The West Virginia University Presidential Student Ambassadors Summit II was held at Blaney House in March 2023. The 40 student attendees and 15 administrators again were divided into three focus groups: recruitment, retention, and reinvigoration. Specifically, the objectives were to (1) To discuss present recruitment or retention or reinvigoration activities/events that should be continued at WVU, and (2) To suggest new initiatives to aid in recruitment or retention or reinvigoration of WVU students.
A special thank you to our Host, President E. Gordon Gee; Summit II PSA Coordinator, Jillian Blair; and PSA Focus Group Co-Chairs: Laasya Chennuru, Zachary Ellis, Lucas Graham, Katilyn Hepler, Alexandra Watson, and Lauren Sexton,
As noted in the Premise Document prepared by PSA Michael DiBacco:
As a WVU affiliated, service-leadership organization, the mission of the Presidential Student Ambassadors program is to promote the values and ideals of West Virginia University by cultivating a campus environment rooted in leadership, service, inclusivity, and academic excellence. Because of our commitment to creating positive change within our campus community, it is proposed that in the Spring of 2023, members from each of its cohorts collaborate to organize the Focus on Gen Z Summit: an opportunity for students to meet with faculty and university officials to discuss issues affecting the university community. These concerns are categorized under one of three “R’s”: Retention, Recruitment, and Reinvigoration. This year, particular emphasis will be placed on the health, safety, and well-being of students, as addressing these concerns is crucial to establishing a robust and thriving student body.
These words encompass many important aspects of the Mountaineer journey. By bolstering our recruitment efforts and expanding our outreach, we can continue to attract incoming classes of passionate, selfless students who will embody the University’s mission. Retention can be broadly interpreted and is meant to include any concerns which may help increase feelings of security, access, inclusivity, and representation within the student body. Finally, by working to render positive change from the pandemic’s ongoing challenges to both our institutions and our mental health, we can emerge from this crisis stronger, utilizing hard-won lessons to emphasize our shared purpose and shared strength as Mountaineers.
The summit is a joint effort between the student body and the administration. It has been proposed that after a brief mid-day discussion between PSAs assigned to certain topical concerns, university representatives can join the discussion to fine-tune suggestions that students may have, analyzing the feasibility of ideas and developing concrete action plans for their implementation. Later in the day, the groups will convene and share their findings, thus creating a united front of initiatives aimed at reaffirming the values that make WVU outstanding. We want this summit to serve as an optimistic, yet honest, dialogue between students and the administration so that both parties can leave with highly impactful, practical methods to create change. It is our vision to continue using this summit format as a blueprint for ideological cross-pollination within the University community.