Student Organizations and Programming Team
Report
February 2002
I. Introduction
In January 2001, the Student Organizations and Programming Team (SOP) was formed
to examine a wide range of programming issues. The team was charged to envision and
recommend an environment that encourages and facilitates every student’s participation
in programming at the University. For the purposes of this endeavor, the team defined
programming as any extracurricular activity or event, provided for or by students, which
enriches students’ lives. SOP chose a broad definition to reflect the rich variety of
programming at the University, which includes: large-scale concerts; performances by
University groups; theater; art shows and ongoing exhibits; movies; speakers; cultural
festivals; forums; themed meals in the dining halls; Residence Life enrichment activities;
organized study breaks in the dorms; safety workshops conducted by the University
Police; peer health education; faculty and student mixers; student government; the Honor
System; public service; intramural and club sports; and student organizations. The team
chose to exclude intercollegiate athletics and work study from its list of programming,
although both may enrich the student experience.
As outlined in the team’s charge, expected outcomes included:
 Explore ways in which technology can streamline and improve support;
 Consider a comprehensive reservation system for University facilities;
 Improve the quality and exchange of information concerning programming and
student organizations;
 Recommend priorities for funding of programming;
 Create a formalized, integrated assessment of programming;
 Revise or create University policies governing programming in response to
evolving student demographics and philosophies of student services; and
 Consider a system of student program advising.
Teresa Lockard, Director of Computing Support Services for ITC, chaired the team.
Other team members include:
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Donna Baker, Newcomb Hall;
Virginia Carter, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs;
Virginia Evans, Office of the Vice President for Finance;
Shawn Felton, Admission;
Moira Fogarty, second-year, CLAS;
Becca Franklin, fourth-year, CLAS;
Miles Gibson, Process Simplification;
Debbie Hoffman, University Registrar;
Aaron Laushway, Office of the Dean of Students;
Cathy Pales, graduate student, Curry School of Education;
June 28, 2016
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Steven Reinemund, third-year, CLAS;
Ed Rivers, Intramural-Recreational Sports; and
Portman Wills, fourth-year, CLAS.
During the Spring 2001 semester, the team also included: Neil Bynum, Office of African
American Affairs; and Matt Newman, graduate student, Curry School of Education.
II. Approach to Work
Education Phase
SOP began its work in January 2001 by gathering available information on every aspect
of programming. This task included: finding or compiling comprehensive lists of student
organizations, events, programming staff, and spaces available for programming;
gathering or writing reports on the current environment surrounding programming,
including the Virginia 2020 Commission reports, the Miller report, the report of the
Alcohol Task Force, and various technology reports; and reviewing existing policies and
restrictions for CIO’s, SAF funds, on-Grounds space, and other resources associated with
programming.
At the end of its education phase, the team decided to narrow its review for the current
semester by focusing on programming created predominately for or by undergraduates.
The team identified the following key issues about which it believed it should and could
submit preliminary recommendations by the end of the semester: space availability and
reservations; funding; program advising; coordination; and communication. The team
also identified two issues which it believed were enmeshed in all aspects of
programming: the philosophy of student self-governance and diversity.
Interactions Phase
Following this education phase, the team began interacting more actively with the
University community through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. In addition, the
team began best practices research, focusing on peer institutions noted for excellence in
particular aspects of programming.
During the interactions phase, the team decided to exclude from its review most of the
programming organized by University offices, focusing instead on programming issues
related to student organizations and on general student participation in programming.
Therefore, while the team interviewed or conducted focus groups with many of the
University’s programming staff, discussions centered on how to encourage student
involvement and participation in programming, rather than on how staff might improve
specific programming offered to students by their offices. SOP’s recommendations, both
in its preliminary report and this report, are intended partly to help these offices with their
programming efforts, but there are no recommendations on how, for instance, Summer
Orientation might better achieve its goals.
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The team also decided to incorporate communication into the issue of coordination,
because, while adequate vehicles for communication seemed already to be in place,
information was not consistently being shared among important programming
constituencies. The team determined to add recommendations for a fifth key issue, the
CIO Agreement and process. Finally, the team identified the following issues which it
might address in the future:
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Transportation;
Graduate/professional schools;
Program assessment;
Resources and technology;
Policies and restrictions;
Community-building; and
Integration with academics.
Preliminary Report
At the May 2, 2001 meeting of the ISP/PS Steering Committee, SOP delivered its
preliminary report, which offered preliminary recommendations on its five key issues:
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Program Advising;
Space Availability and Reservations;
Funding;
Coordination; and
CIO Agreement and Process.
