Groups

What will members need?

When you first form a Group, it is important to understand what the Group needs in order to be successful and attract new members. A needs assessment can be as simple as informally asking your Group members about the activities or events in which they would like to participate. Additionally, you can conduct a formal needs assessment with your group via a survey or poll. When you understand your Group's needs, you will be more prepared to plan your first event.

What are my/our goals?

If you have created a Group, you have already determined your topic or interest area around which the Group will be focused. Now, you must create more specific goals for your Group. What do you hope to accomplish as a result of starting your Group? Maybe you want to help bring your neighbors together around a shared interest like a TV show, or maybe you want to do something bigger like complete service work. The sky's the limit when it comes to Groups.

Once you know what you want to accomplish with your Group, start thinking about the best way to achieve it. If your goal is to bring your neighbors together, you could host an event with food and a popular TV show or board game. If your goal is to complete service hours, you could find a local non-profit that you support and schedule a time for others to join you in volunteering activities.

The best place to start is by generating all ideas that could accomplish your goals and objectives. Be creative and truly consider all options for your Group. Remember: sometimes the method that seems the most unusual can spark interest and attendance at your event. Engage your Group's members in the idea generation process so they feel more connected and invested in your Group.

Who are you trying to reach?

Are you targeting members of your floor, your entire residence hall, or another audience?

When & Where?  

Consider time conflicts for you and group members. Give yourself time to plan, advertise, and implement your event.

Reserve your location to ensure your space is available.

If you want to use a lounge on your floor, talk to your CA to make sure the space will be available at the time of your event. In addition to the small lounges on your floor, there are a lot of other spaces available for your Group to use in Housing & Residential Life buildings.

For a complete list of available spaces, please visit the Reservations page. Note: dining halls are typically not available to reserve during meal hours. If you want to host an event in a dining hall, contact the specific Dining Manager.

Create some buzz!

Be sure to include why people would want to attend your event on the publicity material. You can request help with creating publicity for your event. Ensure your publicity material is posted several days in advance.

When hanging posters or advertisements in any residence hall/apartment building, please consult a professional staff member about appropriate and prohibited locations and preferred method of posting (tape, poster putty, etc.). 

Watch this video tutorial about how to submit a request.

Guidelines for advertising in your hall/apartment

Each building may also have particular limitations on the appropriate number of postings for that facility. While different buildings have different preferred locations, some general guidelines include the following:

• Do not post materials on or over windows.

• Do not post over any previously posted materials.

• Do not post materials on resident doors without their expressed permission.

• Remove postings immediately after your event has ended.

Consider structure and flow.

Think about the timing of the event. What time will you set up? Do you need help? How long will it last? Will you need help cleaning up? Are you having food delivered? If so, what time will it arrive? Does someone need to meet the delivery person?

If you are looking for money to support your program (food, tickets, supplies, etc.), request funds from Housing via the Groups Funding Request page. Watch this video tutorial about how to submit a request.

Recap!

Once you have completed your event, take some time to reflect on how it went. What went well and what would you do differently? Did attendees get something out of it? Did you?

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