Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal INTRODUCTION & HISTORY

Suzelle Serra

As the National Communication Associations honor society, Lambda Pi Etas mission at UNCG is devoted to recognizing outstanding undergraduate students in the Communication Studies Department. Its main goal is to foster student excellence as well as to promote engagement in the Greensboro community. Lambda Pi Eta derives its name from the Aristotles three modes of rhetoric, logos, pathos and ethos meaning logic, emotion and credibility. It was instituted at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1997, and has been active henceforth. Members must meet a series of academic standards including a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0, a 3.25 in the department, as well as being in the top 1/3 of their graduating class and at least Junior standing in the university and more than 12 credit hours in the CST department. Additionally this individual must demonstrate active commitment to the discipline of communication and receive an invitation from the faculty. At UNCG there are currently a total of 22 members, not including possible spring inductees.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Lambda Pi Eta has certainly come a long way since its creation, but like most admirable organizations it is constantly looking to improve itself and promote positive change for progress. In recent years the organization has made conscious steps in this direction. Lambda currently offers several opportunities for members to grow academically, plan towards their professional goals, participate in service, and connect with fellow students and alumni.

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

The last letter in the name of the organization is Eta, which represents credibility; this is one of the primary areas for improvement. Although Lambda Pi Eta is a respected honor society, it is not yet well known in the UNCG community. There is much room for improvement in establishing a unified and clear identity and in a branding, this will allow members to truly be devoted in Lambda Pi Etas mission and showcase to the rest of the university that these members are doing something bigger altogether. It is essential to make it evident to the university that this organization has a clear identity, in what it is, why it exists, and what we do. Another optimal area for growth is within our internal communication. Lambda Pi Eta has already taken an essential first step in the right direction by establishing a tab on blackboard. We have to continue this trend and further improve and increase gateways for members to communicate within Lambda Pi Eta. As members of the age of communication it is our responsibility to utilize all the available resources for proper and effective communication. Exploring the social media avenues should be on the forecast as well as increasing member relationships with each other.

RESEARCH/ RATIONALE In order for these areas for improvements to reach their potential the organization must assemble a plan of action. The recommendations that follow this section will establish a clear series of actions necessary to reach the desired progress within the organization and in regards to its interaction with the larger community. Organizations require action plans because they provide the necessary steps to accomplish the goals and succeed in its endeavors. A detailed plan will also lessen the likelihood of overlooking details and establish realistic expectations. This plan will help increase efficiency and

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

sustainability. It will include the prescribed actions, the people in charge of the actions, the rationale for each, when it is to be implemented and the necessary communication channels to ensure cooperation. Prior to writing this proposal several forms of feedback from constituents was sought and received. The Lambda Pi Eta members are the heart and soul of the organization, without them nothing can be accomplished. Seeking their input allowed this proposal to reflect a wider understanding of how this organization is perceived by its members, to foster involvement and future cooperation in these endeavors, and to understand where the priorities lie according to the members and access interest in different facets of the proposal. Throughout the development of this proposal there will be continuous feedback from the members in order to grow as a cohesive group united towards the greater goal of driving Lambda Pi Eta towards progress. Input from students was gathered in two formats, an online survey via surveymonkey.com that can be found under the data portion of this proposal, and personal conversations during a casual Lambda Pi Eta meeting with 13 attendees. Additional research comes from investigating fellow Lambda Pi Eta websites including Florida State University, Wake Forest University and Elon University, in order to compare their projects to current ones available at UNCG. Although I was not able to find too many similarities, it seemed that our chapter is quite active in comparison, or in the very least the other cites do not provide viewers with many details about their activities. Surveys uncovered a considerable amount of interest in a continuation of the current types of projects currently offered. Over half of the survey total 12 participants

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

stated that they would like to see more social and casual events in order to get to know fellow members by fostering friendships. The survey also uncovered that members have a high level of contentment in the organization. The general consensus was characterized by high appreciation and feelings of honor. A huge advantage for Lambda Pi Eta is that so many of its members are interested in improving their experience and seeing it grow to greater lengths.

DATA/ CHARTS & VISUALS Questions: 1. Length of membership: 75% 2 semesters | 25% 3 semesters 2. Number of perceived member acquaintances: 75% at least 5 | 25% at least 10 3. Events of Interest: 50% Professional workshops & Service Projects | 25% Sport events | 75% Casual/Fellowship event 4. Level of contentment: 100% Very content 5. Additional Suggestions: I wish we had more ways to get to know each other | more service component | Sponsoring a scholarship | We should be known for one major service project that we can be identified with | I feel fine with the infrequency of meetings

RECCOMENDATIONS After reviewing all the most favorable areas for improvement this section details several small steps that will lead towards big change.

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

Establishing Unity & Cohesiveness In order to give Lambda Pi Eta a unified and identifiable presence on campus, members must first grow to know each other and become a team, rather than a group of individuals. Set up casual coffee Lambda Pi Eta times (Lambda Coffee) Designate a coffee time at any of the local coffee shops where per say on Mondays at 3pm members know that they can meet up with other members and or faculty, in order to get to know each other more and talk about classes. This will provide members with a higher level of communication and unified identity. Provide a student based definition of Lambda Pi Eta Create and add a video on the Lambda Pi Eta tab on the CST website that describes who we are and what kinds of activities are available to members. This will provide other CST students with a greater understanding of who we are and what we do, as well as inspire them to aspire to meet the requirements and become involved. Create flyers These flyers would be useful to distribute during CST 300 classes because they are primarily filled with Juniors and some Seniors. These flyers will provide a who for fellow CST majors and possible inductees. Redesign the board in Ferguson Lobby Redesigning this board will provide members with an additional and essential opportunity to work together to serve their own organization. When it is

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

finished it will help promote Lambda Pi Eta as an organization amongst the CST department and with other students in the university.

Adopt a philanthropy unique to LPE This recommendation was originally crafted by a spring 2014 inductee

at the bagels and coffee social. Adopting a service project that is a constant and center throughout the following years is a great way to tie Lambda Pi Eta with the Greensboro community and to establish a clear identity within the university. This will help other students spark conversation about Lambda and our commitment to service in the community. Increase communication & awareness in social media LPE would greatly benefit from the creation of its very own Facebook page. It goes without saying that social media is essential with todays society. A presence amongst the Facebook community will not only increase communication between members and faculty, it will also increase awareness to outside the universitys boundaries. o Additional Logo

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal

Suzelle Serra

SUSTAINABILITY/DELEGATION OF WORK This section describes how the recommendations are best to be implemented in the future. The need for a core group this group can change per project, but there should be a designated few people who take the responsibility of upholding these projects and seeing that others become invested in their goals. This way not all the projects responsibility is on the same group each time, that way members will not become jaded or feel that they cannot lead in projects. These core groups can be assembled through blackboard, allowing for easy contact between members that want to join each project.

REFERENCES: (2013). Communication toolbox. Chapters 2 8 18. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en

Module 2 FINAL Lambda Pi Eta Proposal Questions in Survey:

1. How long have you been a Lambda Pi Eta member?
1 semester 2 semesters 3 semesters 4 semesters or more

Suzelle Serra

2. How many other members do you feel you know?

2 or less at least 5 at least 10 at least half most members

3. In the hopes of increasing involvement in Lambda Pi Eta, what types of events would be interested in?
Service Projects Professional Workshops Sports Events Fellowship (casual friendly meetings) Other

4. Please select your level of contentment as a Lambda Pi Eta member currently?

Extremely content Very content Apathetic Discontent Very Discontent

5. Based on your answer from the previous question, please briefly explain why.