The University Programming Board
Student Population: 20,000
Committees: 5 Total Committees: Late Night | Membership | Public Relations | Special Events | Spirit and Traditions
No. of Events Per Academic Year: approx. 50+ events
What tools do you use internally to communicate? Groupme
What activities do you do as a board to promote team bonding?
- “Buddy challenges”. Each veteran member (including Executive Board) is paired with a new member and they get random challenges posted in the org’s Groupme (i.e: “Take a picture with your buddy today”, “Have lunch with your buddy”, “Dress like your buddy for tonight’s meeting”.
- “Squad challenges”. Similar in activity to buddy challenges except squads are randomly assigned (apprx 10-15 members per group). These groups typically don’t contain your buddy and are also different from your working committee. This is to keep students from working in silohs.
- At the beginning of the semester, each committee is assigned a general body meeting in which they are to research or create a team builder and facilitate it at that meeting.
- On days where we don’t have as much to cover in our general body meeting, we may do a scavenger hunt instead of just dismissing early.
- Monthly socials (movie nights, game nights, “kickbacks”, an afternoon of paintball or free jump at the trampoline park).
What is your largest event of the year? Our Homecoming: Doo-Dah, Dance and Step Show
What is the most unique program your board coordinates?
The Lantern Walk. Probably one of the longest (if not the longest) standing traditions at Georgia Southern University. Originating in 1935, graduating seniors would put on their caps and gowns and walk the campus at sunset, carrying a lantern before them. As the graduates moved from building to building, they would address the group with memories from their time at Georgia Southern. Our board still carries this tradition at the end of each semester.