Mission, Vision, & Values for Student Governance

In this session we will work to develop a shared vision for student governance at the campus and statewide levels. We will provide a brief presentation on tools to develop mission, vision, and values statements for your student government followed by a review of WSA’s mission and vision statement. The group discussion will focus on how we can get more students involved in realizing our shared goals vision, goals and priorities.

Building Campus Communities

This session will provide a space to discuss best practices to create a thriving community of student clubs and organizations on campus. This will be an opportunity for you to share and learn from others on best practices in supporting increased visibility of organizations on campus, student recruitment, and leadership development.

Goal Setting & Planning to Win Legislative Victories

In this workshop participants will learn how to plan a campaign and develop a strategy around moving or defeating legislation. You will also learn how to make sure that the tactics used get you noticed and that you can walk away with another victory for students.

Campus Diveristy: Statewide Solutions for Common Challenges

This session will provide a space to discuss how we can establish a campus-to-campus dialogue around racial and LGTBQ issues. Working to create an ongoing dialogue for student groups to identify challenges that exist on multiple campuses and find statewide solutions for them.

Actions & Tactics

Money, people, and ideas; these are the major sources of power in our democracy. As students, what we lack monetarily we make up for in numbers. As for the ideas, since we’re fighting for education – the heart of our democracy – we’ve got that cover too. This workshop will give you the tools to strategically plan and implement actions to shift the balance of power and win real victories in the lives of students.

Working with Administration

Bureaucracy, colleges love it. Even as a student leader it can be challenge to know whom you should talk with in order to get what you want. This session will provide an overview of higher education governance from the Governor to a department director. We will also discuss the dynamics of power between students, administrators, and regents/trustees to give you the tools for success!

Meeting Facilitation

Have you ever walked into a meeting where you had no idea why you were meeting or ever left a meeting having no clue what just happened? This training will give you the skills needed to have effective, productive and meaningful meetings. From preparing for a meeting to adjourning it, you’ll never have to worry about making a meeting work with these skills.

Understanding College Budgets

Journey into the black hole of higher education financing: state funding (or lack of it), tuition, student loans, financial aid, work-study, research grants, and endowments. This workshop will provide an overview of college revenue sources, budget creation from campus to Olympia back to campus, and how decisions impact the student experience.

Working with the Media: Being an Effective Spokesperson

Learn how to best represent your organization when talking to the public and the media. We’ll practice staying “on message,” or directing reporters and decision makers’ questions back to what you want to get across. Whether you’re an organizational figurehead or someone with a personal story about the issue, you’ll learn how to confidently speak for your organization in a way that will help you win on your issues.

Campaign Planning

So you want to win your campaign so you can make a difference in the world. Well in order to do that you have to be strategic. In this workshop participants will learn how to plan their campaign and develop a strategy around any issue. You will also learn how to make sure that the tactics used get you noticed and that you can walk away with another victory for your organization.

Hiring Superstars

As a manager the easiest way to get what you want is to hire the people who can deliver it; something much easier said than done. This workshop will assist you in articulating the qualities desired in an employee, building a strong pool of candidates, gathering information about your candidates, and making your decision.

Visibility on Campus

Visibility Done Right! Focus on the context and tactics of visibility, and how to implement powerful, effective visibility into your campaign, your organization, or for yourself. Exploring not only inspiring examples, but also delving into visibility strategy and which tactics are most effective depending on your goals.

Effective Meetings with Decision Makers

How we communicate with decision makers can make or break our campaigns. This workshop explores how to effectively communicate with decision makers that our organizations work with on a regular basis. You will learn tips and tricks to scheduling a meeting, researching the decision makers background, assign roles for attendees, making the ask, and establishing concrete outcomes.

Goal Setting

If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you’ve arrived? Goal setting is a practical tool to focus your efforts and find direction. In this workshop you will learn how to invest your group in personal goal setting, how to plan to meet and exceed goals, and how to use goal setting to measure success and improve your work overall.

Dynamics of Power

Power—you know you want it, but do you really understand it? In this workshop we will discuss what power is, how to use it, and how as students you can gain power through organizing. You will walk away from this workshop knowing and understanding how power can be used.

Training for Trainers

Ever wonder why staff stares at you with eyes like glazed donuts? Come to this workshop to learn how to effectively train staff, volunteers, student senators, and others in a manner that is interesting and worthwhile. You’ll come away with confidence, new skills, and of course brilliant handouts.

Recruitment 101

Tired of planning events and no one showing up? Is your group dwindling in numbers? In this workshop, we are going back to the basics of recruitment to events, and to your organization. In this workshop you will perfect the art of approaching new volunteers and building recruitment plans that work.

Making Sausage: How a bill actually becomes law

Despite what you may remember from Schoolhouse Rock, there are quite a few more hurdles a bill must overcome than just those of the established legislative process. In this workshop you will get an insiders look at the process of creating legislation from idea to law and all the smoke-filled-room steps in between.

Steps to A Great Event

Everyone loves a good party, but how do you make it happen? In this workshop we will go over the ins and outs of planning successful events. From planning and logistics to recruitment and fundraising. Students will leave with the knowledge to turn their idea into a successful event. You will also learn how to fundraise money and supplies, who to ask for sponsorship or funds, how to get the word out and get the audience you want to attend, and how to figure out what you need to be successful and put on the Best Events on campus.

Coalition Building

Working in coalitions with other groups and organizations is often essential to win key victories and help build student power. Building a good system of organization and communication is necessary for creating successful coalitions. This workshop will provide basic strategy and tips for creating lasting coalitions that build your organization and ensure your coalition relationships remain strong.

Accountability: 1 on 1 Meetings

Now that you have your staff hired we will cover how to develop staff management plans, execute those plans and be able to have good one on one meetings. There will also be time to answer questions and practice having those difficult conversations that could come up throughout the year.

Working with Volunteers

Student leaders often find themselves with a lot of responsibility- running meetings, overseeing and training volunteers, setting long-term goals. To make our groups, projects, and ideas successful we need to be able to effectively manage a team through training, practice, deliverables, motivation, delegation, roles and accountability. This workshop will introduce the skills needed to lead a team of people, giving participants a new way of thinking about how to lead a team in an office environment.

WTF? (Where’s the Funding) Washington’s Budget Crisis

In this workshop we will provide an overview of the “Great Recession’s” impact on Washington’s budget. Looking at how we got here, the current economic climate, the outlook for the coming legislative session, and beyond. Following the presentation we will have a strategy session on sustaining higher education funding through this crisis.

Leadership Development

So your organization did great work this year but now your leadership is shifting and you don’t want to lose your momentum. Bringing new volunteers into your organization is easier said than done and this workshop will cover everything around working with volunteers. Here you’ll receive the tools needed for your first conversation with a new volunteer all the way through replacing yourself as a leader on campus.

Developing a Strategy Chart

Winning starts with planning. In this interactive workshop, we will identify the different sources of power that we have as students and develop strategies to use our power to win victories for students. We will learn how to build campaigns that gain momentum to alter relations of power permanently and change how decisions are made on campus to include the student voice.