8

Campus Life Problem: Empowering and Delegating

Situation. Alexa Berke has been involved with her campus’s student service organization for two years

helping with various activities. Last week, the advisor for the Students with Disabilities office, Janet Liu,

approached her to ask if she would be interested in heading up the university’s Disability Awareness Week

(DAW) this year. Overwhelmed, but anxious to try out her newly learned management skills, she accepts.

It is now Monday afternoon, and she is flipping through last year’s DAW binder of notes. Janet wants Alexa

to increase total student participation in DAW activities this year as well as to encourage all volunteers to

continue working with the Students with Disabilities office. It is up to Alexa to plan the volunteer

committees and organize the events in such a way that these two goals are accomplished.

Resources. Janet gave Alexa a list of volunteers, some who worked in various capacities on last year’s

DAW, some who regularly volunteer for other events, and some first-time volunteers. She also gave her a

schedule of last year’s events.

List of Volunteers Last Year’s Events

Doug Chia (Junior; one of the committee chairs

for multicultural week last year; his strength is

organization)

All Week—booths on campus

Monday—wheelchair basketball

tournament

Tuesday—guest speaker

Natasha Tartonne (Sophomore; worked on the

DAW benefit concert committee last year; very

outgoing)

Wednesday—lead dog showcase

Thursday—play by deaf

performance group

Friday—benefit concert

Eliott Littlefield (Senior; regularly volunteers for

campus events but doesn’t like to take charge)

Oscar Hillett (Sophomore; participant in last

year’s DAW wheelchair race; first-time volunteer;

seems reluctant)

Saturday—5 k wheelchair race