As of this semester, the administration has approved allowing students to receive full convocation credit if they attend two club convos during the semester. Introduced to campus approximately three years ago as three small pilot groups, student-led club convocations have grown exponentially since the initial pilot group’s success.
According to Director of Convocation Sarah Jaggard, the increase in participation for student-led club convos has caused a shift in the direction of convocation. “Student-led club convos far outnumber the staff and faculty-led convos,” Jaggard said. After students began approaching Jaggard and asking for opportunities to lead club convos, she created a proposal to prove the effectiveness of student-led groups versus staff and faculty-led groups. She then submitted it to the administration and created three student-led pilot groups. The following semester increased to nine groups. Once the application to lead a club convo was opened up to the entire student body last year, the number grew to 55. There are 71 student-led groups and 18 staff/faculty groups this semester.
The growth of club convos has many benefits for both the convocation program and students. Jaggard highlighted the variety of events that are offered as convocation, such as Celebration Chapel, God in the Wildnerness and the Veritas Forum. She explained how student-led convocations add to this diversity, allowing an intimate outlet for participants to grow spiritually.
Since the student-led convo pilot groups began, the Convocation Office has collected surveys that have shown club convo members saying their group experience has positively aided in the development of their faith.
“Just as people are diverse in how they learn, people are also diverse in how they grow spiritually,” Jaggard said. “I really like the fact that there are so many different types of programs for students.”
The collected surveys were a major influence in whether or not to implement the new club convo rule. Within the surveys, many students asked if they could attend two clubs. Jaggard noted the importance of feedback when deciding what curriculum alterations need to be made.
In the past, Jaggard said administration was hesitant to give credit for participation in two club convos in order to promote student attendance at a variety of convo events. But the rosters from club convo leaders showed that students were attending multiple groups even though they did not receive credit for both. “That spoke volumes to me,” Jaggard said.
The Convocation Office’s purpose statement for club convo is: “To create a discussion-based small group environment that offers the building of personal relationships through Christ-centered dialogue.” According to the surveys, students feel their participation in a club convo builds a sense of community that larger convocations lack. “It can get a lot deeper when you have the same consistent group week after week,” said senior Skylar Wortman, who leads the Relationship IQ Convo: What About Sex?.
Through surveys and discussions, Jaggard and Pepperdine administration quickly realized how well student-led convos established community. “I don’t think it’s any secret that here at Pepperdine, students tend to have a difficult time connecting and getting that sense of belonging,” Jaggard said. Club convos have helped students alleviate feelings of loneliness by establishing weekly times to connect.
“When there’s 10 to 15 students, you want to participate and you want to be in the group for the sake of the whole,” Wortman said.
The variety of club convocations offers students an opportunity to participate in ones that spark their interest, such as the “How to Date the Best” convo. Junior Patrick Ramos said his reason for joining this is, “My rocky dating past. Leader junior Daniel Chang is a shining example of what gentlemen are supposed to be.” Ramos also attends another club convo for his fraternity.
While convo groups help establish community and develop faith, they are also a helpful tool for managing crowds at alternative events. Increased involvement in student-led groups will hopefully help control the long lines and limited space for events that take place in small classrooms. The more students who participate in groups, the less stress there will be regarding these issues. Between faculty, staff and student-led groups, the Convocation Office says there are almost 100 club convo groups on campus.
There are benefits to attending both student-led and staff and faculty-led club convos. Faculty offer a professional insight into topics, such as the C.S. Lewis themed convos last semester, which received positive feedback from all who participated.
As the new convocation regulations state, Jaggard said any student can fill out an application within the first few weeks of a new semester to lead a club convo. The Convocation Office treats all applicants the same, and they choose to approve the groups based on the quality of the content.
Students must turn in two letters of recommendation, along with an extensive paper on what they will cover and what questions will be discussed over the course of the semester. They must also attend a group orientation session and continually update their attendance lists.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Follow Katrina Kirsch on Twitter: @Katrina_Kirsch
As published in the Feb. 13 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
