The document outlines a proposed solution to improve the effectiveness of site-based teams at Stetson University. It involved creating site- and issue-based teams to provide more structured leadership opportunities for students, achieve better student development outcomes, and increase capacity building and impact at community partner sites. The proposed model includes identifying strategic community partners, establishing pathways for student leadership roles at each site, implementing assessment and check-in structures for the teams, and engaging additional faculty and staff support.

1. Improving the Effectiveness
of Site and Issue Teams
Kevin Winchell and Savannah-Jane
Griffin
Stetson University

2. Learning Outcomes
• Learn best-practices for
implementing issue/site-based
teams
• Identify structured upper-class
positions for issue/site-based
teams
• Obtain tools that can be used to
enhance issue/site-based teams

3. Check In
• What community
partner management
structure do you
currently have in place?
• How do you currently
place your students at
sites?

4. Challenges at Stetson
• Few, non-structured opportunities
• Students not achieving
development outcomes
• Student retention at sites
• Lack of Capacity Building and
Impact
• Partner Volunteer Management
overload
• More quantity than quality of
partners

5. Solution at Stetson
High-Impact Retreat (2013):
Create site- and issue-based teams

6. Quality over
Quantity
(“strategic
allocation of
resources”)
Clear expectations,
accountability
measures, and
“push”/challenge to
our students and
partners
Site-(orientation Based Teams
+
language + contract
+ plan)
Site/Partner Buy-In
Capacity Building
Sustainability
Higher-skilled
Volunteers
Faculty Buy-In
Utilizing their
Discipline
Helps P & T
Skills, Training &
Knowledge
Components
(students = t&e,
faculty = workshops)
Student Buy-In
Career Development
Skill Development
Academic
Development
Volunteer, Site
Leadership, Site
Research
Opportunities
Resource
Development
Grants
Institutional
Faculty Emeriti
Inputs

7. Step 1: Identify Community Partners
Partner
Review
• Tier
Partner
ships
• Traditio
nal vs
Strategi
c
Site Visits
• MOU
• Capacit
y
Buildin
g Form
• Partner
Needs
Assess
Partner
Retreat
• Needs
Assess
ment
• SWOT
Analysis
• Experti
se

8. Tier Partnerships
• Core Concept - Differing Levels with
increasing Roles/Responsibilities
• Business Model – Lower/Upper Tiers
• Defining Expectations
• Reciprocity
• Strategic/Planned Approach to
Partnership

9. Community Partner Review Process

10. Traditional vs. Strategic
Traditional Partnership Strategic Partnership
Individually driven or top-down
leadership
Intentional leadership actions
Organizationally circumstantial Tied to institutional goals or
strategies
Creates first-order change Creates second-order change
Builds on status quo Capacity building
Discrete and static partnership
capital
Dynamic and blended partnership
capital
Technical communication: distinct Multidisciplinary vocabulary
Loose and small social networks not
always tied to the partnership
Dense and central networks tied to
partnership; thinking community

11. Question 1:
What is one of your strategic partnerships that could be a
site-based team?

12. Step 2:
Pathways for
progressive
advancement
at sites

13. Site
Leader (1)
Project /Program
Leaders (2-4)
Specialists
(Temporary or Permanent)
Regular Volunteers (4-8)
Occasional Volunteers
(classes, days of service, res halls, student
orgs, athletic teams)
• Can be Bonners or
non-Bonners
• Promotes long-term
sustainability and
student development
• Allows temporary
course-based students
to “plug-in” to
structure
• Reduces “supervision
overload” of site’s
paid staff
• Long-Term: Can insert
a Faculty Fellow
or VISTA
Site-Based Team Model

14. Potential Responsibilities for Team
Leader
• Work with the partner to identify volunteer opportunities that are
appropriate for students and that meet legitimate site/community
needs – including one-time, regular, and internship opportunities
• Create position descriptions for each volunteer position
• Ensure the recruitment, retention, orientation, training, and
supervision of student volunteers
• Lead regular team meetings for all regular volunteers at your
partner site
• Manage the volunteer schedule
• Serve as primary liaison between the site and the CCE
• Develop and/or implement any necessary assessments to
determine student learning and community impact outcomes
• Work with the partner to identify and develop additional resources
that support the partner’s mission/goals (i.e., build capacity)
• Assist with the recruitment and selection of new student
leadership for the following academic year

15. Potential Positions on Teams
• Site Leader
• Assessment Coordinator
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Marketing Coordinator
• Office Manager
• Grant Writer
• Fundraising Coordinator
• Training Coordinator
• Community-Based Research
• Policy Research
• Database Coordinator
• Program Developer
• Others that are specific to your site?
All positions
should help
“build the
capacity” of the
organization!

16. Sample Org Chart for Team
Site Team Leader
Program Leader 1
Regular Volunteer 1
Regular Volunteer 2
Regular Volunteer 3
Program Leader 2
Regular Volunteer 1
Regular Volunteer 2
Program Leader 3
Regular Volunteer 1
Regular Volunteer 2
Project Specialists Occasional
Volunteers

17. Question 2:
What student volunteer positions could exist at your partnership site?
What would that org chart look like?

18. Step 3:
Assessment
and Check-In
Structures

19. Assessment & Check-In Structures
• Initial training and orientation for team
members
• Pre/Post survey of regular student volunteers
and sites that ties in with your outcomes
• Monthly progress reports by student site leaders
that ties in with your outcomes
• Monthly one-to-ones
– Staff with site leaders
– Site leaders with student volunteers
• Monthly site-based team meetings

20. Question 3:
What are some ways that you could assess the performance of
the site-based team that you designed?

21. Step 4: Additional Layers of
Faculty and Staff Support

22. Additional Faculty and Staff Support
Faculty Staff
Long-Term
Faculty Fellows at
sites
(aligning academic
discipline with site
characteristics)
Embedded VISTAs at
sites
Short-Term
Individual
community-engaged
learning or
community-based
research courses at
sites
Individual student
affairs or co-curricular
programs
at sites

23. Question 4:
Who are some faculty or staff who could provide additional support to your site-based
team?

24. Thanks!
Savannah-Jane Griffin