Student Risk Symposium
(4.0 - 6.0 hours)

A broader dialogue on risk management that engages students in problem analysis, empowering them to move beyond a traditional risk management session and create strategic initiatives that respond to what needs to change in their community.

The primary barrier to student or organization engagement in proactive risk management efforts can be attributed to the way the topic has been approached. Rules, policies and a litany of “thou shalt nots” have remained the focus of many risk management programs and resources provided to chapter leadership. This approach has made it difficult to get chapter members on board with proactive efforts and challenging leadership to present as a necessary priority of operations.

As students, you can take the lead in re-conceptualizing risk management. Take the conversation beyond policies and compliance and into the shades of gray presented by ethics, values congruence and responsibility.

Reframing risk management in the language of caring for the community, honor, integrity and values will allow participants to rise above policy and compliance to integrate innovative risk management standards. This future focused dialogue sure to provide guidance for your community as you tackle one of the most difficult areas of organization operations.

Student leaders will come together to:

  • Recognize that successful risk management will only come from within the organization and be successful only through framing efforts with an emphasis on values and responsibilities to the greater community;

  • Conduct a Problem Analysis of their community;

  • Identify specific strategies for creating a risk conscious environment in your organization; and

  • Approach the management of risk from a commitment to care approach.

Student Risk Reduction Workshop
(1.5 hour)

An abbreviated version of the Student Risk Symposium. This session focuses on engaging students in problem analysis, empowering them to move beyond a traditional risk management session.

Student leaders will come together to:

  • Recognize that successful risk management will only come from within the organization and be successful only through framing efforts with an emphasis on values and responsibilities to the greater community;

  • Identify specific strategies for creating a risk conscious environment in your organization; and

  • Approach the management of risk from a commitment to care approach.

The Community Voice: An Introduction to the Realities of Bystander Behavior

(1.5 - 2.0 hours)

This presentation or workshop challenges students to find their voice and not stand by when the values of their organization are not reflected in actions or voices of individuals, chapters or campus communities. Using the principles of Bystander Intervention as a foundation the facilitator empowers participants to find their voice by accepting their responsibility to act as positive members of their organization, community or chapter. Recognizing the real barriers as identified in Bystander research that prevent individuals or leadership from speaking up, students develop the skills needed to act. This is a critical conversation to focus on creating a community of care.

This dynamic program will empower participants to:

  • Articulate the importance of moving through all the stages of intervention in order to bring about change, focusing on the final two stages of Bystander Intervention: Stage 3–Feel Responsible for Solving the Problem & Stage 4–Possessing the Necessary Skills to Act;

  • Challenge themselves and their community to feel responsible for acting when behaviors or incidents are not aligned with values; and

  • Learn about successful intervention strategies that will provide opportunities to respectfully and effectively intervene and provide the opportunity to de-escalate challenging situations.

Removing Barriers to Action: Bystander Intervention

(2.0 hour interactive workshop) Portions of this workshop can be added to any other workshop or extended program if the client desires.

This program examines how communities can use collective knowledge of why people choose to not intervene as well as strategies for empowering leadership, members and community members to act. By establishing intentional efforts to remove the barriers to action you can increase the probability that organizations will mitigate the impact of bystander behavior. This is a critical conversation to have as we set out to intervene in hazing and other high-risk behaviors on the college campus.

It is not enough to tell individuals to not be bystanders. We must create environments that empower individuals to act. Faculty, staff, students and volunteers that work with organizations would be welcomed to join in this dynamic program that will empower participants to:

  • Utilize the identified barriers to action to evaluate organization environment in order to identify where barriers can be reduced and people can be empowered to ACT;

  • Design organization operations/systems as well as basic informational programs in such a way as to remove barriers to action;

  • Create initiatives to communicate what behaviors your organization/ community sees as a problem and wants individuals to take action against; and

  • Design strategically developed training to create an environment that empowers individuals to act.

Empowerment not Fear: The Right Approach to Welcoming New Members Into Your Community
(1.25 - 1.5 hour session)

Research tells us Fraternity & Sorority Communities are the highest-risk populations on today’s college campuses. This program is designed to teach chapter leaders how to develop a community program that engages new members in a meaningful conversation about their rights and responsibilities in this high-risk environment. Facilitator will provide tips on how to use both national and available institutional data to challenge new members to embrace not only their rights as new members but also their responsibilities. 

Participants will learn how to provide a reality-based description of the current fraternity/sorority experience as well as what a healthy experience looks like. Students will also learn how to empower new members to make choices that reduce personal risk while upholding the values of their perspective chapters.  Content will be provided on the following issues: hazing, alcohol and other drugs as well as sexual assault.  

This workshop can be utilized for new member educators, recruitment officers, council leaders  or a specific chapter that is seeking to improve their new member education process.