The ISP/PS Steering Committee approved the team’s preliminary recommendations.
Committee Work
Following the approval of its preliminary recommendations, SOP created ten committees
to pursue its work more efficiently. Four of the committees were charged with focusing
on key issues:
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Program Advising;
Funding;
CIO Agreement and Process; and
Space.
Six smaller committees were created to focus on particular initiatives:
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Student Leadership;
Faculty, Staff, and Student Interaction;
On-Line Information;
On-Line Reservation System;
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Student Network; and
CIO Workroom and Funding for Supplies.
The team pursued most of its work via these committees. Most team members served on
one large and one small committee, and seven of the team’s nine staff members chaired at
least one committee.
Student Participation
The team considers student involvement and input vital to its success. To foster
interaction with students, the team met in April 2001 with Student Council to explain its
mission and agreed to an ongoing collaboration with the current president, Abby Fifer.
During the summer, the team expanded its undergraduate representation by three, giving
it four undergraduate, one graduate, and nine staff members.
III. Summary of Findings
General Programming Information
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The University has numerous offices dedicated wholly or in part to programming:
 The Office of African-American Affairs;
 The Center for Alcohol and Substance Education;
 The Office of the Dean of Students;
 Office of Health Promotion;
 The International Studies Office;
 Intramural-Recreational Sports;
 Newcomb Hall;
 Orientation and New Student Programs;
 Residence Life;
 University Career Services; and
 The Women’s Center, among others.
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Academic departments offer programming such as faculty-student mixers, speakers,
concerts, art shows, exhibits, and co-curricular activities. The Provost, school deans,
and school councils support programming through such initiatives as Scholar Dollars,
whereby casual dinners and parties are funded for teachers and their classes. There
are considerable funds available for faculty-student programming; the Arts &
Sciences Council, for instance, has for years carried over surplus funds and now has
$75,000, much of it available for programming.
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Housing and Dining Services regularly offer programming, and other University
departments support programming in various ways. ITC maintains the technological
tools in many of the classrooms, meeting rooms, and halls used for programming. It
also provides technical support for Student Council’s server. Facilities Management
maintains the spaces themselves.
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Student life at the University is rich, and students add considerably to the available
programming. There are more than 400 student organizations, which fall into three
categories: agency organizations, special status organizations, and contracted
independent organizations (CIOs). Agency organizations, which include the Honor
Committee and UPC, receive considerable support from the University. As their
name suggests, Special Status organizations share a special relationship with the
University. They include Student Council and the First, Second, Third and Fourth
Year Councils, which have permanent rooms and University staff to support their
duties. CIOs are by far the largest group of student organizations, comprising
fraternities and sororities; club sports; identity organizations such as the Korean
Student Association and La Sociedad Latina; and groups that focus on religion,
politics, business, fine arts, performance, information, and more.
Program Advising
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Unlike Agency and Special Status organizations, CIOs are directly supported not by
University staff but by Student Council. That is, while CIOs routinely contact
University staff to reserve spaces or request help with their programming efforts,
there is no staff responsible for providing them with program advising.
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Student Council’s Vice President for Student Organizations (VPO) has official
responsibility of offering general and programming support to CIOs. As part of her
duties, Student Council’s VPO oversees the process by which CIOs achieve or renew
their contracted status; the process of appropriating Student Activities Funds (SAF
funds); the maintenance and updating of CIO contact information; and general
support for CIOs. Last year, the VPO produced a CIO Resource Guide which was
made available to all CIOs. An on-line version of the guide is planned for inclusion
on Student Council’s server.
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Club sports organizations do receive some support from Intramural-Recreational
Sports staff, and the Office of the Dean of Students provides an official liaison to
fraternal organizations. Some organizations seek faculty advisers. A survey of CIO
officers generated, in order of frequency, the following sources of advising of any
sort in the 2000-2001 school year:
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The Office of the Dean of Students;
Faculty;
Intramural-Recreational Sports;
Newcomb Hall;
Residence staff;
Alumni Hall;
The Office of Development;
The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs;
General Counsel;
ITC; and
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 Senior University administrators, among others.
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While this list shows the many sources of advising that CIOs have found, and the
variety of staff willing to help with programming, it also shows the lengths to which
students must go to find answers to programming questions in the University’s
decentralized environment. Unlike many universities its size, the University has no
office charged with supporting student activities and programming. The University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a new Student Activities Office with one fulltime employee (FTE). The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse has an office of four
FTE’s and five graduate assistants to support programming for its 9000 students.
