There are many ways to connect with students beyond the classroom. Whether it’s through clubs and organizations or civic engagement opportunities, below are several ways to impact students’ OSU experience.

Mentor a Student Worker

Division of Student Affairs staff play an important role as supervisors and mentors of student workers. The division employees more student workers than any other part of campus, providing students with opportunities to gain experience in a variety of work environments and build transferable skills. 

 

Support First-Generation Students

College can be challenging and first-generation students often need additional support to help them succeed. This is why the FIRST! Mentorship Program was created. You are invited to join these efforts; the program is looking for faculty and staff to mentor, engage and support first-generation students. Contact Urmila Mali for details. 

 

Become a CEL Site Leader

During the Community Engagement & Leadership’s MLK Day of Service, hundreds of volunteers honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life-long dedication to civic work by completing several projects that benefit the Corvallis community. By serving as site leaders for the MLK Day of Service and other CEL programs throughout the year, faculty and staff can engage with students and the community.

“One of the things I love about working with students is that they’re there and they’re motivated and they always overachieve. They accomplish more than the agency that they’re helping serve expects of them,” says Tim Stover, who is director and minister of the Westminster House and served as a CEL site leader at Habitat for Humanity during the 2017 MLK Day of Service. “I think a critical thing is working side-by-side to serve a common good and so that’s where we began our day ... having a conversation about Habitat for Humanity and the way in which it serves in the community.”

Connect with Community Engagement & Leadership today!

Advise a Student Club 

What do improv and hammocks have in common? Not much, really, except that they are two out of the roughly 400 clubs and organizations at OSU. From water polo to philosophy, or amateur radio to aeronautics, there are many ways to connect with students.

Take Wanda Crannell, for example. Wanda is the faculty advisor to two student organizations on campus — MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) and SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). Wanda, who has advised MANRRS for 16 years and SACNAS for seven years, says that the favorite part of her role is getting to know the students and “watching our students grow, graduate and become successful,” both in and out of the classroom.

“We are very proud of our 94% graduation rates for our chapter members,” she said. From leading workshops on resume building and research skills to empowering students to do the same for their peers, Wanda is delighted when students learn from each other to be better employees and future supervisors and leaders.

Want to advise a student organization? Find a sponsored or voluntary club that interests you and reach out to see if the members are looking for an advisor.