Student Engagement Through A Communal Refrigerator
As more residence halls cater to the luxury demands of their students by offering private rooms, private bathrooms and private kitchens, the opportunities for informal moments of engagement and/or learning can decline. Research done by Donald Markwell, George Kuh and Vincent Tinto back up this claim by revealing that… “Opportunities for students to come together outside formal […]
Make a Campus Food Service Person Smile, Change the Whole Campus Culture
I occasionally glanced over to watch the school’s food service lady smile and laugh by herself, off to the side, throughout my Dance Floor Theory training at Queensborough Community College. Her smile and laugh both seemed so genuine. It almost felt like I was secretly looking into a moment she was having with her best […]
4 Tips To Impress Your Community Members With Handwritten Notes
Last week, the community manager of YEC sent me this letter (pictured below) via snail mail. The sad reality is that my first reaction was that it must be a computer generated note because the YEC has at least 1000 members and there’s no way one person would handwrite a note this long for every […]
The Ideal Ice Breakers for New Members
No, not that kind! [Image from Hersheys.com] Last night I was facilitating a meeting for a group of business owners who recently joined an entrepreneur’s organization here in NYC. Since they were all new members, we did several activities to connect them together and find common bonds because, as we say in Dance Floor Theory, […]
Turning Energy into Action at New Student Orientation Programs
This past Thursday I was working with UMass – Boston on their newly formed Investiture for first year students. It’s a tradition they are hoping to continue on for many years to come. I’m a huge fan of their efforts since it’s a great way to set the tone for the year as well as […]
Dance Floor Theory on Facebook
In Dance Floor Theory™ we outline four steps it takes for a student leader to move a group from a “bad dance” to a “good dance.” They are… Introduce Yourself Introduce People To Each Other Make Small Relevant Groups Get Out Of The Way As more schools and student groups build an online presence for […]
Random Acts on Campus
Sometimes it’s the actions where we expect nothing in return that give the greatest value. Jennifer Foster of Florence, AZ was visiting Times Square with her husband on Nov. 14 when they saw a shoeless man asking for change. She writes, “Right when I was about to approach, one of your officers came up behind […]
I Got DFT’ed…And I Didn’t Like It.
Last week I was part of a panel discussion for TiE on the New York startup scene. I was invited to talk about my experience as both a TechStars Alumnus and founder of Red Rover and AlumniChoose. Before the event officially started, everyone was casually networking around the room. At one point, a lady popped […]
We’ve Moved…(Our Blog)
In an effort to consolidate the powers of the universe under one roof (and so our heads don’t explode from trying to double post every time our creative juices are flowing) we moved our writing of new content over to the AlumniChoose Blog > blog.alumnichoose.org. Come join us, the water’s warm. – Tom & The […]
Give $10 Get $20 (& Be A Student Leader Champion)
One month ago, we opened the digital doors of AlumniChoose.org and instantly student leaders and advisors from across the country saw how valuable AC was for helping raise funds for their club/org projects and trips. From attending the ASGA National Conference to bringing fresh water to Peru to building homes in New Orleans, we currently […]