Programming

Programs and activities provide an opportunity for fellowship by encouraging your members to work together, provide education by helping your school and local community in areas of turf management, and a source of fund-raising.

The KEY to programming is involving others and having FUN.

Before you start planning your program you will need to have a brainstorming session to generate ideas.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is needed to explore possible courses of action. It is very useful in encouraging suggestions, gaining participation by group members and training members.
In setting up a brainstorming session for your group, here are some ground rules that should be explained to all participants before you begin. Remember, spontaneity and outrageous ideas often yield the best solutions.

Ground rules for brainstorming:

• All participants and ideas hold equal weight.
• Ideas are placed on a blackboard or flip chart that is visible to everyone.
• A time limit is determined.
• One specific problem or issue is dealt with at a time.
• Quantity (lots of ideas) about the problem or issue is the goal.
• Everyone is encouraged to speak often.
• Piggybacking (building on one another's ideas) is encouraged.
• Quality of ideas is not extremely important at this stage.
• Negative and critical remarks are not allowed.
• Brainstorming checklist
• Define a concise subject for the brainstorming session.
• If the group size needs to be defined, keep it small (five to eight maximum).
• Set the mood or tone for the topic to be brainstormed.
• Consider inviting an outspoken, creative person from outside your group to bring a fresh perspective.
• Try to facilitate, not lead the discussion.
• Suspend judgement. Don't screen or criticize any ideas.
• Focus on solutions. Discourage dwelling on the problem.
• After the session, decide on the most workable ideas and refine them.
• Give the group feedback about the results of the session.

Idea-spurring questions: to take an old idea and make it new:

Now that you have a surplus of ideas, it's important to examine your list and pick the best solution.

Narrowing down the possibilities:

• Step 1: Combine two or more ideas to make a great idea and improve on the rough thoughts thrown out in the brainstorming session.
• Step 2: Discard ideas that are impractical, impossible, not feasible or illegal.
• Step 3: Choose the three best ideas by having everyone vote for the ideas and taking the top three vote getters.
• Step 4: Examine each of your top three ideas. Discuss all of their possibilities, potential and problems. Keep in mind your monetary and human resources, and the time you have to complete the proposed project or solve the problem.
• Step 5: Pick the strongest one out of your top three, and go with it.

Program planning

Successful programming requires careful planning and close attention to details. Planning and participating in programs is a good way to foster members' involvement and to build a strong group dynamics.

Before the program:

• Formulate ideas, set goals and identify a location.
• Get input from group members and appoint a committee.
• Check campus-programming resources (student activities office) for possible time conflicts.
• Book or reserve location.
• Set the date and time.
• Budget the cost of the program; investigate and secure funding for the event.
• Plan timeline of program details.
• Arrange for accommodating the needs of presenter(s) – food, lodging, etc.
• Make arrangement for equipment – audio-visual needs, etc.
• Plan publicity schedule.
• Confirm all plans one to two weeks prior to major event; one to two days prior to smaller events.

Immediately prior to and during the program:

• Arrive early, set up room (a day before), test equipment and finalize details.
• Make certain room is well lighted, well ventilated and temperature controlled.
• Greet presenter(s) and special guest(s).
• Introduce presenter(s).
• Make participants feel welcome and comfortable.

After the program:

• Verbally thank the presenter(s) and audience.
• Handout and collect program evaluations from participants.
• Ask presenter(s) for feedback on presentation.
• Return equipment.
• Pay bills.
• Remove publicity from campus bulletin boards.
• Evaluate the program — using audience, presenter(s) and committee feedback.
• Send thank-you note(s) to presenter(s) and sponsors.
• Thank committee members verbally or with thank you notes.
• Consider follow-up programs based on evaluation.
• Congratulate yourselves on a job well done.

Backwards planning

Make a list of all tasks which need to be completed before the program begins (see list above). Using a calendar and starting with the last thing on your list write down the task on the appropriate deadline. Then look at the components of that task and plug them into the calender. Do the same with each of the tasks on the list.

Assume your major event is set for October 30. Therefore all details should be completed by October 16, so that you have two weeks to confirm. So, some deadlines might be:

• Publicity out on campus September 15.
• Reserve equipment by September 12.
• Reserve location by August 25.
• Making lodging arrangements for presenter by August 15.
• Contact presenter by August 10.

Then you must also look at these dates and work backwards from them. For example, if your publicity goes out on campus on September 15, when do your materials need to be completed and copied? How and when will they be distributed?

By working backwards, you plan for each component, making your planning more efficient and effective.

