Pastorally - connections online in our Pastor's Corner or Community Life engages students and gathers all students in a place of growth, prayer, and contemplation for each other, the wider university, and the world. It's a different way of creating community of prayer and love for our students. These sites will be actively moderated to foster a culture of respect and empathy.
Short term: These sites will continue to be updated bi-monthly for our students to be able to connect prayer needs with students and alumni in real time. I hope to speak with students regularly to establish mechanisms for regular feedback from students and participants to continually adapt and refine your program to meet their evolving needs.
Long term: I think it could be a great organizational benefit to having a designated communications person who could truly investing in technologies that facilitate online engagement. Without that person, I hope to hone and develop more interactive content that encourages participation and reflection. This could include collaborative prayer meetings or meditation sessions, live-streaming prayer sessions, creating interactive online retreats, or developing a mobile app that offers daily contemplative practices.
STUCO - In the same vein, Stuco does a good job of reaching out to students in hospitality and grace. They have shown this by sending care packages of bee and butterfly seeds that in help us be more faithful stewards of God's earth. Students can simple place the postcard on the ground the seeds will be planted. They also help grow community through Advent and Lenten community playlists and activities. The student council continually builds community in August with events and fun activities and builds this through the year in online meetings where all students are welcomed. https://moodle.dbq.edu/course/view.php?id=9752
Stuco continually welcomes feedback both by email or in person, and is active in providing both online and in person evaluations and surveys to better their programs and student-focused arenas. They are willing to stretch and try new things or get rid of things that do not work. (I sent surveys to L. Ward by email).