What brought you to this What brought you to this workshop?workshop?

Besides the fact that Derek and I are attractive individuals?

Our ProgramOur Program

•Started in 1991

•60 Students

•Academic Affairs Division

•Carson-Newman Bonner Center for Service Learning & Civic Engagement

Carson-Newman College Carson-Newman College Bonner Scholars ProgramBonner Scholars Program

Trouble at Mossy CreekTrouble at Mossy Creek

•2006-07 School Year

• (Fall) Much-Loved Administrative Assistant Dies of Cancer

• (Spring) Much-Loved Bonner Director Unexpectedly Resigns

• (Late Spring) We learn our program is in danger of losing funding

• (Late Spring) New Director is appointed and sees a need to make changes

•2007-08 School Year

• (Fall) Major program changes are implemented

•Several Students resign

•Overall low moral among students

•We still may lose funding without program improvement

•Students feel like their voices are not being heard

How we How we diddid Student Student LeadershipLeadership

Some Transition ChallengesSome Transition Challenges

Lack of consensus among student leadership on changes

Lack of communication between Staff & Students

Lack of understanding from Staff about student situation.

Failure to explain desperate situation of program without a “Crisis” mentality.

Lack of clear vision for the program among leadership & students.

Difficulty approaching students for input…

Why might it be so hard to Why might it be so hard to gather student input?gather student input?

“Is my idea not good enough?”

“Why can’t we just do it the way we have always done it?”

“When we, as administrators, are constantly learning ourselves how to do this work, how can we discern good ideas from unwise ones?”

Other reasons? Eh?

Desired Outcomes of Student Desired Outcomes of Student InputInput

Students feel more invested in the program

Better decisions are made with input from other individuals.

Administrators get ideas we may not have thought of otherwise (trust me on this one).

Happy students…..

Others?

The Carson-Newman Bonner The Carson-Newman Bonner BLT ModelBLT Model

BLT= Bonner Leadership Team

Meets bi-weekly at predetermined time

Chaired by Coordinator

Discusses a number of different topics chosen by Coordinator Anything from handbook revisions to disciplinary plans to

All-Bonner meeting agendas….

Who is on the BLT?Who is on the BLT?

Bonner Center Staff (Director, Associate Director, Scholars Coordinator, Administrative Assistant)

Senior Intern(s)

Congress Reps 2 total

1 rising sophomore, 1 rising Junior

Class Reps 2 per class

1 appointed 1 voted by students Coordinator never reveals which is which to avoid drama

TermsTerms

The BLT makes recommendations to the Coordinator understanding that Staff ultimately make the final decision.

Congress Reps roll-off after 2 SLIs and 2 Fall Congress Meetings

Class Reps term limits are currently being discussed….

Some BLT Projects 08-09Some BLT Projects 08-09

Read Applications and helped select new Bonners

Organized and Facilitated bi-weekly Class-Based meetings with their peers.

Facilitated Fall Retreat Program Visioning Exercise

Revamped Program policy on Training & Enrichment

Instituted the “Bonner Buddy” program where older Bonners Mentor incoming Bonners.

Planned and helped facilitate Bonner Visitation Day for possible recruits

Organized events for visit from Wayne Meisel in April

Helped program transition from monthly to weekly meetings

Some Strong Outcomes of Some Strong Outcomes of our first BLT Yearour first BLT Year

Augmented Overall Student Involvement

Students now have a way to be represented in major program decisions.

Students feel a better sense of unity across all four classes

Built program “morale” in general in the midst of a tough transition

Program changes have been driven by the students while Administrators still have freedom to make final call

We still like each other…

Questions? Comments? Questions? Comments? Discussion?Discussion?

Matt Bryant CheneyBonner Scholars CoordinatorCarson-Newman Collegemcheney@cn.edu , (865) 471-4315

Derek VoilesCarson-Newman Bonner Summer Interndlvoiles@cn.edu, (865) 471-3594