Texas A&M, with 44,000 students, has an office with more than 15 FTEs. For
universities similar in size to U.Va., the number of FTEs for such an office tends to
run from two to five.
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Newcomb Hall is the University’s central building for student programming, but it
has no staff for program advising. Three staff members in the Newcomb Hall
Programs Office are considered advisers, but they have full-time responsibilities
advising the University Programs Council (UPC). Newcomb Hall’s reservations staff
often provide information to students with programming questions, but they are not
trained as advisers.
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SOP defines a program adviser as someone who provides practical support and
guidance both to individual students and organizations. Based on educational
experience and training, advisers provide insight that contributes to the quality,
safety, and effectiveness of an event, program, or activity. Advisers also challenge
individuals and organizations to continually consider the purpose of their events and
to understand the scope and impact of each planning decision. Advisers also act as
resources to students and organizations by providing information about policies,
procedures, responsibilities, and resources.
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Student Council, ADAPT, and UVA L.E.A.D. offer some peer advising and training.
Currently, most thorough training is targeted to a specific group.
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The current environment of program advising reflects both the University’s
decentralized structure and its ethic of student self-governance, but many students are
dissatisfied with what they perceive as a lack of connection to staff and faculty and to
the information they need. Students often feel too inhibited to initiate interactions;
many others only know who a few administrators are. The Leadership 2001 program
receives high marks from students. Their key criticism is that it only reaches a small
number of students each year.
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Many students view programming as a system of “Haves” and “Have Nots.” The
“Haves” are well-connected, well-funded, know whom to call, and know how to get
what they want. The University Guides, for instance, don’t have to fight for space;
they have a permanent presence in Pavilion VIII. The “Have Nots” feel unconnected
and often overlooked. They lack a network of contacts and advisers and often
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struggle to achieve their programming goals. They are not necessarily envious of the
“Haves”; rather, they wish the University did a better job of making everyone feel
connected.
Funding
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Funding for student organizations and programming at the University of Virginia is a
complex and oftentimes confusing process.
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Funding for student groups is not a centralized function. Funding is administered by
several entities, and differing guidelines apply depending on the source and intended
use of the funds.
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The funding process is further complicated by the fleeting, changing nature of CIOs –
student members turning over from year to year; new leadership usually coming on
board at least once a year, with or without the benefit of training or information from
their predecessors; a high frequency of groups forming and dissolving; the normal
communication snafus that all organizations experience.
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Adding to the complexity is a dichotomy between funds sought and allocated, and
funds expended. Each year, a significant number of student groups run out of funds
and go searching for money to fund their programs and initiatives. Yet for at least the
past five years, the Student Activity Fund (SAF) has ended the fiscal year with a
healthy surplus. Does the surplus occur because of existing policies, such as the
restriction on using SAF monies to purchase food? Because students do not budget
and spend their funds well? Or because of a combination of factors? Understanding
why the surplus exists was part of the committee’s work and a component of its final
recommendations.
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Many students and staff question the restrictions placed on SAF. We sought the
history behind those restrictions and although we agree with the concept, we felt there
were other ways to achieve the same goals without a complete ban on certain uses of
the funds.
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Many CIOs receive SAF funds to help pay for telephones. The team’s research
suggests that considerable money could be saved by providing phone mail accounts to
all CIOs, in lieu of telephone service. These accounts could be accessed from any
phone, on or off Grounds.
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Funding Summary
Table of available funding for student programming
Type of Funding
Where the Money Comes
From
All full-time, fee-paying
students.
Where the Money Goes
Amount
Who Administers?
CIOs.
Student Council distributes to
CIOs through appropriations
process.
$39.00/student/ academic
year
Student Council and
Student Activities
Committee.
Student Activity Fee/
Club Sports portion
All full-time, fee-paying
students.
Club Sports.
Student Council distributes to
Club Sports (i.e. CIOs)
through appropriations
process.
.50/student/
academic year (provided by
Athletics);
Student Council matches 2:1
($1.00 on every .50)
Student Council and
Student Activities
Committee.
Comprehensive
Fee/Newcomb Hall portion
All full-time, part-time,
summer session and special
session students.
Newcomb Hall operations
and related activities.
$98/FT student/ academic
year
Newcomb Hall.
Student Activity Fee
$42/PT student/
academic year
$18/student/
summer session or special
session
Comprehensive Fee/Arts $
portion
All full-time, part-time,
summer session and special
session students.
