through what’s important to me right now. It’s hard to save things for later, and there’s a lot in there. If it was broken up by topic, what was relevant to me, it would be better. They list so much in there, and technically I have the time to read through it, but I don’t have the patience because I need to get to the point.”
Q: “So it’s not that useful?”
A: “No. If they were more specific. I would want more emails with smaller topics that are
more specific. It’s hard for me to track events through email.”
Q: “So, ideally, what could be in there that would get you to read it? What needs to be in
there?
A: “What’s pertinent to me now is the senior project stuff, which is hard to find
information about. Advising hours. I don’t know, I don’t find myself finding much need in the newsletter in general. Like, the math department sends out a newsletter that I read every time because it’s relevant to me. Maybe as a freshman and sophomore, the Honors email would have been useful.
Q: “Could you be incentivized to join an Honors student organization to help with
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A: “I’d consider it, but I find myself not having enough time to do many other clubs. I’ve
poured myself into climbing club and I give them all my effort. I’d rather go to Honors events, rather than organize them.”
Q: “Would you as a freshman be interested?”
A: “Yes, I’d have probably had more time to help, but I don’t know how to exactly word
it. Like, with climbing club, it’s made me want a leadership position.
Q: “So, what works in climbing club leadership, and what doesn’t?”
A: “We meet every Sunday and Wednesday, and then event-specific meetings that we
plan a week or two in advance. I like that it’s very flexible – as a leader we have to go to meetings. It’s not super structured, so, when it comes to paying dues, you go pay the club when you get the chance as soon as it’s convenient for you. You’re not going to miss any important info if you miss a day, as a leader or general member. It’s more of a community rather than a structured thing.
Q: “Do you recruit?”
A: “Yes, Campus Life Night. Also, if people come to the Wall at normal hours, there’s
almost always one of us [leaders] there.”
Q: “Is there anything you want to effect change in, being in the Honors College for 4
years.”
A: “I guess just getting involved with it. My freshman year I was more involved with it
because I had a class there and as a freshman there’s more things to do and more interest in Honors things. This year I haven’t even walked into the Honors College once. Why? I don’t know. I just haven’t found a reason to be here I guess, I don’t know.”
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A: “I’m not here enough to know what to change. Get me in the doors more and I’ll
know what to change; that’s the root of the problem.”
Stakeholder response to “what is the one thing I didn’t ask you that you think I should have?”
N/A
Will this stakeholder agree to reconnect for further inquiry? How do they want to contacted?
Yes; text messaging
Connections this stakeholder provided: Honors Students
Possible next-steps:
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Dialogue 5
Stakeholder Group/Location: Anchor/Student Senate/Honors Student Estimated Age: __X__ 20-30 ____ 30-40 _____40-50 ____ 50+ Gender: All female
Primary Goal of this Opportunity:
The primary goal of this opportunity is to continue empathizing with Honors students, but additionally to interview leaders in the two student groups, Student Senate and ANCHOR, and learn how they affect our problem statement.
How does conducting this work reflect on your team problem statement?
Our team problem statement is: “We will establish a way to better facilitate communication and representation of students regarding decisions that directly affect the Frederik Meijer Honors College.” ANCHOR is an Honors student organization that enjoys direct communication with Honors faculty and
administration. Student Senate often works with bringing student needs forward and getting them addressed. The combination of these two agendas can be very insightful to solving our team problem statement.
Summary of Research:
Honors Student: The Honors Student interviewed was a senior at Grand Valley. This student commented how it would be nice to have a calendar with all upcoming Honors events in chronological order so they are easier to see at a glance. She felt a disconnect between the Freshman sequence and her Junior Seminar and was lost when trying to figure out her senior project.
ANCHOR Member: The ANCHOR leader emphasized the Live. Learn. Lead. focus of her organization. She wanted mostly to increase membership in the group, believing that this would greatly improve the impact ANCHOR could have. ANCHOR has a strong relationship already with the Honors
Administration and Faculty and this student believed that other students could easily come to them with concerns.
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Student Senate Member: This student stressed how she advocates more student involvement at Grand Valley. Student Senate does not specifically do anything with the Honors College.
Important insights:
Having an Honors calendar of events would be helpful More assistance with senior project
ANCHOR already communicates directly with Honors faculty and Administration ANCHOR could have more impact with more people
Student Senate is large and addresses student issues around campus, but does not get involved with the Honors College specifically
Dialogue Questions and Response: