Learning to Lead Together
An effective officer orientation balances team building with learning Society information and new responsibilities. It's a time for advisors and outgoing officers to impart a sense of responsibility and esprit de corps that will carry the chapter to a successful year.
Schedule a weekend, or at least one full day, for the orientation. Select a location that will be both comfortable and productive. Incoming officers, outgoing officers and chapter advisors should attend. Consider the following elements when creating the agenda for your officer orientation.
History and Mission
An important first topic in the orientation
program should be history and the mission of Phi
Theta Kappa. Presenting a brief history of the
Society helps the new officers understand
the fundamentals on which the organization is
based and gives a sense of purpose to the
chapter's activities.
Communication
Discuss methods of chapter communication
such as email, phone trees, newsletters and your
chapter's website. Establish a plan for using these
methods to effectively relay information about
chapter projects and events to your members,
and for regular communication among the
leadership team. Outline a schedule for chapter
and officer meetings.
Officer Responsibilities
Help each new officer understand their role and
duties as outlined in your chapter bylaws. Each
outgoing officer should review the responsibilities
with his or her successor. By the end of the
orientation each officer should be able to recognize
how their contributions will affect the success of
the chapter.
Phi Theta Kappa Programs
Conduct an overview of Society Programs
using the materials provided in the Chapter
Resource Packet. Make the information more
pertinent by providing examples of how your
chapter participates in the programs. Additional
information can be printed from the Phi Theta
Kappa website and provided to each officer.
Leadership and Team Building
Include lessons from the Phi Theta Kappa
Leadership Development Studies in the
orientation. Important leadership topics for
chapter officers include team building, goal
setting, and empowering groups. Invite a college
faculty member certified as a Leadership
Development Studies Instructor to facilitate
the leadership training if a certified advisor
is not available.
Chapter Planning
With information about Phi Theta Kappa
programs fresh in the officers' minds, the
orientation is a great time to begin planning
for a successful year. Using the Five Star
Chapter Development Program as a guide, start
working through the goal setting process. In
many ways the officer orientation will lay
a strong foundation for an effective year.
