Educational Resource Materials


Del has presented educational sessions at the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities National Convention, Regional Conferences, National Advisers' Institute, and Summer Leadership Workshops, and at the National Association of Campus Activities National Convention and Regional Conferences. He has presented at numerous Leadership Workshops and Student Activities Retreats at campuses across the country, and also numerous district and state Student Government Association conferences. He is one of the most frequently published authors in the field of student activities, and has published nearly eighty articles and columns in Programming, Student Activities Journal, and Campus Activities magazines.

Del is a contributor to The Student Affairs Collective, available here. Take a moment to check it out, and if you find it useful you should subscribe free, either by the email link or with your RSS Reader. This blog features some of the best in Student Affairs and Student Activities sharing ideas and insight. Poke around and search back through past issues, too, and you'll find a wealth of great information.

To learn more about bringing Del to your Campus or Conference to present Leadership Development Programs, Click here.

To learn more about bringing Del to your Campus or Conference to present Student Activities Development Programs, Click here.

Here are the handouts and summaries from many of Del's educational sessions, along with his magazine articles. They require Acrobat Reader to view and print.

Leadership Development Articles

  • Leading With Integrity
    It's perhaps the most difficult challenge facing any potential leader. Leading with Integrity is the most important role you play. 

  • Nine Ways to Increase Attendance at your Leadership Development Programs
    Are you looking to get more students to attend your Leadership Development programs? Here are some proven methods to get students there! 

  • Five Rules For Great Leadership
    Here are five rules you can apply to yourself to help you become a great leader. 

  • How To Get Stuff Done!
    If you sometimes-- or always-- feel overwhelmed with your duties and tasks, this can help. 

  • Better Campus Elections
    Have trouble getting students to vote? These suggestions may increase your voter turnout and participation! 




  • DIY Surveys with Google Docs
    One of the little-known attributes of Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) is that you can use it to create and compile surveys. And, the price is right-- it's free. If you are tired of the restrictions on Surveymonkey, Survey Console, and Zoomerang, then this session is your solution.  

  • Motivating Your Members
    All leaders have to find a way to motivate their members in order to lead.  If you are looking for motivational ideas, check out this article. 

  • Avoiding Burn-Out
    Learn to recognize burnout in yourself, and some simple steps to regain the joy in your life and work.

  • Setting Goals
    Achievement at both the personal and organizational level is keenly linked to goal setting. But what are goals, really? And how do you set them? 

  • The Art of Delegation
    How do you get things done-- and accomplish your goals-- without burning yourself out? Learn how to delegate duties and responsibilities to others within your organization. 

  • Interpersonal Skills
    How you are perceived by others is determined completely by your interpersonal skills.  This article will help you understand your interpersonal skills, and help you to make a great first impression. 

  • Building Campus Community
    Everyone wants to feel like a part of a community. It's so important, it's probably in your college mission. But how do you create a sense of community?

  • Conflict Resolution
    Do all of your members play well together? Do they all get along-- or is there frequent infighting and arguing? Check this article on conflict resolution. 

  • Effective Time Management
    You don't have enough time to get it all done... but it all has to be done on time.  Learn how to manage your time wisely, and accomplish more than you think! 

  • An Alternative to Robert's Rules
    Do you hate "Robert's Rules Of Order," but have no alternative? Consider consensus. 

  • Using The Five Whys
    Here is a method developed by Dr. Sakichi Toyota to discover the core purpose or reason. It's great for creating goals or a mission statement. 

  • Embracing Technology: Rushing Headlong Into the 21st Century
    As your students become more dependent on contemporary technology, it's more important than ever that Student Activities personnel understand and utilize it. Here are some tips to bring you along. 

  • Writing a Contemporary Mission Statement
    The traditional mission statement explains what an organizaiton does. The contemporary mission statement defines Why an organization does. 

  • The Power of a Retreat
    Need to do some team building and teach your new board members how to do their job? One effective answer is the Board Retreat. Look here for some good advice on getting the most from your retreat. 

  • Being a Better Leader for your Organization
    It's the beginning of the academic year. Being a better leader should be your "New Year's Resolution!" 

  • Effective Program Board Meetings
    "I hate meetings!" Does that sound like your board members? Unfortunately, meetings are a necessity. If your campus activity board members hate to meet, then it's time to do something altogether different. 

  • Presenting a Leadership Conference
    A Leadership Conference can inspire your students to higher goals, stimulate new leaders, and expand your programs into cocurricular education. Here is some advice for putting your leadership conference together. 

  • Recruiting New Members for Your Organization
    Here is a clearly defined method for recruiting new members for your organization. You've got to have them, or your organization will perish!
  • Student Activities Articles

  • Elements of a Marketing Campaign
    Jeff Foote (SUNY Cobleskill) drafted this simple diagram of a successful promotional campaign on campus. Choose the right elements, and you can succeed at spreading the word far and wide! 

  • How To Get Stuff Done!
    If you sometimes-- or always-- feel overwhelmed with your duties and tasks, this can help. 

