2 answers
Ian
Student
Atherton, California
7
Questions
Asked
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What are some unique ways student leaders can maintain student engagement with the given circumstances of COVID-19?
#studentleadership #studentengagement #july20
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2 answers
Sindhu Kutty
Management Consultant
19
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Sindhu’s Answer
Ian, great question! Those of us in the corporate world too are trying to figure this out as this pandemic was unexpected and creates a unique set of circumstances. A few things my team and I have tried at work that may help you engage with your student body virtually:
1) Virtual happy hour: we pick an evening approximately every quarter to celebrate birthdays, wins, etc. At some of these meetings, the company pays for each member of the team to order in a meal of their choice.
2) 1-1s: it is more important than ever to connect personally with other individuals so setting up these touch points every month or two with some key stakeholders is a way to understand their concerns/priorities as we no longer have the opportunity when "bumping into" others in the hallway or in the lunchroom.
3) Video conferences: two days a week, we all meet via video calls so we are better engaged and start each meeting with an activity like trivia, trivia-bingo, would you rather questions, etc. so we continue to get to know each other beyond work.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
1) Virtual happy hour: we pick an evening approximately every quarter to celebrate birthdays, wins, etc. At some of these meetings, the company pays for each member of the team to order in a meal of their choice.
2) 1-1s: it is more important than ever to connect personally with other individuals so setting up these touch points every month or two with some key stakeholders is a way to understand their concerns/priorities as we no longer have the opportunity when "bumping into" others in the hallway or in the lunchroom.
3) Video conferences: two days a week, we all meet via video calls so we are better engaged and start each meeting with an activity like trivia, trivia-bingo, would you rather questions, etc. so we continue to get to know each other beyond work.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
Hi Sindhu, thank you for the helpful suggestions. I believe these three recommendations would be great for keeping students engaged throughout this upcoming school year. I love how each are uniquely catered to different methods of reaching students: individually, small setting, and medium-to-large environment with social distancing. Please take good care in the months ahead, Sindhu! Hope to connect on LinkedIn.
All the best,
Ian
Ian
Rebecca Carney
Human Resources Specialist
4
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Hi Ian,
LOVE your question about maintaining engagement during these strange times we are facing. I believe the most important part of maintaining engagement is being understanding and empathetic towards the other students. We are in stressful and uncertain times, so when we reach out and actively listen to those around us about what their needs are, it creates a more open and connected environment. Within my team at work, we make sure to check in with each other throughout the day (virtually) to see how everyone is doing and also check in with each other individually. There are many ways to connect virtually that can increase engagement as well, if you are planning a virtual meeting I would suggest having fun activities throughout the call that increase engagement and can also lift your students spirits. Some of the activities that my team uses to increase engagement during meetings are; having ice breakers at the beginning of the call, having virtual meditations, or sharing funny pictures or stories. Making virtual activities more interesting or fun is a great way to increase engagement!
Thanks,
Becca
LOVE your question about maintaining engagement during these strange times we are facing. I believe the most important part of maintaining engagement is being understanding and empathetic towards the other students. We are in stressful and uncertain times, so when we reach out and actively listen to those around us about what their needs are, it creates a more open and connected environment. Within my team at work, we make sure to check in with each other throughout the day (virtually) to see how everyone is doing and also check in with each other individually. There are many ways to connect virtually that can increase engagement as well, if you are planning a virtual meeting I would suggest having fun activities throughout the call that increase engagement and can also lift your students spirits. Some of the activities that my team uses to increase engagement during meetings are; having ice breakers at the beginning of the call, having virtual meditations, or sharing funny pictures or stories. Making virtual activities more interesting or fun is a great way to increase engagement!
Thanks,
Becca
Hi Rebecca, thank you for the helpful suggestions. I believe your recommendations are great ways to keep students engaged, especially surrounding our current circumstances. I am also an HR major, and would love to connect on LinkedIn! Thank you again for answering my question.
All the best,
Ian
Ian