Most students around campus have heard of student advisory boards, but not many can actually tell you what they do or how to become a part of them. At the end of last semester, new elections were held to elect the new presidents of the Cook-Cole College Student Advisory Board, and the College of Business and Economics Student Advisory Board.
Logan Stigall, junior Psychology major, and Stuart Paykel, senior Finance and Real Estate concentration, are the newly elected presidents. Stigall is a peer mentor for Psychology, the secretary for Kappa Delta, the vice-chair of Conduct Board and is in the Honors Psychology fraternity. Meanwhile, Paykel is a member of the Honors College, a member of Sigma Pi Epsion, a member of the Business Honors fraternity Beta Gamma Sigma and is also an NCAA tutor for any business class.
Recently, both Stigall and Paykel sat down and answered the same questions. Their goals were to determine what both boards do and to note if there are any similarities between the two boards.
Stigall, president of the Cook-Cole College Student Advisory Board, explained that their board is sometimes affectionately known as CASSAB or College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Board. She then went on to explain that CASSAB works as a medium between the students and the dean, who is currently Charles Ross.
Paykel, president of the College of Business Student Advisory Board, explained that the board works with the Alumni Association frequently. He said, “We work together with the alumni board a lot to put real situations together for students.” The College of Business Student Advisory Board presents events called Executive-in-Residence, where the business school brings in top CEOs to speak to Longwood students about business opportunities after college.
“We work closely with our advisor [Assistant Dean for the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences] Joanna Baker ... She sits in on all of our meetings and helps relay messages to the dean [Ross],” Stigall mentioned, when asked how work is done on CASS- AB. Any advisory board is there to listen to any concerns that the students have and any changes they would like see, according to Stigall.
The current president has been on CASSAB since fall 2012. She helped explain the types of events that the board currently puts on, including the Student Alumni networking event where CASSAB works with the Academic Career and Advising Center. It is an event where alumni come, and there are tables set up to represent different majors. Stigall went on to say, “It’s a chance for students to come and talk to the alumni and talk to them about what they are doing within their major.”
Paykel made it known that the advisory board works with “the business world in the outside to bring real life business situations to Longwood students.” As president, Paykel would like to work more with the alumni advisory board and do more with marketing; he showed interest in working with Lancer Productions and doing “some co-things with them,” including marketing aspects.
The comment boxes that CASSAB has in all the Cook-Cole academic buildings are going to get a revamp to make them more noticeable. Stigall mentioned that the number one issue that they have heard in years past is the limited key card access to Wygal after hours for musical students to practice later in the night. Another popular comment found was extending the library hours past midnight.
Both advisory boards will soon be taking applications. CASSAB will be taking applications for majors that are not currently represented. If you are interested in applying, and you are in Cook-Cole, ask your department chair if the advisory board is looking for your specific major. You need a GPA of 2.5 or higher for CASSAB, with two letters of recommendation, as well as a completed application. For the CBE Advisory Board, you need a GPA of 3.0 or higher in your major.
Paykel explained, “You have to actually have an interview, a board style interview.” In order to become a member of the board, your fate is determined by a vote. In the interview, types of questions would be focused on the business school as well as business in general.
Student advisory boards are part of Longwood’s four year goal to mold every student into a citizen leader. Stigall described a leader as “someone who goes out of their way to help improve Longwood but who doesn’t expect praise. Being a citizen leader is something you can never achieve fully.”
Paykel said a “citizen leader is someone who is willing to put in the time after 9-5 [and is] willing to take someone under their wing and someone who isn’t asking for praise.”