Strategic Plan 2006-2008: Student Connection – Connexion Étudiante (SC-CÉ)

 

Summary of Goals:

1.  Recruit and retain student members.

2.  Increase on-line participation in the SC-CÉ website.

3.  Engage members in the CAG-ACG Division-Student Mentorship Program.

4.  Recruit Student Representatives, liaison positions between local university and college campuses with the SC-CÉ Executive Committee.

5.  Establish a framework for a student dimension of the International Association on Gerontology (IAG).

 

Goals

Objectives

Activities

Responsibilities

Indicators

1. Recruit and retain student members.

 

 

i.         To increase SC-CÉ visibility at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

ii.       To increase the number of francophone students.

iii.      To increase the number of undergraduate members.

iv.     To promote membership benefits.

v.      Retain student members after graduation and assist in the transition to regular CAG-ACG members.

i.       Advertise at post-secondary institutions through student organizations via the Student Rep Program.

ii.      Pursue opportunities with Association of Gerontology Higher Education (AGHE) and formalise ‘Careers in Aging Week’ nationally.

iii.    Emphasize the bi-lingual nature of SC-CÉ and encourage francophone members to promote membership.

iv.   Offer incentives to members who recruit others(e.g., lunch at the ASEM, acknowledgement in the CAG-ACG Newsletter.

 

v.     Target upper level  undergraduate  students at post-secondary institutions

vi.   Contact non-member student delegates at ASEM to discuss membership opportunities

vii.  Identify students who do not renew annual memberships and follow-up with them.

viii.Inform students of the ‘transition year’ whereby recent graduates can renew as student members for one year post-graduation.

i.         To communicate via the SC-CÉ Distribution List and submissions to the CAG-ACG Newsletter.

ii.       Student Rep personnel and SC-CÉ Executive Committee members to initiate on-campus advertisement and seek undergraduate programs offering age-related courses.

iii.      Post the benefits of membership on SC-CÉ website.

iv.     Acknowledge members who actively recruit others, in submissions to the CAG-ACG Newsletter.

v.      Distribute rewards (e.g., recognition in Distribution List messages and SC-CÉ website).

vi.     To monitor CAG-ACG annual membership list in consultation with McPherson-Clarke Consultants.

vii.   To understand the reasons why students would not renew memberships year to year.

i.         Student member numbers increase by 10% each year: 2006, 2007 and 2008

ii.       Increase the number of students who use the transition year membership by 10% each year: 2006, 2007 and 2008.

iii.      Reduce the number of student members who do not renew membership by 25% each year: 2006, 2007 and 2008.

 

2. Increase use of SC-CÉ website.

 

 

i.         To increase the volume of visits to the website annually.

ii.       Increase visibility and accessibility of the website through CAG-ACG.

iii.      To improve opportunities to engage in an open forum.

iv.     To monitor responses from messages sent to the SC-CÉ Distribution List to gauge student interest.

v.      To ask members about the usefulness of job postings & conference sections on the website.

i.       Send monthly reminders to members encouraging visits to the website.

ii.      Establish a list server (open and closed) and invite students to post messages to the student membership.

iii.    Ask students to reply to Distribution List messages to verify valid e-mail addresses.

iv.   Send out an annual questionnaire about the website. 

 

i.         Provide a step-by-step memo for using the Discussion Forum.

ii.       SC-CÉ President and Webmaster to develop a questionnaire that asks students what aspects of the website they like best and what needs improving.

a.      Distribute the questionnaire electronically to SC-CÉ members.Offer incentives for participation.

iii.      Send bi-annual ‘checks’ of email addresses and ask students to respond.

i.         Increased visits to the website, as indicated by the visit-counter on the homepages of the bilingual website.

ii.       A count of responses from the Distribution List messages.

iii.      Response rate of 20% from the 2005 questionnaire, 40% in 2006, and 50% in 2007 and 2008. 