  • Budget Cutting: Presenting Programs Inexpensively
    Surprise! Your budget has been slashed. Need some new ideas for keeping the doors open and the students busy? Check out this article. 

  • Marketing Your Events With Snapchat
    If you're on Snapchat, you should check these ideas out. 

  • More Ways to Market Your Events With Snapchat
    Here are a few more Snapchat strategies for you to try. 

  • DIY Surveys with Google Docs
    One of the little-known attributes of Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) is that you can use it to create and compile surveys. Want to know what kind of programs to present, or when to present them? Do a free survey!  

  • Blockbuster Event Promotion
    Here are some great ideas for promoting your campus events. Sometimes the difference between a huge crowd and small crowd is just a little bit of working smarter, not harder!  

  • Promotion Without A Budget
    This article contains many inexpensive or free ways to promote the concerts and other programs you present on campus. Check out all these great ideas for drawing a crowd. 

  • Incorporating Student Activities into Community Service
    Use your skills in producing entertainment programs and events to enhance and improve a community service program. You can often make an existing program even more effective by adding entertainment.  

  • Branding Your Board
    It works for Victoria's Secret, McDonalds, and Nike. You must create a brand for your board! 

  • Learning Reconsidered: A New Direction in Student Activities
    Since the publication of Learning Reconsidered by NASPA and APCA, Student Development has taken a different turn. Read about the most important reassessment of Student Life in two decades, and how it will affect Student Activities. 

  • Fifty Low Cost Program Ideas
    It started out with the ambitious goal of soliciting 50 low-cost program ideas in a little less than an hour. Fifty minutes later, the delegates at the APCA National Advisors' Summit in Las Vegas had suggested 91 ideas! This is a link to the Student Affairs Blog post. 

  • Embracing Technology in Student Activities: Rushing Headlong Into the 21st Century
    As your students become more dependent on contemporary technology, it's more important than ever that Student Activities personnel understand and utilize it. Here are some tips to bring you along. 

  • The Power of a Retreat
    Need to do some team building and teach your new board members how to do their job? One effective answer is the Board Retreat. Look here for some good advice on getting the most from your retreat. 

  • Presenting Shows The Right Way
    The "little things" can make all the difference when you present events on your campus

  • Building a High Powered Program Board
    Here are some ideas about Names, Structure, Officers, and Responsibilities for your Programming Board.  Includes Time Management, Timelines, Forms, and Conflict Resolution , plus some ideas about Branding and Marketing for your Programming Board

  • Getting the Most from the Conference: Planning Ahead Makes a Difference
    Getting ready for a conference means not wasting time or money. Here's how to get the most out of any programming conference. 

  • Being a Better Leader for your Campus Activities Board
    It's the beginning of the academic year. Being a better leader should be your "New Year's Resolution!" 

  • Effective Program Board Meetings
    "I hate meetings!" Does that sound like your board members? Unfortunately, meetings are a necessity. If your campus activity board members hate to meet, then it's time to do something altogether different. 

  • Building and Maintaining a (GREAT) Coffeehouse Series
    If you're considering starting a Coffeehouse Series on your campus, or if you want to make your series even better, then take a look at this great information. 

  • Cafeteria Shows: Making the Best of a Bad Situation
    Performers tend to dislike cafeteria shows because they are generally produced so poorly. Here is a step-by-step approach to change your "cafeteria gigs" into "Dinner Theater." 

  • Bigger Crowds and Better Shows: Planning
    Planning is simply following a plan to become and stay organized. And being organized gives you the freedom to be creative. Here's one way to get your act together. 

  • Bigger Crowds and Better Shows: Scheduling
    There is more to scheduling than just booking acts and events. Here are some ideas for putting together a balanced and appropriate schedule for your campus. 

  • Campus Collaboration: Integrating the College Mission into Programming
    Student Activities can truly be the key to campus collaboration with mission-based programming. 

  • Contracts and Riders 101
    Baffled by the volumes of contracts sent to you by agents? Overwhelmed by the band's rider that asks for things you can't deliver (like alcohol) or seemingly foolish requests (like no brown M&M's...). This article can help you make sense of it all! Disclaimer: the author is not an attorney, and will not offer legal advice! But he will help you understand which items in a contract are negotiable and which items are "deal breakers!" 

  • Try Some New Promotional Concepts
    This article explains some basic advertising concepts that you can use to promote the programs you present on campus. This may be the answer to your promotional questions! 

  • Residencies: Getting the most from Artists
    If you're looking for a way to pull your campus community together, then consider an Artist-In-Residence. By presenting multiple shows, you can reach out to the campus and community, and reach different audiences. You will also generate a positive image for your school and your programs. 

  • Programming for a Commuter Campus
    It may be the biggest challenge in the field of Student Activities: programming for a commuter campus. It's like having a student body of gypsies or nomads. Sometimes they're around; sometimes they're not. What can you do? 

  • Family Friendly Programs
    As non-traditional students become a major population on college campuses, programming boards are facing a new paradigm in activities. Family Friendly programs may provide one solution to meeting the needs of these students. 

