
Paid student organizes Students moderate |
Spreads out tasks
Faculty deal with funding Paid students are accountable |
Requires paid student position |
| Beloit College | Staff organize
Students moderate (paid position) |
Paid staff employees are accountable and have more timePaid mods are accountable and have more time |
Building student ownership
Requires paid mod positions |
AUDIENCE: Who Will Participate in SD?
| Example | Structure | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beloit College | Faculty & admin dialogues | Enhance classroom inclusivity
Increase non-student engagement Address inter-faculty tensions |
Hierarchy conflicts
Requires invested faculty and admin |
| Case Western Reserve University | Staff dialogues across departments | Build relationships across departments
Increase quality of life for staff and students Increase non-student engagement Address tensions |
Hierarchy conflicts
Requires invested staff |
| Denison University | Mixed student, faculty, and staff dialogues | Build relationships between students, faculty, and staff
Learn from each other |
Hierarchy conflicts
Requires invested students, faculty, and staff |
| University of Nebraska Omaha | Mixed student and community member dialogues | Build town-gown relations
Give back to the community |
Requires connections off campus
Requires invested students and off-campus groups |
CREDIT: Will SD Be for Academic Credit?
| Example | Structure | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama | SD as a course: credit for weekly meetings for participants and moderators |
Improves participation and retention
On-going moderator support Attracts hard-to-find students |
Requires faculty member willing to oversee SD classRequires institutional supportWelcoming to all students |
| University of Nebraska, Omaha |
SD as a course: infusing an existing Political Science course with SD |
Improves participation and retention
Attracts hard-to-find students Satisfies distribution requirement |
Requires faculty member willing to use SD in existing classRequires institutional supportRequires TAs who are mods |
| Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism |
SD participation as a graduation requirement for all students |
Improves participation and retention
Reaches entire school Meets goals of college mission |
Requires institutional support
Requires strong moderators Mandatory can mean some unwilling students |
INITIATIVES: Is SD an Initiative of a Specific Group?
| Structure | Example | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps College | SD as a Presidential Initiative, reporting to the special diversity task force |
Ensures support from the top administratorsLess trouble from student leadership turnover |
Building student ownership
Hierarchy conflicts Campus politics |
| Auburn University | SD as program of Residential Life | Trains RA in SD and conflict management skillsLarge campus impact |
Can be hard to schedule with RAs
Not all students live on campus |
INTENSIVES: Will You Have Retreats or Long-term Programs?
| Example | Structure | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tampa | 4-day Retreat at the beginning of the semester kicks-off weekly dialogues |
Dive deeply into topics
Get through all 5 Stages of SD Build strong relationships Increases participation and retention |
Large time commitment
Requires strong logistics Requires strong funding |
| University of Tampa | Select cohort spends all four years in retreats and dialogues together |
Most intensive program in SD Network
Dive deeply into topics Get through all 5 Stages of SD Build strong relationships Increases participation and retention Graduate with special skills |
Requires strong admin support
Large time commitment Requires strong logistics Requires strong funding Requires buy-in from |