Convocation 2007 Survey Results

Please rate the following aspect of convocation: Quality of Content

Please rate the following aspect of convocation: Relevance of Content to Your Role at Wilkes

Please rate the following aspect of convocation: Video

Please rate the following aspect of convocation: Introduction of New Administrators

Please rate the following aspect of convocation: Duration of Event

How well do you understand the university’s strategic initiatives for the year?

Has convocation helped clarify your role in ensuring the success of Wilkes’ strategic initiatives?

What is your overall impression of the direction Wilkes University?

Rank each of the following purposes of a university convocation: Review of Past Year

Rank each of the following purposes of a university convocation: Profile of New and Ongoing Initiatives

Rank each of the following purposes of a university convocation: Fellowship

Rank each of the following purposes of a university convocation: Generate Enthusiasm For Starting the Year

Top Two Choices for a Convocation Format:

Comments: A bit more staff orientated would be nice. The faculty undoubtedly deserves all the accolades which they receive, however I do feel like the staff is underrepresented and under appreciated. After all it is the staff which makes the day to day operations of this campus feasible and attainable. Extend the work of the convocation to the unit/department level with appropriate activities to help employees connect their work to the strategy of the University. Allow for submission of questions prior to the event to allow for more in depth and prepared responses.

Comments: Stop wasting money and time with these dog and pony shows. Put the money into enhancing salaries, programs and infrastructure. The time spent by the facilities people in setting up and attending the event is better spent getting the dorms ready for students. The food is unnecessary and expensive. Just invite everyone to an hour meeting with an informational agenda that is short on rhetoric. Feel good speeches and MTV TYPE PRESENTATIONS WITH HORRIBLE, LOUD MUSIC, are not appreciated. All we want is sincerity, honesty and brevity. If you seriously listen to your faculty and staff this message will come through quite clearly. I enjoyed hearing from the new cabinet members, and the video was very good, but somehow I felt that energy was lacking this year. I am not sure why, since there was a lot of good news and I am excited about the new administrators.

Comments: Include students so whole community shares the start of the new year. Foremost, please do not use outdated uncomfortable chairs that may break at a moment's notice then have everyone sit for hours uncomfortably during a drawn out non-interactive presentation. Convocation should be fun and lively. You should leave stimulated and ready to do your part in moving the campus to the next level. Although it's important to meet the new leadership team, the way it was done was extremely boring. Hearing a few new employees have a lengthy speech about themselves is uncreative. It's best to take into account the average attention span. Thanks for listening! It would also be nice to have a representative from the board of trustees to speak and answer questions.

Comments: Have more comfortable chairs next time. I really enjoyed the format that we had this year compared to the ones in the past. I would like to have more of these types of convocations in the future. I like the idea of bringing together the entire Wilkes gang to kick-off the new school year. I prefer this year's format which was not too long, gave everyone a chance to hear from Wilkes leaders, overview of the coming year's goals and a question and answer session.

Comments: I thought that this year’s convocation was well organized and presented information that was necessary for the University community. In other words, many of the components for a good convocation were in place, however, I felt there was a real lack of energy and enthusiasm compared to previous years from both the audience and the cabinet. I think maybe there was a delivery or execution problem. I just wasn't sold on the messages that were being delivered. This was especially important this year as we have a brand new cabinet that no one really knows yet.

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