OACS Update

Posted by Eileen Remley on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 in News Blurbs.

Fall Weekend of Service

Still seeking projects and volunteers! The Fall Weekend of Service provides an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to engage with the Nashville community through service projects with local nonprofits and community partners. Service projects throughout Nashville will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 9th-11^th, and together will make a meaningful impact with our local community.

Register a project here!

Service Leaders Conference

On Monday, August 22nd, 80+ student service leaders gathered at the Nelson Andrews Leadership Center for OACS’s annual Service Leaders Conference (SLC) where, together with OACS staff, they reflected and prepared with a renewed focus on meaningful community engagement. The SLC is an annual program planned by OACS which provides service leaders with the tools and resources that they need to lead their organizations effectively in the upcoming school year. Conference sessions included eDOG training, OACS resources for service (vehicle, Pcard, and space reservations), service organization policy review (fundraising, AcFee, marketing, recruitment), an overview of service-learning pedagogy, travel and risk management review, and protection of minors training. This year students reported overwhelming satisfaction with the conference:

OACS looks forward to another successful year of community engagement through direct service and issue awareness. Thank you to our service leaders for their leadership and commitment to providing their Vanderbilt peers with opportunities to engage with local, national and international communities!

Service Organization Fair

OACS is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2016 Student Service Organization Fair. Each year, representatives from more than 60 service-based student organizations come together to share about their partnerships with the local community, recruit new members, and promote participation in the Fall Weekend of Service (September 9-11). This year’s fair will take place on Wednesday, September 7 in Sarratt Student Center from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Light refreshments will be provided.

Student organizations advised by OACS may register for the fair here.

Constitution Week

Constitution Day is observed each year on September 17 (or the closest weekday to that date) to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.” Vanderbilt University will once again observe Constitution Day with a week of engaging panel discussions, performances, voter registration drives, and more during the week of Sept. 12 – 16. Join the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen – and maybe pick up your own copy of a pocket Constitution – by attending a Constitution Week event!

Constitution Week Events

• Monday, Sept. 12 – Is America Really Great?
  • A discussion hosted by the Multicultural Leadership Council
  • 8:00 – 9:00 PM
  • Venue to be confirmed
• Thursday, Sept. 15 – A Living Constitution?
  • Hosted by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service and the Department of Political Science
  • Guest speaker Dr. Carrie Russell
  • 3:30 – 4:30 pm
  • Rand 308
• Thursday, Sept. 15 – Who’s Constitution is it?
  • Hosted by the BCC and OACS
  • Guest speaker Vice Chancellor David Williams. Facilitated by Damonta Morgan.
  • 5:00 – 6:00 PM
  • Commons Multi-purpose Room (MPR)
• Friday, Sept. 16 – Violence and Marginalization in the US
  • Hosted by LGBTQI
  • 3:30 to 5:30 pm
  • SLC Board of Trust Room
• Friday, Sept. 16 – Constitution Reading
  • Hosted by the Dean of the Commons
  • Time to be confirmed
  • Venue to be confirmed

 OACS Student Advisory Board

The Office of Active Citizenship and Service invites students of all undergraduate class years to apply for the OACS Advisory Board at https://anchorlink.vanderbilt.edu/form/start/105249. Applications are due Friday, Sept. 2.

The OACS Student Advisory Board exists to ensure that programs and services offered by the office meet student needs and provide opportunities for student leadership development.  The Board is a platform from which students can apply their expertise and inform OACS programming to be student-centered while meeting the strategic goals and mission of the office. The Board is comprised of approximately eight student leaders (at least two from each undergraduate class year) and two sub-committees – Active Citizenship and Service.

Please contact Meagan Smith with any questions about the OACS Advisory Board at meagan.smith@vanderbilt.edu.