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Strategies to engage and respond to student activists

1 in 10 Incoming freshmen in 2015 are expect to protest while on campus—an all-time high. While concerns about student safety and institutional risk are paramount, Student Affairs Forum research found that student affairs divisions are seeking a positive, student-centered approach to addressing activism on campus. Student affairs administrators can facilitate dialogues on tough issues with the greater student body by rethinking current engagement efforts.

This toolkit—a supplement to our related study—will help guide your institution’s thoughtful, student-centered response to student activism.

The toolkit contains a combined 10 worksheets, guides, templates, and more. You can browse the full toolkit or access each tool individually.

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Tool 1: Campus Activism Intel Audit

Today’s activists use many channels-online and in-person-to communicate about the issues they care about and to plan for protests, demonstrations, and other forms of campus activism. Use this audit to assess what activism-related information you should look or listen for, where you might learn this information, and how you should act on this information.

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Tool 2: Activism Education Worksheet

When faced with a period of unrest, institutions must strike a delicate balance between keeping the campus safe while also teaching students to be responsible activists. Today’s students are often interested in learning how to be more effective advocates for change on their campuses and in their communities, but they may not be prepared for the possible risks and repercussions. Engaging students early allows institutions to build stronger relationships with activists and gain a better understanding of their motivations.

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Tool 3: Sample Resume Builder Language

Students invest significant time, energy, and passion into activism, which can have adverse effects on personal health or academic performance. However, activism can also be a valuable experience for students as they learn new skills and are inspired to future action. To help students recognize the skills that they might gain through their involvement with activism, you can add language about specific skills and competencies to your existing resume builder tools and career development resources on campus.

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Tool 4: Pre-Event Conversation Guide

Before a protest, demonstration, or potentially controversial event on campus, staff and administrators often talk to students about what to expect. However, these conversations are inconsistent from person to person, lack focus, and may not align with the institution’s mission. Especially for new professionals or graduate assistants, this can be an intimidating and confusing conversation.

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Tool 5: Just-in-Time Resource Template

While it is ideal to reach students before they mobilize, students who are currently activating on campus might need just-in-time information to understand their rights and responsibilities, and what to expect from their institution’s response. Use this template to gather and develop the content for a just-in-time resource that you can easily adapt for specific groups of students or events on campus.

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Tool 6: Proactive Roundtable Discussion Program Guide

When navigating potential hot-button issues on campus, it is important to know the pulse of the greater student body. Use these guiding questions to identify existing opportunities for student-administrator discussions on campus and to maximize these interactions with students to gain valuable activism-related intel.

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Tool 7: Frontline Staff FAQ Template

Answering questions about campus activism from external stakeholders can be difficult for university personnel who are not immersed in responding to campus activists. To help frontline staff answer difficult questions, use this template to develop a FAQ (or cheat sheet) with key information and talking points.

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Tool 8: Alumni Comment Tracker

A significant crisis or controversy on campus can draw an influx of attention from external constituencies, including alumni. While receiving such a high volume of interest and feedback can be overwhelming, having an organized approach to cataloging alumni comments can be useful.

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Tool 9: Demand Triage Worksheet

There are some common characteristics of students’ demands that can prevent or slow change and make it easier to dismiss them outright. It is important to consider the underlying concerns of students’ demands and try to determine next steps the institution can take to address these concerns. Use this worksheet to transform a demand into a clear root concern.

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Tool 10: Post-Event Debrief Guide

After there is an outburst of activism on campus, first responders need to debrief the immediate next steps and longer-term concerns and considerations. This guide has three components that can easily be adapted to different scenarios.

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