By Tayhana Taylor, World News Editor
A new title and a new assistant director are not the only things that changed in the Office of Student and Family Engagement this year. There is now an updated process for starting new organizations and funding club-related activities.
“Clubs and any other student organizations have to be authorized through my office before they can become official,” said Ashley Phelps, the new director at the Office of Student and Family Engagement.
Phelps suggested that students interested in starting a new organization on campus should meet with her first to discuss their idea. Phelps’ office is located at room 114 in the Student Activities Building (SAB), and she is available between 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Students will need to meet with me first before officially starting the process of establishing a new organization on EngageLeo,” said Phelps. “It is important to meet with me to avoid starting another club similar to one we already have on campus.”
EngageLeo is a platform used by student clubs and organizations to post and create events. It allows them to manage club memberships and is an excellent tool for students to keep track of on-campus activities.
As the new assistant director, Phelps has been working closely with the heads of student organizations on campus to improve the on-campus life for students.
“I am currently working to finalize a list of active student organizations so I can send this list out to students so they know how they can get involved,” Phelps said.
Regarding who governs student organizations, the Student Government Union (SGU) is no longer responsible for this.
“As assistant director of Student Activities, my primary role is to oversee the operations of all student organizations on campus,” said Phelps. “If they need any help with anything, I am their direct contact because they have to get all their events processed through our office.”
The SGU was formerly in charge of allocating funds to student organizations. But due to some changes, the Office of Student and Family Engagement and the vice president of Student Affairs are now responsible for issuing club funding.
“Since we are in the process of making changes, if student organizations need funding for an event, they can complete a funding request form on EngageLeo,” said Phelps. “This process of getting funding currently goes through our office and the vice president of Student Affairs, but things may change in the future.”
Typically, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) was the main organization to host student activities, but students can expect additional engagement activities hosted by the Office of Student and Family Engagement.
“Since the start of the semester, I have hosted two programs thus far: Goal Setting and Succulents for Success,” said Phelps. “CAB is not directly involved in these programs because the funding does not come out of their budget, and they are not assisting with it.”
Phelps hopes that these programs being hosted by her office and the activities held by CAB will provide students with ways to stay engaged and build a spirit of community.
Students can use the Student Activities newsletter sent via their Saint Leo University email, the Office of Student and Family Engagement’s Instagram page, and EngageLeo to keep track of these programs and any other campus events.
Phelps mentioned that, “In my department, we are working toward bringing back the student activities calendar and posting it around campus, so students can easily see what is going on.”
Students can look forward to getting detailed information on these clubs and organizations at the upcoming involvement fair on February 17.