When programs aren't fun

The following are reasons why programs don't turn out quite as well as planned. Think about these things as you begin planning your program.

Design:

• not setting goals
• not getting input
• reaching wrong group (ineffective publicity)
• not well planned

Location:

• too far from student (residential living or public transportation not available)
• not comfortable
• too many distractions
• not known to students

Publicity:

• not eye catching
• not enough
• not timely
• not creative
• too cluttered
• poorly located

Support:

• lack of communication to group members
• lack of involvement by group members
• lack of delegation to group members

Facilitator/presenter:

• not knowledgeable of topic
• doesn't show up
• lack of agreement on topic or time limit on program
• poor expectations on turnout
• not enough time before program to prepare
• non-interesting speaker

Miscellaneous:

• equipment doesn't work
• helpers don’t show up
• room not set-up

Publicizing events

Choosing the right kind of publicity for your event is an important step in the program planning process. The possibilities are endless…or at least tied only to your group's creativity and funds. Posters and flyers are the standard means of advertising events, so you need to come up with some new medium of publicity or some new way to use the standard poster/flyer.

Think about the subject of your event. Are there themes or ideas that are easily tied to it? What is special about this event that would appeal to someone.

Think about the audience you want to attract, and how best to send your information to them.

Remember to take into consideration your school and state/local policies when posting.

Publicity contributes directly to the success or failure of many programs. Keep the following in mind as you develop your publicity campaign:

• Appeal: Who is the program for?
• Timing: When should you begin publicizing? Should it all go out at once or are there stages? What are the deadlines for preparing and printing?
• Location: What are the traffic patterns? Have any areas been left uncovered?
• Type: Flyers? Ads? Table tents? Banners? T-shirts?
• Information: How much should appear on printed materials? Is it perfectly clear?
• Committee help: Who will be responsible for what?
• Anticipated response: Is the quality of printed materials going to attract people's attention? Is it memorable?
• Budget: Will the response be worth the amount of money spent? Is enough being spent? Is the total publicity budget realistic.

Below are some ideas that should get your group's creativity flowing:

• Write on balloons and carry them though campus
• Make footprints out of paper leading to the program site
• Spell event in windows
• Offer free prizes for attendance
• Offer food at the event
• Put up table tents in the student union and residence halls
• Use fake dollar bills with the event information on the back
• Get strikers with the event information
• Wear T-shirt with event advertising
• Radio announcement
• University and local newspaper ads
• Banners on campus buildings
• Information table in the student union, residence halls and academic buildings
• Letters to organization presidents asking them to announce the event at their meeting
• Contest for the group that brings the most members to the event
• People with sandwich board walking through campus
• Stories in newsletters — yours and other organizations
• Visit student organization meetings
• Put announcement on giveaways
• Make series of posters, a different one each week
• Bookmarks
• Use your GCSAA student chapter logo
• Post information at local places were students hangout
• Campus bulletin board

Co-sponsorship with other groups

Co-sponsorship is sharing the planning and implementation of an event, program or activity with another organization.

By sharing in one another's programs/events, you have the opportunity to share in each other's success.

Why co-sponsor?

• Share money and resources
• Gain new knowledge from another group
• Have more people to help and attend
• Share the work of planning a big event
• Meet new people and make connections throughout campus

Who can you co-sponsor with?

• Academic groups
• Cultural groups
• Student government groups
• Living groups (residence hall, fraternity, and sorority)
• Recreational/athletic groups
• Religious groups
• Service groups
• Special interest groups

How to work with other groups

Steps to successful co-sponsorship:

• Start by contacting the president(s) of the organization(s) you want to be involved. Discuss your ideas, but leave some room for them to suggest what their vision of and goals for the program are or might be.
• Utilize the talents of both organizations to develop and promote the best program possible (i.e., develop a list of relevant planning experience of each group and divide the duties).
• Communicate on a continuous basis so each group knows what is going on. Always ask for input in decision making. Remember this is a joint program, not just your program.
• Come to joint planning meetings with your assigned duties completed. Make sure the work is divided in a way that is fair to both groups. This does not mean 50/50, since some groups may have only 10-20 members compared to your 50 or vice versa.
• Evaluate the completed program in a joint meeting, giving each group the opportunity to share their perspectives of events and suggestions for the future.
• Spend some time getting to know one another. You can develop new and lasting friendships, as well as a strong working relationship for future endeavors.
• Share the credit and the blame. Remember this is a joint effort! You are a team!

Support established programs, but don't be afraid to try something new by changing the traditional program or adding the talents of another group.