  • Creative Uses for Small Acts: Take Your Show to the Audience
    Can't get your students to attend your programs? Maybe you should take the programs to your students! Here are some innovative ideas to utilize those less-expensive and easily-produced acts on your campus. 

  • Get Me to the Show On Time: Being a Traveling College Performer in a Post-September 11 World
    Getting to your gigs can be stressful. Here are some helpful hints from the pros to make travel easier! 

  • Staying Healthy On The Road
    Here is some good advice for keeping healthy as a traveling musician. 

  • Campus Event Form
    Here is a comprehensive form to help you produce your campus events. It's designed to cover every aspect of each show, and you're welcome to customize it to your campus needs.
  • Game Show Templates for PowerPoint

  • TV Games Shows
    These templates are for creating your own version of your favorite TV game shows! Included are "Jeopardy!", "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?", "Are Your Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?", "Hollywood Squares", and more. Some of them even include the musical themes and sound effects! They are large compressed files, so you have to download them and then "unzip" or "unstuff" them. They are a great way to add some fun to your training programs, and can be fun, low-cost programs for residence halls and program boards.
  • Student Affairs, Higher Ed, and Learning Reconsidered Articles

  • Learning Reconsidered: A New Direction in Student Activities
    This article by Del Suggs covers the importance of Learning Reconsidered to Student Affairs. Since the publication of Learning Reconsidered by NASPA and ACPA, Student Development has taken a different turn. Read about the most important reassessment of Student Life in two decades, and how it will affect Student Activities. 

  • Learning Reconsidered
    This position paper was published in 2004 by NASPA and ACPA. Learning Reconsidered calls for a radical new approach to learning on campus. You can download your own copy of Learning Reconsidered here, and read about Transformative Learning. 

  • Instant Assessment article from Programming magazine
    Here is an article authored by Del Suggs featured in the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Programming magazine. It clearly explains writing learning outcomes, creating online assessment tools, and administering them using QR codes.

  • Writing Student Learning Outcomes
    If you are struggling with drafting Student Learning Outcomes, then check out this article. It's a clear explanation and formula for writing learning outcomes. 

  • Bloom's Taxonomy
    When you create student learning outcomes for your programs and events, you might struggle with the correct action verb. This list from Bloom's Taxonomy will help you get it just right. 

  • CAS Domains
    The student learning outcomes you create for your programs and events will fall under one or more of the six domains of the CAS Standards. CAS is the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, and they have condensed the domains from Learning Reconsidered into an easy to understand chart. Here it is for your use. 

  • Assessment and Student Activities
    Here is a terrific article to help you understand the very basics of assessment in Student Affairs. 

  • Student Learning Outcomes 101
    This a terrific aid for anyone developing student learning outcomes, and it was developed for use by the University of Rhode Island. Highly Recommended! 

  • Keeping Students Engaged
    It may be the biggest ongoing challenge you face in Higher Education.  Students change, the world changes, technology dominates. How do you keep contemporary students engaged?

  • DIY Surveys with Google Docs
    One of the little-known attributes of Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) is that you can use it to create and compile surveys. And, the price is right-- it's free. If you are tired of the restrictions on Surveymonkey, Survey Console, and Zoomerang, then this session is your solution.  

  • Instant Assessment
    How would you like to present a program, then just click a button to review the completed assessment? Sound too good to be true? It's not! This article will teach you to develop easily assessed learning outcomes, create an assessment tool using Google Drive, and discover how to get your students to complete the assessment survey at the event on their cell phones.

  • Avoiding Burn-Out
    Learn to recognize burnout in yourself, and some simple steps to regain the joy in your life and work.

  • Building Campus Community
    Everyone wants to feel like a part of a community. It's so important, it's probably in your college mission. But how do you create a sense of community? Let's  look at ideas to break down the barriers between students, faculty, and staff, and consider creating new traditions to carry the community forward for years to come.

  • Data Don't Drive
    This analysis of the force of statistics in higher education was published in 2005 by the Lumina Foundation. Data Don't Drive considers the volumes of data collected by schools, and calls for a movement away from collecting evidence and towards "a culture of inquiry." That means collecting useful data that can help to enhance student learning. You can download your own copy of Data Don't Drive here. 

  • Student Development Theory "Cheat Sheet"
    This four-page summation of the most widely-recognized theories of student development is a handy summation. It covers Psychosocial Theories, RAcial and Ethnic Identity Developemt, Gender and Sexual Identity Development Cognitive-Structural Theories and Moral Development. Very Handy! n 

  • The Seven Vectors of Student Development
    Dr. Arthur Chickering is a leading researcher in Student Develpment theory, and this article explains very clearly the  Seven Vectors of a college student's development. 

  • Student Development Theory
    If you'd like to learn the basics in "Student Develpment Theory," here is a fine article. Highly Recommended! 

  • Campus Collaboration: Integrating the College Mission into Programming
    Student Activities can truly be the key to campus collaboration with mission-based programming.