$12/FT student/ academic
year
$12/PT student/
academic year
$6/student/ summer session
or special session
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Type of Funding
Where the Money Comes
From
Where the Money Goes
Amount
Who Administers?
Comprehensive Fee/ WTJU
portion
All full-time and part-time
students.
WTJU operations and
programming.
$6/FT or PT student/
academic year
WTJU
Comprehensive
Fee/Programming Fee
All full-time and part-time
students.
1. University Programs
Council (Operating)
2. Arts Board
3. Cultural Programming
Board
4. Major Venue Concerts
5. Sunset Concert Series
6. Second- and Third-Year
Councils
7. Cultural Assistant Deans
8. Tuttle Coffee
House/First-Year Council
9. Luther P. Jackson Center
10. VPSA Discretionary
$26.00/FT student/ academic
year
(Of this amount, $14 goes to
UPC, $2 to Arts Board, and
$10 to everything else.)
Primary: Vice
President for Student
Affairs
Secondary:
University Programs
Council and
individual
organizations who
receive funding.
Various programs and
requests. Funding is
requested and awarded
annually. Recent examples:
21st birthday card, One in
Four, Virginia Service
Coalition, transfer student
program, Eating Out,
Culturefest.
Varies.
Fourth-Year Council
4th-year class endowment
income.
Parents’ Program – UVA
Alumni Association
Individual donations from
parents.
$13.00/PT student/
academic year
(Of this amount, $7
goes to UPC, $1 to Arts
Board, and $5 to everything
else.)
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CIO Agreement and Process
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Since 1989, the University has required all CIOs to sign the CIO Agreement, which
articulates the University’s relationship with student organizations. The Agreement spells
out the rights and responsibilities of CIOs, but practically speaking, the primary purpose of
the CIO Agreement is to limit the University’s liability, for which it has been extremely
successful. Since the Agreement’s adoption, the University has never been found liable for
the acts of a CIO.
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CIOs tend to view the CIO Agreement as a cold, distancing, unreadable document. Many
students and staff complain that it articulates an “arm’s-length” relationship that makes CIOs
feel unsupported. The common impression among students and staff is that few students
ever read the Agreement before signing it.
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The team found that, contrary to popular impression, the CIO Agreement is neither full of
“legalese” nor unreadable, and the General Counsel, Student Council, and other interested
offices agree that it is highly successful in limiting the University’s liability.
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Thus, the CIO Agreement requires no changes if its only goal is to protect the University
from liability. On the other hand, many staff and students would like to see the Agreement
become a more user-friendly, instructive, and perhaps interactive document which, by
becoming useful to students, would actually be read by them.
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The CIO process involves several steps: achieving or renewing CIO status; the SAF
appropriations process; new officer elections; and potentially, participation in various
meetings and workshops intended to educate CIOs. While individual elements in the current
process may have their own logical time lines, there is neither logic nor coherence in the
overall process. For instance, students may form CIOs at any time throughout the year, but
SAF appropriations occur only once (in the spring for the following school year), meaning
that many organizations may have to wait eighteen months before they can receive Student
Activities Funds. Similarly, CIOs can elect new officers whenever they wish, but many
CIOs lose out on SAF funds because of poor leadership transition.
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CIOs currently receive no comprehensive time line or advice on how best to time their own
transitions. Such information could easily be provided to CIOs when they sign the
Agreement, or this information could be incorporated into the Agreement. For instance, the
Agreement could be amended to include notification of required meetings about the SAF
appropriations process.
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The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs plans to review the CIO Agreement in
the spring of 2002.
Space
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Students have grown increasingly frustrated by the lack of programming space on Grounds.
CIOs routinely struggle to find space for meetings, rehearsals, storage, events, and
performances. The University has no rehearsal or performance space for dance (although
such space is being considered in the new arena). Many of the University’s finest spaces,
including the Rotunda and Old Cabell Auditorium, prove exceptionally difficult to reserve.
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Reservations in general for programming space is decentralized and bewildering. There is
neither a comprehensive list of spaces available for programming nor of contacts for
reserving them. Different spaces are governed by a wide array of restrictions, fees, and rules.
Fees, in particular, effectively bar many CIOs from reserving many spaces. Technologyequipped classrooms cost $40 per hour for after-hours use, with a two-hour minimum on
weekends. The Minor Hall and chemistry auditoriums are part of a pilot program in which
groups must submit a $50 security deposit, which is returned if their use does not incur costs
to the equipment.
