Pass The Torch

Pass the Torch seeks to offer a formalized structure for Wesleyan student groups undergoing board position changes at the end of every academic year in order to facilitate student leadership development, student group effectiveness, and the retainment of institutional memory across academic year transitions. Wesleyan’s on-campus student groups, while being great resources for affinity and organizing, run the risk of dissolving when there is not attention paid to leadership and management for every year. Amazing student groups have become inactive across Wesleyan’s history simply because of gaps within leadership and management, and this presents an even larger difficulty for maintaining legacy and longevity within important missions of community-building and resource distribution.

Pass the Torch is a program made up of a series of workshops that both facilitate the passing down of knowledge from current leaders to newly elected leaders, as well as explains the process of attaining resources and services from on-campus offices and committees. These workshops will include information about funding (different funding bodies, contracts, reimbursements, etc.); event planning (including understanding the process, finding the right space, planning with timelines, etc.); and learning the importance of developing a successful transition plan for future leaders.

Attending these workshops will not only expedite the event planning process for student groups during the academic year, but will also offer the following benefits:

• Your student group will receive 1:1 assistance on the re-registration process and be ready to go before you come back to campus in the Fall!
• Your student group will be given time and space to meet with incoming leadership and learn the specifics of certain leadership positions, as well as set goals and refine mission statements for the next year.
• Your student group will have the chance to network with other student organizations as well as campus departments that offer support for reaching your goals.

Pass the Torch is a collaboration between OSI and WSA's Community Committee (CoCo).