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Bonner Congress - Guides

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Front Page / Bonner Program Resources / Bonner Student Leadership / Bonner Congress / Guides

 

Bonner Congress


Overview  |  Guides  |  Campus Examples  |  Documents to Download



 
 


Recruiting and Selecting Your Bonner Congress Representatives 


 

Recruitment

It is important that the recruitment process effectively explains the expectations of a Bonner Congress Representative. Please see below for suggested methods:

  • Post a brief description of the Congress Representative role and expectations.
  • Refer students in your program to the Bonner Congress section of the wiki or Bonner Congress Student Handbook to learn more about the history and structure of Bonner Congress. 
  • Talk about the role of a Congress Representative at Bonner Orientation. 
  • Provide examples of past Ideas to Action projects both from your campus as well as campuses around the network.
  • Invite past Bonner Congress Representatives to share their experience. This can be done by having the past Congress Reps share in person at your Bonner Program meetings or write a testimony of their experience. 

 

Selection

Have an application process that ensures input from staff and students. We suggest the Congress Representative application coincides with the application process of your BLT. See below for a suggested application process:

 

  • Step 1 — Application: Require students to submit an essay or written application that includes a list of proposed goals or projects for their time as a Congress Representative. Having a written application is an easy way to clearly outline the expectations of a Congress Representative and create a fair opportunity for all to apply. The applications can be as long as you like but keep in mind that you and others will have to reserve the time to read them all. Written applications are also an opportunity for students who are less comfortable with interviews to take the time to articulate their thoughts. Please see Campus Examples for examples of Bonner Congress Representative applications from around the network. 

 

  • Step 2 — Select Candidates to Interview: Have a team of students and staff evaluate and select the top candidates from the application pool to be interviewed. Interviews are an excellent way to gain further insight into a student’s abilities and interest in the position. Furthermore, it offers applicants the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the position. It is a best practice to include current Bonner Congress Representatives and BLT members in the crafting of interview questions as well as assisting in conducting the interviews themselves. It is also helpful to establish a rating scale that interviewers can complete after each interview in order to have a uniform assessment process. Please see the campus examples section below for sample interview questions.

 

  • Step 3 — Select Congress Representatives:  The selection process for Bonner Congress Representatives can be broken down into three different processes. 
    • Voting: Voting can be a great way to ensure that student voice is captured and uplifted. Have the candidates that you have already vetted through a written application and interview deliver a speech to the Bonner program as a whole about why they feel they would be best suited for the position. Voting is then conducted either by paper ballots or later that evening with an online poll.
    • Appointment: Appointment entails Bonner coordinators and directors along with whomever was apart of the interview process to vote internally on whom should be given the position. 
    • Combination of Voting and Appointment: Some schools practice a combination of voting and appointment. For example, at the Carson Newman University Bonner Program has students apply through a written application and sit through an interview. Then the interviewers select two candidates per position to give speeches during a All-Group Bonner meeting. To ensure that the voting does not dissolve into a popularity contest, Carson-Newman coordinators and directors make it clear that they will certainly deeply take into consideration the popular vote but that they have the final say in who is selected.

 


Outlining the Role


Involvement in Bonner Leadership Team

The Bonner Congress Representative role is a leadership role on the national level. They will be expected to be able to articulate the strengths and places of growth within your program to the national network at conferences such as Bonner Congress and the Summer Leadership Institute. Therefore, is it highly suggested that your Congress Representatives hold a seat on your Bonner Leadership Team. Such a seat will ensure a clear communication chain between initiatives happening at a national level and programmatic changes happening within your program.

