Virtual Recognized Student Organization Guide Spring 2022

During this time period, in-person and virtual events and meetings may continue to occur.  RSOs should work with their advisors to keep up on protocol for events and meetings. 

• Due to the recent Sonoma County Health Order and the announcement that most classes will be online through February 11, we can host events on campus but you cannot have more than 50 people for an indoor event, and no more than 100 people for an outside event. People also need to wear masks if inside, at all times, other than eating or drinking. If you would like to consult with Student Involvement staff on ways to host your events virtually or to talk through what options you have for events that may have had to be paused, or rescheduled, please email your Student Involvement Advisor so we can work with you  Comment end     
• Don’t count out the possibility of hosting virtual events. They don’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time to prepare. Be sure to follow our social media channels above and Seawolf Living as all campus programmatic and campus departments are already at work planning virtual/in-person events for the Fall and Spring. If you want to discuss partnership opportunities, get in touch with your Student Involvement Advisor. 
• Be sure to follow County and Campus guidelines for in-person events.
• Be sure to take attendance and turn it into risk@sonoma.edu after your events/meetings
• If in-person and inside a building, all members must wear masks unless eating/drinking, and must try to maintain distance between each other. 
• Sanitize the spaces and your hands prior to and during meetings/events, as needed
• If outside, you do not need to wear masks unless you are within 6 feet of others. 
• For any in-person events/meetings, and even to get into some classes, events, or office spaces, you will be asked to show your green screen to show you have been vaccinated, have a waiver, and that you have done your wellness screening for that day. You also will need to sign in and/or swipe into the event. Again, this is for contact tracing should we need to do it.
• You may still have some students and club members that are virtual. We also may provide events and meetings both virtually and in person. Try to make sure you are doing what you can to include those students who are trying to participate virtually.

You might be lost now wondering, “How will I engage with my members during this time?” You are encouraged to consider hosting in-person meetings, as most RSOs were able to do so safely in the fall semester. It is also nice to provide in-person events in order to continue to build a sense of normalcy for your organization(s) and to best prepare you for the rest of the semester and even into spring. Student Involvement strongly recommends you consider a virtual option for your meetings. Adapted from Steven Rogelberg’s “The Surprising Science of Meetings” via UNC Charlotte Connecting Virtually 

There are a number of platforms you can utilize to host meetings virtually for free. We recommend Zoom for business as you can use this platform easily with your Sonoma.edu email address. Please note, other platforms like Google Chat and Google Hangout are also options you could utilize as well.

• Test out your technology before the start of the meeting. Work with a friend to test out your meeting platform to make sure everything works. 
• Opt for video calling. While not everyone loves the idea of video calls, they increase connection and community. When possible, choose video calling for a more personal approach to staying connected. Note that in cases where reception is bad, you may have to switch off video calling. 
• Start each meeting with an icebreaker where everyone gets to share. If there are a lot of participants, consider using the chat features for people to respond and share. 
• Stick to set times. Set standard weekly times meetings should take place for consistency. We recommend keeping with the regular times you had prior to going remote. 
• Set clear agendas, outcomes, and action items. We recommend using google docs as a way of creating living agendas where people can see updates in real time and items as the meeting goes along. At the end of every meeting, be sure to articulate clear action items and next steps. 
• Create new roles and rotate responsibilities. Think about daily and weekly tasks such as taking meeting minutes and rotate these amongst members to stay engaged. Additionally, consider forming new and creative subcommittees that can work on projects in more intimate chat groups. 
• Get buy-in. Make sure to create space for allowing others to provide thoughts and input. It’s important to ask things like “what do people think of this?” or “does anyone have anything to add?” Be comfortable with some silence on the other end as some people may need additional time to think. 
• Meet one-on-one. If you are in a leadership role within your organization, consider scheduling one-on-one check-ins with other Executive Board leaders and members. This is a great way to maintain connection and be able to accommodate the different needs of your group. 

Create a “virtual watercooler”. 

While ensuring you continue to meet the mission and purpose of your organization is important, it’s also important to recognize that much of what your organization does is social, connecting students to one another. Even in a virtual environment, there are lots of ways to help people connect informally and socially. Here are some ideas: 

● Host a daily check-in or kick-off for members. This may be focused on organization-related items, or an opportunity to just wish everyone a great day! 

● Host virtual office hours outside of meetings for more personal connections and conversations. 

● Create a regular newsletter. There are a number of great resources such as Constant Contact and MailChimp that allow you to create free electronic newsletters. This can be a great way to keep members up-to-date with the activities of the organization. Consider adding trivia questions or fun challenges to make the newsletter more interactive. 

Utilize marketing resources such as: 

● Canva for posters, short videos, Instagram posts 

● Piktochart for posters 

● Repost (to repost others Instagrams) 

● Seawolf Living for sharing your events or meetings with the campus community 

● Powtoons for short cartoon videos 

● Crello for animated Instagram posts 

● GetInvolved@SSU

● Through the Youth Educational Services

● Knitting hats for NICU babies, Homeless Community, etc 

● Making face masks for those working in the frontlines 

● Cleaning up trash on hikes and posting about it electronically 

● Writing letters to folks in Care Facilities, in Prisons, In the armed service, etc. 

● Virtual Fundraising Campaigns for Local Organizations in need of resources/funding

● Host training/exercise sessions on Zoom

● Live Stream yoga classes

● Fitness training: Onnit.com

● Track hikes on AllTrails

● Padlet

● Flip grid

● Poll Everywhere

● Activity: True Colors

● Activity: 16 Personalities

● Book: Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

● Activity: Big Five (most statistically accurate personality test)

● Activity: Love Languages

● Activity: Enneagram Personality Test

Charlotte Student Organizations 

University of Louisville “Tips For Running Virtual Meetings” 

Auburn University “Virtual Organizational Management 

University of Southern Mississippi Virtual Student Organization Management Guide