CIO Workroom
 Student Council maintains a large CIO workroom in Newcomb Hall, with cubicles for
approximately 45 CIOs and some limited communal work space. The Workroom lacks
storage space, but many of the cubicles are used mostly to store materials. In its current
configuration, the CIO Workroom cannot meet the demand of CIOs for work space. Student
Council owns a copier, which it houses in the Workroom, but the copier has been unused for
several years.
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A Multicultural Center has been proposed as part of the proposed New Student Center. This
Multicultural Center could provide office and work space for identity-based student
organizations, and key support staff could be affiliated with the center and made available to
offer program advising and other services.
On-Line Reservations System
 To reserve programming space, students must currently contact space owners or managers
directly, but many students do not know whom to contact, and contact information is often
hard to find.
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After determining that the process of reserving space would be greatly improved by
implementing a centralized, on-line reservations system, SOP created a committee to
research possibilities.
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The committee focused on three possible systems: Resource 25, the upgraded form of
Schedule 25, which is currently used by the University Registrar for classroom reservations;
EMS’ Enterprise system, the upgraded version of the system used by Newcomb Hall and
Zehmer Hall; and Corporate Time, which is currently used by many staff and faculty and has
recently become available for students.
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The following table shows attributes the committee deems important in a centralized
reservations system and identifies whether or not they are available in each of the three
systems considered. First, the system should be web-based, so that users can access it via the
Internet from any computer. Second, it should be searchable, so that even first-time can
easily find and reserve an appropriate space. Third, it should be customizable both by users
and owners. It is important to note that, while Resource 25’s desktop application meets these
second and third criteria, its web-based product does not.
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Resource 25 is a preferred plug-in for Oracle’s Student System, which currently has no plans
for including a reservations system of its own. The team believes it is important for the
University to determine whether or not it is important that such a reservations system be tied
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to Oracle. Here are a few questions which should be answered: Would a reservations system
for programming share or borrow data (including room profiles employing CAD) from the
Oracle database? Would an e-commerce component have to be tied to Oracle? Similarly, if
the system allowed internal charges, would they be tied via PTAEOs to Oracle?
Attribute
Web-based reservations
Searchable calendar
Corporate
Time
NO
NO
Resource 25
YES
YES
EMS
YES
YES (More
robust)
YES
YES
Link to student calendar
Room profiles employing computer
aided design
??
NO
Robust search criteria
NO
Third-party interaction (e.g., catering)
e-Commerce
NO
NO
Ease of use
NO
Allow “space owners” to maintain their
information
Data can reside on separate servers
Customizable by users (e.g., preferred
spaces, search criteria)
Customizable by owners (e.g., limit
information about reservations on
calendar)
Single security access (tied to existing
University security structures)
YES
YES
?? is this
available on line
??
NO (desktop
application
offers robust
search
capability)
YES
YES (credit
cards accepted)
NO (Web-based
product is not
state of the art)
YES
??
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
MAYBE
MAYBE
YES
YES
??
YES
YES
Other key considerations for a reservations system:
 price
 viability of company
 technical support
 history of upgrades and upkeep
 technical architecture/Oracle compatibility
Coordination
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Faculty and Student Interaction
 Students and faculty share a desire for more opportunities to interact outside of the classroom
and office hours. Many such opportunities do exist but frequently involve the same faculty
and students repeatedly.

Successful faculty and student interactions do not need to be large events, but are better if
they are small with more reasonable expectations. It is important that students take the
initiative and do the asking.
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Faculty and student interactions should extend the academic experience without the academic
rigor and be mutually beneficial for both the faculty and the students.
On-Line Information
 There is a great deal of programming information on line, but it is scattered, and its
whereabouts is not necessarily intuitive. Many times, the information is buried within
offices’ or departments’ web pages, and if students don’t know what home page to look
under, they will not be able to find the information. For example, information about rental of
cars, buses, and planes is located within Parking and Transportation’s website; a ride board is
accessible through the Student Council website; and Parents’ Fund resource information is on
the Alumni Association website.

Some key student programming information and tools are not readily available on line: there
is no comprehensive list of rooms that are suitable for programming; there are few
descriptions of programming spaces; and there is no on-line reservations system for
programming.

Nevertheless, the past year has seen key improvements in on-line programming information.
Student Council has developed an on-line CIO Resource Guide, which provides: information
on becoming a CIO or renewing CIO status; helpful information for CIO officers; obtaining
SAF funds or alternate funding; reserving space; setting up events; and contact information.