 

Proposed Annual Calendar of Bonner Congress Responsibilities

 

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

August 
  • Bonner Leadership Team (BLT) Orientation 
  • Meet one-on-one with your Congress Representatives to discuss semester/year goals
  • Brainstorm proposals for your campus' Ideas to Action Project
January 
  • BLT Meeting: Talk Ideas to Action strategy for the Spring 
 
September
  • BLT Meeting
  • Register your Bonner Congress Representatives for Bonner Congress
  • Encourage your Congress Representatives to submit a workshop for Bonner Congress 
  • Meet with Congress Representatives to discuss ways that Ideas to Action can align with program and campus-wide goals.
  • Select your campus' Ideas to Action Project: Congress Representatives should craft ways to garner the entire program’s input.
  • Congress Representatives submit Ideas to Action proposal to the Foundation
February 
  • BLT Meeting: Discuss progress report  
  • Bonner Advisory Board (BAB) application made available
October 
  • BLT Meeting
  • Meet with Congress Representatives to ensure that your Congress Representatives are prepared for Bonner Congress
  • Bonner Congress Occurs
  • Debrief with BLT and Coordinators/Directors
  • Debrief to all Bonner Program 
March 
  • BLT Meeting 
  • Begin Application process for Incoming Bonner Congress Representatives and BLT members

 

November 
  • BLT Meeting: Talk next steps for the Ideas to Action Project 
 April
  • BLT Meeting: Review the previous year's Student Annual Report, Talk visioning for the upcoming year, Discuss Student Annual Report (with Ideas to Action components) 
  • Meet one-on-one with your Congress Representatives to review the goals set back in August
  • Register your Congress Representatives for SLI
  • Encourage your Congress Representatives to submit a workshop for SLI
  • Student Annual Reports due 
  • BAB Applications Due
December 
  • BLT Meeting
  • BAB and the Foundation Open Office Hours
May 
  • Meet with Congress Representatives prepare for SLI 
    June 
  • Attend Summer Leadership Institute  

 


Ideas to Action: Annual Bonner Congress Project 


One of the largest responsibilities of the Bonner Congress Representative role is to create, facilitate, and administer an Ideas to Action initiative on your campus. Ideas to Action is a student-led initiative that aims to better your Bonner program, campus, or local community. Congress Representatives work with program staff and student leadership to select the topic, develop it at Bonner Congress, and then implement it upon returning to campus. 

 

The 4 Phases of Ideas to Action

 

Many times Bonner Congress Representatives have difficulties creating their Ideas to Action Projects. Such difficulties can include lack of support, resources and organization. The 4 Phases were created to give the Ideas to Action process structure, and to give representatives and administrators specific tasks to complete in order to have a successful project. It it also important to keep in mind that the 4 Phases can be used for other student-led initiatives on campus, not just the Ideas to Action. 

 

1. Forming and Creating Awareness

This first phase is about developing a basic idea for a student-led initiative. It is essential during this phase to brainstorm, make connections, and coordinate with others at your institution. Help others around you understand why the Ideas to Action is important and how they might be able to be involved. Meet with your coordinator and director, the BLT, and the program at large before selecting your initiative. Understand the vision for your program and consider ways that the Ideas to Action project can align. 

 

2. Goal Setting and Accountability

During this phase, you should create an action plan. Consider what is feasible to accomplish within a year’s time. Prior to attending Bonner Congress, each Representative is responsible for completing an Ideas to Action proposal. The Ideas to Action proposals inform the programming during Bonner Congress as well as the support the Bonner Foundation provides throughout the year. It is expected that Congress Representatives attend Bonner Congress able to articulate the goal of their Ideas to Action project and are prepared to develop and strategize an action plan among Congress Representatives from around the network. 

 

3. Taking Action

This phase is where you will implement your Ideas to Action initiative based on your goals that were created in the previous phases. This phases requires strong communication with program staff and your Bonner Program as a whole. Upon returning from Bonner Congress it is critical that Congress Representatives debrief all that they learned at Bonner Congress and share the next steps for the Ideas to Action project. As a way to remain connected to the national Bonner network, the Bonner Advisory Board will be following up with and offering resources and assistance to Congress Representatives throughout this phase. 

 

4. Assessment and Sustainability 

This phase allows Congress Representatives, administrators, and other supporters to reflect on the actions taken on behalf of Ideas to Action. This type of reflection should occur at the end of each semester. At the end of the Spring semester, Congress Representatives will complete a final year end Student Annual Report with the Bonner Leadership Team, which includes a segment reflecting on Ideas to Action. This information will be used to inform the programming for the Bonner Congress Tracks during SLI.

 

Don't be afraid to make changes to the 4 Phases process. The phases are meant to be used as a guideline, but ultimately you should tailor them to your program's timeline and needs.

