Conceptualize. Plan. Gain approval. Execute.
The process for planning an event seems simple enough, but when factoring the scale, frequency and duration of University of Alabama student events, getting from start to finish can be a challenge for the student workers at University Programs.
Autumn Saffore, a senior human environmental sciences major from Niceville, Florida, learned the ins and outs from the deep end. Just a month after starting at UP in July 2018, Saffore was assigned Fright Mania, a Halloween event and her first-ever project.
More than 4,000 students attended Fright Mania in 2018 – UP expected only 1,000 students – and Saffore learned a lesson that has become a theme for UP: expect the unexpected. UP student workers must have the foresight to build actionable contingency plans and be agile enough to pivot to their backups when complications, like inclement weather, arise. Each event has the potential for curveballs, like issues with a venue or vendor, which places an onus on research and preparation, said Eric Robinson, a junior education major from Phenix City and team lead for programming.
“Research follows us everywhere,” Robinson said. “Research helps you avoid making mistakes that you’ve made in the past.”
Research and application are among the many transferable skills UA students gain while working at UP. Solving problems, budgeting and managing time are also core traits for UP workers that are vital in every workforce sector. Even simple and sometimes overlooked traits, like how to properly word business emails and requests, or how to delegate and ask for help, are strengthened and reinforced at UP, Saffore said.
“This job has taught me that I can’t do everything on my own,” she said. “Not asking for help makes you the weakest person on the team, and that sinks the ship. I’ve learned to communicate better when I need help.”
An early impression
Surprisingly, the majority of student workers at University Programs aren’t public relations or hospitality majors. So, their expectations for working at UP, relative to their future careers, aren’t much of a factor. And their lack of applicable classroom knowledge isn’t a detriment, so long as everyone is motivated similarly.
That shared motivation typically begins freshman year, when most UA students first attend a UP event. For Saffore, who lived off campus her freshman year, the events helped her connect with classmates.
Robinson lost his keys at Amazing Race 2.0 during his first semester on campus. A UP employee helped find his keys, and the interaction “kind of stuck with me,” he said. He applied for a position at UP the following semester.
Planning events like Tied with the Tide, Tidechella and Tide After Dark can be exciting, but it’s often the student employees, rather than the event, that leave lasting impressions on the student body, Saffore and Robinson said.
“There was a young man named Michael that used to work here, and I’d see him at every event,” Saffore said. “I’d always ask him if there was anything I could help him with, and he’d say, ‘no … this is my job and I get paid to do this. You’re here to have fun.’ But they looked like they enjoyed their jobs, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Day to day
Clay Hodge, a Russellville native and graduate student in advertising and public relations, has worked at UP for a year and a half. He is executive team lead for communications, where he designs posters and web graphics to promote events.
He’s one of a handful of UP student workers that have been able to marry classwork with UP work.
“I joined UP when I was learning (Adobe) Illustrator and Photoshop,” Hodge said. “So, my classes helped prepare me for this job, and my job helped prepare me for my classes. Both worked together.”
Hodge’s workload varies based on the time of year – Yea, Alabama! Weeks of Welcome make August an incredibly busy month – and could include design work, navigating the university’s brand standards and approval process, or working an event.
Similarly, Saffore has been preparing for three weeks of welcome-back programming that began Aug. 10 with Tied with the Tide events for early move-in. That work includes confirming venues and vendors and handling invoices and supply purchases.
“Confirming spaces is a big deal,” Saffore said. “You can have all your food, decorations and staff, but if your space isn’t confirmed, you don’t have an event.”