The new student calendar, which was developed by the University Webmaster and the Office
of the Vice President for Student Affairs, has outstanding potential as an on-line tool. The
calendar is currently not as user-friendly as it probably needs to be to win broad student
approval: events can only be viewed in a single vertical column, rather than within a calendar
view, and there are no filters for customizing the view. Entering events is also somewhat
difficult. Usage for the new calendar is increasing, but it is still not widely used. The student
calendar is being updated so that it is easier to enter events. Research is currently being done
to explore the possibility of having various organizations “publish” their events in a common
calendar format, which can then be downloaded into the student calendar. This would ensure
more information and well-maintained information would be available in the student
calendar.

Users can rarely assume that on-line programming information is up-to-date. Some web
pages and their content are maintained well, while others are relatively static or contain
outdated information. Student Council’s web pages, which have not always been well
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maintained, have in the past been a source of frustration for students and staff. For example,
Council maintains the only official list of CIOs, which changes from week to week. Before a
student organization can reserve a space, the staff who maintain that space must verify that
the group is a CIO. If the list of CIOs is outdated, this information may be unavailable, and
staff have often complained about time wasted in seeking the correct information. Students
have in turn complained that their repeated attempts to update contact information for group
officers go unanswered. This year, Chris Husser, the Chief Technology Adviser for Student
Council, is overhauling the entire Student Council website. CIOs will be able to update their
own contact information, and the official CIO list will reside on Council’s server, rather than
on someone’s hard drive.

The “Current Students” page receives the second most hits on the U.Va. website. In May
2001, there were 160,000 views and 119,000 user sessions, averaging two minutes sixteen
seconds. Many students use it as their default home page. The University Webmaster’s
office has been paying increasing attention to student web pages and is committed to doing
more.

Newcomb Hall’s website is being revamped, in collaboration with the University
Webmaster’s office. Bill Ashby, the new Associate Dean of Students and Director of
Newcomb Hall and Student Activities, is making the Newcomb Hall website a priority. He
wants to offer significant new resources-- “a virtual Student Center experience”--on the web.
IV. Recommendations
The following 30 recommendations have been reviewed by SESPOG and are organized by the
next steps that SESPOG has decided to take with each. The first 21 recommendations were
approved; SESPOG has created the three teams below and charged them with implementing each
of their recommendations. We expect their efforts to continue through the 2002-2003 school
year. The four work groups below have been charged with completing design work on
individual recommendations. SESPOG’s instructions to each work group are included as bullet
points. We anticipate their work to be complete in spring 2002. Finally, five of SOP’s
recommendations were approved by SESPOG and will be forwarded to the appropriate process
owners.
CIO Services Implementation Team
1. Work with Student Council to develop a list of needed workshops for programming and
student organizations. Identify the best staff or students to develop and provide them.
2. Collaborate with Student Council to develop a peer advising program that would provide
walk-in advising, workshops, leadership training, and other services.
3. Collaborate with Student Council to create a network of organizations that would encourage
coordination of programming and foster collaboration among student leaders.
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4. Collaborate with Student Council to develop a student leadership network, with a goal of
broadening the opportunities for students to meet and interact with key University leaders
along the lines of the Leadership 2001 Program.
5. Working with Student Council, evaluate its pilot program of providing seed money to new
CIOs during the fall and consider expanding it to accommodate existing CIOs with new,
unfunded ideas.
6. Fund office supplies for the CIO communal work area rather than in individual CIO budgets.
To guard against removal or theft, place signs in the area declaring the appropriate use of
these materials, and rely on the Honor Code.
7. Amend the restrictions on the use of SAF funds to allow food at academic and educational
programming events. CIOs that abuse these amended restrictions can be controlled through
the Student Council budget process.
8. Provide phone mail service to all CIOs and add phones to the communal work area rather
than funding individual telephone budgets whenever possible.
9. Require, as part of the SAF budget allocation process, a year-end summary of funded
activities for all CIOs who have received funding and seek funding for the coming year. The
summary would serve: as a planning tool for the CIOs; as justification for further funding;
and as a way of determining that funds are being used and used well.
10. Redesign the CIO office space in Newcomb Hall to increase communal workspace and add
storage space while retaining sufficient cubicle offices for individual CIOs. The removal of
as few as 6 cubicles would greatly increase communal space. Add and maintain phones,
computers, printer, and office supplies, and maintain the copier.
11. Hold a CIO meeting and resource fair at the start of each semester. Build Student Council’s
mandatory funding meeting into the spring semester meeting and resource fair.