 

Ideas to Action Reporting

 

Student Annual Report

This report is designed to provide student leaders with an outlet to assess the strengths and challenges of their Bonner Program throughout the academic year. It is intended to be completed by the Bonner Leadership Team. A section of the Student Annual Report is always reserved to address the Ideas to Action Project. It is the hope that this report can uplift the successes and learned outcomes of the Ideas to Action from across the network. The Foundation uses the information collected to inform the content of the Bonner Congress Track sessions that occur during the Summer Leadership Institute. 

 


Administrator Support to Bonner Congress Representatives 


Facilitate Leadership: Have Congress Representatives sit on your Bonner Leadership Team. They are representatives of your institutions at national conferences, so they should have an impactful role with the leadership team. This will also give them institutional support as they implement their Ideas to Action initiative and create accountability. 

 

Brainstorm: Brainstorming with your leadership team and your Congress Representatives is one of the best ways to identify and develop ideas. Brainstorming would give everyone on your leadership team instant endorsement for his or her ideas through the momentum of enthusiasm. Congress Representatives can use the brainstorming session(s) to begin developing your Ideas to Action initiative. Consider finding ways to align the Ideas to Action with the goals of your campus and center. 

 

Encourage: Everyone has down days and weeks. Everyone has projects that drag and goals that seem to fall by the wayside. You should support Congress Representatives when they need guidance and motivation, or have other concerns. By knowing the motivations of your Congress Representatives, you as administrator can provide genuine encouragement. Bi-weekly meetings with Congress Representatives are an excellent way to offer continuous support and accountability. 

 

Monitor: You should make sure Congress Representatives are complying with the Bonner Congress’s Handbook by establishing benchmarks to evaluate the impact of the Ideas to Action current roles and their performance. Encourage Congress Representatives to keep detailed records of everything relating to the Ideas to Action so that you do not have to recreate this information each time you begin a new project, instead you can just identify areas to improve. 

 

Evaluate: We highly suggest that you developed a sample evaluation to assess the effectiveness of your campus' Ideas to Action Project. Develop regular points to check in with both Congress Representatives to see how they are progressing. Additionally, it is good practice to do a mid-point evaluation to make sure that everyone is on track. Again, do not fall for the “no news is good news” assumption.

 


Foundation Support to Bonner Congress Representatives


The Bonner Advisory Board (BAB)

Launched in 2009, the Bonner Advisory Board (BAB) is a cohort of current Bonner student leaders that give their voice to the Bonner Network. BAB members oversee Bonner Congress and work with the Bonner Foundation throughout the year to provide input on programs and policies. The Bonner Advisory Board looks for Bonner students who have attended at least one national meeting (SLI or Bonner Congress), have leadership experience on campus, and embrace the vision and mission of the Bonner Program. During their full year of service, accepted members oversee the national meetings, participate in monthly conference calls with the Bonner Foundation staff, and facilitate other Network initiatives such as the Ideas to Action project.

 

One to the primary responsibilities of the BAB is to support Congress Representatives as they implement their Ideas to Action. During Congress, the BAB designs and facilitates Ideas to Action workshop sessions. These sessions include brainstorming activities, resource assessment, long term and short term goal setting, and implementation planning. 

 

Congress Communication 

Bonner Weekly 

The Bonner Weekly Newsletter is sent to all Bonner Program coordinators, directors, and students. Any Bonner staff, student, or national partner can submit a request to have certain opportunities shared with the network. In order to include an item on the week's Bonner Weekly Newsletter, just email Sam, Bonner Foundation Program Associate, at sam@bonner.org. The weekly newsletter is a direct channel of communication featuring:

  • Foundation Updates
  • Bonner Network News
  • Meetings
  • Resources
  • Opportunities

 

Social Media Outlets

  • Facebook: Bonner Love
  • Twitter: BonnerNetwork
  • Instagram: Bonnerlove
  • Snapchat: BonnerNetwork 

 


BWBRS Tracking and Communication


The Bonner Foundation uses BWBRS to send email updates to program staff and students, including from your Bonner Leadership Team who also serve as Bonner Congress Representatives.  See this step-by-step guide for Identifying Bonners in Leadership Roles in BWBRS.