The fall semester is approaching quickly, and colleges and universities across the United States are in the midst of move-in day planning. The logistics of parking and drop-off locations don’t tend to change every year, but planning committees still look for improvements that make the day as stress-free and beneficial as possible. That process, of course, is complex. Still, there are some untapped possibilities that could help to enhance move-in day for everyone involved. One of them revolves around leveraging your student organizations during move-in day for a better, more positive experience.
The Benefits of Working With Student Organizations During Move-In Day
The logistical parts of the day will likely fall to your full-time staff. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for student organizations during move-in day. In fact, doing so comes with some important benefits for both the students in those organizations and incoming students moving into their new college home:
- Involvement with clubs and organizations generates direct student contact. It allows incoming students to feel immediately integrated into the campus community.
- Close involvement also presents a recruitment opportunity for student organizations. They can promote their purpose to the incoming class and recruit potential new members.
- Events like a club fair break up the logistical part of move-in day. It offers a welcome distraction for new students who might feel nervous, stressed, or overwhelmed.
Research shows that students who are engaged with their peers early in their college journey stay more involved all the way through graduation. Partnering with student organizations during move-in day can help to build that engagement. This sets a foundation that can pay off for years to come.
4 Tips to Leverage Partnerships With Student Organizations During Move-In Day
Of course, the theoretical benefits of involving student clubs and organizations in move-in day only matter if the execution is right. While every institution is different, these tips can help you get started in building those partnerships.
1. Partner With Student Leaders on Event Planning
Students know better than anyone what they would have benefited from on their own move-in day. Invite leaders from different student organizations to your planning meetings for move-in and welcome week. This provides a different perspective on the types of events you might plan around move-in and plan events they can be involved in.
2. Offer Incentives for Student Org Participation
Student organizations always need resources, from budgets to volunteer hours. Consider offering some of these resources as incentives for participating on move-in day. Members of student orgs can help to move student belongings into rooms, join events for the incoming class, and more.
3. Involve Student Organizations in Move-In Communications
Who said that every communication about new student move-in has to come from administrators? Especially beyond the logistics, consider asking members of student organizations to help with messaging. For example, a short video of the chess club president to academic high achievers can make the communication seem more personal and showcase your community.
4. Promote Student Organization Events to the New Class
Finally, work with your student organizations to get their events scheduled around move-in day onto your central event calendar. That allows you to promote them more directly and openly to the incoming class, creating more opportunities for new students to engage and find like-minded peers.
Ready to Build Student Organization Partnerships in Time for Move-In Day?
The complexities of move-in day can make it easy to forget that sometimes, logistics take a backseat. They act as the baseline for a successful day, but you’ll also need your new students to feel welcome and like they belong on campus.
Partnering with your student organizations can achieve that, especially if you have the technological foundation in place to help with the logistics. That might include our interactive map for parking and our events calendar solution for better event communication. Contact us to learn more today.