12. Develop a CIO timeline with meetings, deadlines, suggested dates for new officer selection,
etc., to optimize the process. Provide this calendar along with other information on
workshops, etc., to all CIOs as part of the agreement renewal process.
13. Amend the approval routing for the CIO Agreement.
On-Line Information Implementation Team
14. Create an on-line programming resource page with links to related pages. The most logical
location for this page is off of the University’s “Current Students” page. The owner of this
programming page should be the University Webmaster’s office. This page should include
information on:
 All spaces available for programming, with full descriptions and explanations of fees,
restrictions, and contacts;
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
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All available program advising, including a contact list of staff who offer advising;
All funding sources for programming;
Upcoming programming workshops and meetings;
Information on legal and liability issues; and
Frequently asked programming questions.
15. While seeking and implementing a web-based, centralized reservations system, the
University should build a simple system for reserving space. Chris Husser, Student
Council’s Chief Technology Adviser, has suggested a web-based system on which users
would choose the space they wish to reserve and fill out an e-form with key information
(e.g., time, date, organization). The system would automatically generate an email request
with the necessary information, which would be sent to that space’s administrator. The
administrator could approve the request, decline it, or request further information. This
system would not be searchable but could offer links to comprehensive information about
space.
16. Make each owner responsible for maintaining their web pages. Each owner must have
appropriate resources to ensure that their web pages are maintained. Web pages should also,
wherever possible, allow people closest to the information to enter and change their
information (for example, let CIOs update their membership and officer information).
Currently, owners of student pages include:
 Student Council (Chief Technology Adviser);
 Newcomb Hall (Web coordinator with University Webmaster’s office); and
 Student Home Page (University Webmaster’s office).
17. Create a Student Web Steering Committee, chaired by the University Webmaster, to maintain
this page and ensure that linked pages are coordinated and up-to-date. This group should
include:
 Director, Web Communications (Nancy Tramontin);
 Chief Technology Adviser, Student Council (Chris Husser);
 Dean of Students representative (Lori Willy);
 Newcomb Hall webmaster ;
 Other students; and
 Potential others:
o Cavalier Daily
o Provost’s Office (academic advising, etc.).
Faculty and Student Interaction Team
18. Create a Faculty Fellows Program in which faculty receive a modest stipend to provide a
semester’s worth of interactive programming. Such programming might include meals, gettogethers, and modest outings. The Arts & Sciences Council could pilot this program.
19. Partner with the Faculty Senate and/or the Arts & Sciences Council to sponsor social,
interactive events for students and faculty during the academic year.
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20. Enlist the aid of the Graduate Advisers in the dorms to identify and select students to plan
events, following the model of the International Residential College.
21. Create a single website of opportunities for faculty and student interaction across Grounds,
with links to any related sites. House on this site a database of faculty interested in
participating in programming with students, including their interests and contact information,
and enable faculty to add themselves to the database.
Program Advising Work Group
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Map as-is responsibilities of programming staff
Analyze gaps
Develop detailed recommendations with resource requirements
Best Practices
22. Create an Office of Student Activities within Newcomb Hall. The Office should include the
existing Student Activities Business Manager position, which is currently in the Office of the
Dean of Students. Key services to be provided by the Office include:
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Walk-in advising on club formation, leadership issues, program planning, etc.;
Leadership training for individuals and student organizations (e.g., emerging leader
program and Organizational Leadership Development Series);
Working closely with Student Council to support technology issues and student
organization support;
Providing workshops on a wide variety of programming issues;
Developing and supporting a Peer Educator program, “Programming Peer Advisors,”
modeled in part on U.Va. LEAD;
Collaborate with Student Council to support the CIO workspace; and
Implementing and/or maintaining recommendations 1 through 6, above.
On-Line Reservations System Work Group
 Develop thorough analysis of implementation costs for an on-line space reservation system
 Provide appropriate information to ISP Executive Committee to help it answer questions
about links between proposed reservations system and Oracle (i.e., is Resource 25 the
presumptive choice?)
 Determine whether to recommend Resource 25 or call for an RFP
23. Implement a web-based, centralized reservations system. The system itself should provide:
 One-stop reservations for all programming spaces;
 A searchable calendar showing reserved and available spaces;
 Robust search capability;
 Space diagrams and/or inventories of resources (e.g., size, whiteboards, a/v equipment);
 Customization for users;
 Customization and maintenance of information for “owners”;
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Customization of rules and restrictions by space (this attribute would accommodate
unique rules and restrictions for each space on Grounds; nevertheless, implementation of
this system would provide a needed opportunity to streamline and routinize rules and
restrictions);
Third-party interaction (e.g., catering, police);
e-commerce component (i.e., accept credit card payment/PTAEO); and
Links to the student calendar.
