Student Affairs is a new department not only for University of Georgia but for Georgian universities in general. Much of the work of the department of student affairs has been oriented towards engaging students in activity and promoting leadership.
To start off the semester, all incoming freshmen participated in a three-day orientation. During this time, they were asked to focus on writing skills and encouraged to take part in indoor and outdoor activities that encouraged team building. The orientation received an overwhelmingly positive review from students involved in it. Many students said that the orientation was a great introduction to university life and prepared them for some of the academic writing they will be expected to contribute over the next four years. Additionally, this event required sophomore and junior students to step up as leaders and conduct workshop classes and organize the new students. It is hoped that this event will continue on as a tradition for every incoming freshman class.
A few weeks after the first freshman event, sophomore and junior students planned another freshmen event, “Developing Study Skills.” Freshmen students participated in an afternoon event taught by peers that explored study methods and test taking techniques. Freshmen expressed an interest in hearing personal stories from older students about academic issues, and this was a forum for questions to be answered.
The University of Georgia is a pioneer in creating university activities organized by students and for students. To promote student involvement it was decided that a governing body responsible for allocating student funds must be created. Elections to find two representatives from each class were organized by students and provided an excellent lesson in the democratic election process. After the students were chosen, the Student Council was formed as an organization to distribute funds for clubs and activities and address student concerns to the administration. The council has already funded one club and a Halloween party. It is expected that the number of projects the council is involved in will grow exponentially each semester.
The nature of university clubs has been greatly altered in the last semester. Clubs are no longer formed by the university, but instead by the students in coordination with student affairs. Students are asked to create clubs that interest them. People are more likely to continue active engagement in activities that interest them personally. Student Affairs has created a simple, effective way for students to start clubs, register with the university, and obtain funding. Students are asked to prove their seriousness about a project before receiving money by writing a constitution and meeting the minimum requirements of club enrollment and supervision. Clubs are reviewed by Student Affairs before given approval to apply for funding.
Currently we have a number of clubs in the development process. Although only a few have officially registered with Student Affairs, there are many expected to be developing over the coming semester. One successful club that Students Affairs is highly involved in is the community service club, Helping Hands. This club intends to design projects and engage in activities that better the Georgian community. To start, the club has developed a winter clothing drive, intending to collect clothing for underprivileged youth in the Tbilisi region. They received funding from the Student Council for transportation and various items, and plan to finish their first project by the end of January.
Another goal of the Student Affairs department is to promote student engagement in international programs and exchange opportunities. One program, Global UGRAD, provides students with the option of studying for one year in America for nearly no expense to the student. Because of the difficult application process and pressing deadline of this program, Student Affairs has been actively creating opportunities for students from the University of Georgia to improve their applications and learn about the opportunity. Three separate sessions on the UGRAD program were created with former UGRAD students providing information for applicants. Additionally, Student Affairs invited the Dean of Languages to do a presentation on essay writing tips. Student Affairs has been actively involved in discussing applications with students, and promoting involvement in the program.
Student Affairs also organized a short, effective orientation for Professional Students entering University of Georgia in November. This one-day orientation introduced students to university policies, activities and clubs, and other topics.
Student Affairs provides students with information about the TOEFL exam and other English language testing options. Finally, Student Affairs has been working intensively to organize information about exchange programs and scholarships. Currently a database of information about exchange programs is being developed along with information for Bachelor and Masters Students, about scholarship opportunities abroad.