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Back to Facility Manager
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By Doug Booher When we see eager-eyed freshmen at orientation and induction events, and pride-filled eyes of parents and graduates at commencement events, we know that we manage university venues. When frenetic fans fill our halls for big-name concerts and basketball games that are contested to the buzzer, we know that we manage university venues. Those magical moments that make up our students’ memories of their college experience take place in our venues. However memorable, though, these are not the most important experiences that we provide to the students of our campuses. Instead, the learning and student development opportunities that we offer our student volunteers and employees each day are the most meaningful memories we provide. As venue professionals, we strive to contribute to our greater institutions in meaningful ways. We quantify the economic impact of our events. We highlight our contribution to the arts and cultural events held on campus. We celebrate championships and hang banners and serve as a campus gathering place. All of these are necessary and important contributions of a public assembly venue to a college campus. But, the true laboratory that we provide for students is the greatest contribution we can make to our communities of learning. Student Success The creation of the learning laboratory for our students occurs in three important ways. First, our venues provide a place where students can apply the theory they learn about in the classroom to a practical environment.  Arts administration students learn how to cut deals for shows. Sports
marketing students create new promotions to boost attendance at non-revenue
sporting events. Marketing students create surveys yielding data that leads
to new ideas for affinity programs and ticket pricing. Telecommunications
students make contacts with major TV networks while pulling cable.Through the traditional educational outlets such as internships, practicum experiences and shadowing assignments, students gain valuable experience and are challenged to apply classroom theory to real-world practice. Our challenge today is to broaden our scope to provide new learning opportunities for students outside of these traditional fields. How could a journalism, pre-med or math major contribute to our operation while gaining valuable experience? The answers are bound to provide us with new benefits while reaching more of our student population. And, creating partnerships with faculty members and academic departments provide us with allies on campus, who can advocate for our facilities and programs. Second, our venues become incubators for student leadership development. That freshman who started as an usher and now is a senior is a valuable leader on the guest services team will graduate and take the newly acquired interpersonal skills into his or her chosen career as a psychologist. The class clown who entertained the changeover crew at 3 a.m. may soon lead a team of doctors and nurses in an emergency room. The woman who asked a lot of questions about how and why we do what we do may choose to become a public assembly manager. As leaders of our facilities, it is incumbent upon us to serve as role models for the next generation of leaders. It is easy to forget that college students are still seeking mentors and often look to us, their employers, to fill that role. Empowering these students to lead their peers, inviting them to suggest improvements for our operations and providing them an understanding of a professional environment strengthens their experience and enriches our organizations. Third, and most important, is the support network we create when we emphasize student opportunities in our venues. For all of us who work in a university venue, a major focus should be helping our students achieve success and graduate from our institution. In his book What Matters in College?, higher education expert Alexander Astin suggests that “holding a part-time job on campus is positively associated with attainment of a bachelor’s degree and with virtually all areas of self-reported cognitive and affective growth.” Astin also asserts that “participation in volunteer work has positive correlations in ... developing a meaningful philosophy of life ... degree aspirations, self-reported growth in cultural awareness, in public speaking skills, and in interpersonal skills.” I believe this phenomenon is due to the support network that our campus part-time  jobs and internships provide
students. This network is comprised of a social structure of peers outside
of their residential or academic environment, an impetus to better and more
carefully manage their time, and a place where students seek interaction
with and support from professionals. Making time to listen to their personal
and professional concerns, fostering team building and social interactions
among co-workers, and holding students to a high standard for attendance and
performance at our venues all positively impact overall student success.Making an Impact This summer, as we celebrate the end of another successful academic year and begin to plan for the return of our students in the fall, I will ask myself and the staff to consider new ways to include students in our organization. I urge you to do the same. Last month, I received a note from a former student. She had begun as a window seller in our box office as a freshman, and when she graduated left our venue as an assistant box office manager. As she reflected on her time working in our venue, she shared the following thought: “In high school, I was considered a slacker who never came close to my full potential, and not one of those teachers ever considered there was more at play — like the fact that I had an undiagnosed learning disability that was preventing me from understanding how to apply myself in their classroom. It was my experience at IU Auditorium that made me think that I actually did have some of that potential my teachers always said they saw. So when my auditorium family told me not to give up on my education, I didn’t.” Today, she is excelling in her chosen field, living in her dream city and working at her dream job. That is why I love my work in a university venue, where we relish the chance to play a small role in each student's success. fm Doug Booher is director of the Indiana University Auditorium. Contact him at dbooher@ indiana.edu. |
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©
2002-2008
International Association of Assembly Managers
635 Fritz Dr. Coppell, TX 75019 USA Phone: 972/906-7441 Fax: 972/906-7418 |