One of the National Conferences on Student Services (NCSS) recently took place right here in Boston. These conferences provide an opportunity for student leaders to hear presenters speak on a variety of subjects, from self-improvement to group dynamics, and often ask questions relevant to their own lives or campuses. The conferences also serve as an opportunity for students to meet peers from other universities and discuss similar experiences.In previous years students have attended conferences in Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida. Twelve students were flown to Orlando last year to procure knowledge and experience; and they brought those gains back to enhance the UMass Boston community, and got some sun in the deal.This year the student government decided to foot the bill for twenty students to profit from the conference, since it was being held here in Boston that meant it would be more affordable.This was a noble thought.Unfortunately, out of the more than ten thousand students here at UMB, not even twenty were interested in learning from the various speakers or meeting other students from across the nation. Only fifteen applied. And out of that fifteen, only seven actually showed up.Only seven.There surely were compounding reasons for the dismal interest in such a profitable experience. Perhaps it is easier to find twelve students to go to Florida than it is to find twenty students to go to Boston. Perhaps there wasn’t clear and timely notice of the opportunity to attend the event. Perhaps, as some have suggested, students weren’t properly informed that they had been selected to attend.Obviously, the reason for UMB’s poor showing at this conference includes all of the mentioned reasons and more. The entire team failed. The play looked good on paper but the execution just wasn’t there. To follow through with the analogy, everyone knows where the blame will ultimately land-squarely on the coach’s shoulders.Except, in this instance, nobody is sure who the coach was. The Student Senate president apparently planned the trip, but did not actually apply to attend the conference. So the “team” was left to fend for itself. Possibly appointing an interim coach to organize and rally the team would have been the right play.It would seem that a good game plan, a good team, plenty of practice and the presence of a leader are all required to achieve a clean victory.
Only Seven
November 28, 2001