Charging for Newcomb Work Group
 Analyze current fee structure
 Develop appropriate fee structure, policies, and an implementation plan
 Evaluate possible effects of implementation
24. Grant students priority for use of space in Newcomb Hall and charge faculty and staff for use
of rooms in Newcomb. Currently, students can be bumped by faculty and staff from
classrooms and administrative spaces, but students lack this right in a building funded with
student fees. In addition, Newcomb loses considerable revenue because key units, including
ITC, HR and Summer Orientation, do not pay room rentals. Use the new money generated to
support programming.
Making Programming Space a Key Consideration in the University’s Master Plan
 Consult with Pete Anderson, Jo Lawson, and others about the necessary steps to formalize
consideration of programming space in construction and renovation
25. Make space for student programming an integral part of the University’s master plan. The
incorporation of student programming space should be a consideration with every proposed
building construction or renovation.
Forwarded Recommendations
26. Coordinate all University staff that are involved in programming to better identify and
address programming issues, foster collaboration among offices, and enable more effective
and efficient use of staff time.
27. We support Student Council’s proposal to create a CIO Services Committee, which is
intended to supplement the efforts of the Vice President for Student Organizations (VPO).
Key services to be provided by this committee include:
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Peer training;
Workshops on a wide range of programming issues;
Oversight for CIO agreement approval and process;
Maintaining Student Council’s on-line programming information; and
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
Developing an incentive program for CIOs.
28. Amend the rules regarding late-night programming to allow for greater variety of onGrounds events. If we wish to give students alternatives to alcohol, we need to foster
programming during times when alcohol is the primary entertainment.
29. Expand the policy for open use of ITC-supported classrooms to include all technologyequipped classrooms. Beginning this semester, Chemistry 402 and Minor 125 have been
made available to student organizations in the evenings with a security deposit in lieu of the
$50 technology fee. This change in policy would make space available to CIOs that cannot
afford the fee.
30. Make the student calendar a more attractive, user-friendly tool by:
 Improving its design (i.e., calendar format);
 Enabling filters;
 Improving its search criteria; and
 Making it easier to add events.
V. Critical Success Factors
All of SOP’s key issues can be addressed immediately without major new resources. Without
losing sight of the need for greater funding in programming, we have addressed budget concerns
by incorporating immediate and inexpensive intermediate steps that address each of the key
issues. It is important to understand, however, that these steps require increased student
involvement and initiative in programming. In one sense, this increased student responsibility
meets SOP’s charge of fostering student participation in programming, although our charge
might more commonly be understood to mean participation in the receiving end of programming.
Nevertheless, student involvement in and support of programming is an important element of
student self-governance and can enrich their educational experience. While we support this
manner and depth of self-governance, we want to emphasize that students cannot provide the
institutional knowledge and professionalism that staff would be expected to bring. Ideally, if
these intermediate recommendations are implemented, the University will take the first
opportunity to create new staff to provide the necessary long-term support.
Support from Student Council is also critical to developing and sustaining a successful
programming environment, not because every recommendation affects it, but because it is the
primary voice for students and student organizations. Our recommendations are designed to
strike what we consider the proper balance between student self-governance and administrative
oversight. As with every instance of student self-governance, students need to be given the
authority to experiment, succeed, and fail, but they cannot succeed without the University’s
support and expertise.
By expanding the duties of the Associate Dean and Director of Newcomb Hall and Student
Activities to include student programming, the Dean of Students has taken an important first step
toward an improved program environment. The University’s decentralized landscape has too
often proven an impediment to students who don’t know the right person to contact or the right
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questions to ask. A central point person for programming is the essential first step in creating a
central program advising office. In addition, many of our recommendations will require existing
staff to assume new responsibilities. The success of all our recommendations will rely upon
continued support from the offices of the Dean of Students and the Vice President for Student
Affairs. We also seek the support of the ISP/PS Steering Committee in assuring the success of
these efforts.
We have found that student programming funds from a variety of sources are under-utilized.
Our recommendations are designed to maximize currently available funding which may allow us
to implement many of our recommendations in spite of our tight budget situations. However, we
must not forget that several key recommendations cannot be implemented with new funding.
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