3.  Engage members in the CAG-ACG Division-Student Mentorship Program, working with the Division Chairs.

 

 

i.         With other members of the Program sub-committee, obtain approval from the CAG-ACG Board for the Terms of Reference for the Program.

ii.       To inform SC-CÉ members of the benefits/reasons to get involved.

iii.      To help students and interested mentors to connect.

iv.     To explore mentorship opportunities with the Canadian Journal on Aging.

i.         Present program to the Board.

ii.       Announce Board approval, when attained, to all CAG-ACG members.

iii.      Identify and implement manageable phases for enabling student members’ involvement.

iv.   Provide peer support to student participants.

   i.      To inform students of their responsibilities:

a.      To educate themselves as to the nature of their self-identified Divisions; to introduce themselves to the Division chairs and other members.

b.      To seek actively for a mentor within their Divisions, having identified personal objectives for this (NB. seeking a mentor who complements existing advisor-student relationships, not duplicating).

ii. To develop strategies with Mentors to achieve personal objectives.

iii. To learn from Mentors about active CAG-ACG membership through volunteering to help with:

a.      Divisional abstract reviewing and blocking for the ASEM.

b.      Development of Divisions’ position papers, policy statements, and opinions as directed by the Board.

v. To assess the success of the program:

a.      Drafting a ‘mid-term’ evaluation form for participating students to complete one year into a mentorship relationship.

b.      Drafting an end-of-program evaluation form for students.

c.      Following up, as appropriate for the SC-CÉ Executive Committee, on areas of concern raised by the evaluations.

i.     With Division Chairs, the establishment of 5 Mentorship pairs in 2006 (i.e., one pair per division), 10 pairs in each of 2007 and 2008.

ii.    Reports on the SC-CÉ and student experience of the Program in the bi-annual reports to the CAG-ACG Board.

4.  Recruit Student Representatives, liaison positions between university / college campuses and the SC-CÉ Executive Committee.

 

 

i.         To continue and build upon success of the student rep program.

ii.       To maintain regular meetings and communication with Student Reps.

 

i.       Inform SC-CÉ members of the benefits for having Student Reps.

ii.      Maintain ongoing recruitment of Student reps with the assistance of campus faculty reps

iii.    Support at least two Student Rep meetings per year by e-mail with the SC-CÉ Vice-President.

iv.   Forward relevant announcements to Student Reps for promoting SC-CÉ and CAG-ACG (providing financial support for posters, etc.).

v.     Support collaboration between faculty and student campus Reps (e.g., Careers in Aging week).

i.         SC-CÉ Executive Committee to engage in dialogue with Student Reps.

ii.       Vice-president to communicate with Campus Faculty Rep in absence of Campus Student Rep

i.     Expansion of the program from 15 Student reps in spring 2006 to 20 reps in 2007 and full coverage of all campuses in 2008

ii.    Seamless transition between outgoing and incoming Student reps, (i.e., new rep ‘in place’ as retiring rep exits). . 

5.  Establish a framework for a student dimension of the International Association on Gerontology (IAG).

 

 

i.         To assist the IAG in its initiative to foster the development of student sections within member societies.

ii.       Create a terms of reference within the International Council of Gerontology Student Organizations (ICGSO); the formal student body of the IAG.

iii.      Identify a student representative for the North American Regional Council (NARC).

i.Initiate discussion with student delegates who attended the Inaugural meeting of ICGSO at the 18th World Congress of IAG in June 2005.

ii.      Consult with CAG-ACG Board of Directors on the terms of reference for a NARC student representative.

 

iii.   Refer international student organizations to the guide, developed by SC-CÉ, for establishing student sections.  The guide is available on the IAG website.

i.   SC-CÉ President and Past President to monitor progress of ICGSO development and act as student representative of NARC according to the ICGSO terms of reference outlined. 

i. Grow the number of ICGSO members from 16 in 2005 to 20 in 2006 to 25 in 2007 and full representation of IAG member nations by 2008.