the legacy project

 

Senioritis. The inevitable virus plaguing students in their final year at school. We make a lot of excuses for these students, and have come to expect less from them. But, now knowing what I know about motivation has helped me to understand how we can maximize their talents. They are our most mature and  knowledgeable group of students, so it would be a waste to lower our standards and let them slide. And truthfully, if approached in the right way, they don't want to be left to let slide either. So here is the idea. The Legacy Project...

Depending on when you execute this depends on how involved your students can be in the selection of their project. I will be piloting this year with a second year graduate student, and for this pilot year I have selected three projects in which she gets to choose from. However, the ideal would be involving the student(s) from the beginning so that by the time they get to their final year/semester they have outlined a project proposal based on their understanding of the office or department. Here are a few things to keep in mind as it relates to what makes a legacy project...

• The senior(s) should be matched with a younger and involved staff member. The younger staff member wouldn't play a huge role in the creation and design efforts of the project. They mainly serve as a sounding board of which to bounce off ideas. You need to be savvy with the younger leader's role. Essentially having them involved gains investment from a key player to ensure the projected is implemented. That being said, they need to be involved enough that they care, but not too much that it becomes their project.
• The project is meant to leave a legacy of the person or group behind. Therefore it is very ideation, creation and design focused as opposed to implementation focused. So for instance, in my case I chose three components of the staff experience that are currently failing and have a lot of efficiency holes, and the legacy project will be design a new strategy or approach to revamp or fix the current problem. Maybe an example will help bring a little more clarity. One of the options I am offering is fixing the staff communication channels and information sharing among staff throughout the summer. 
• The supervisor/advisor expectations should be detailed, and I recommend the use of deadlines. While most of our seniors are beyond needing someone else to set their deadlines, I will tell you why I encourage them. With all the others cultural experiences that  run parallel to senior year like the job search or graduate school application process and the many events our seniors have to celebrate the end of their time in school, deadlines will be appreciated by the student(s). I would include the following in the outline of components for the final product...
• An overview of the idea(s) or methods(s) chosen
• The people that will need to be involved in the implementation
• A facilitator guide or publication that anyone could use to execute the plans no matter their involvement or lack their of in the planning stages
• Prototypes of assessments that will be used to measure efficiency
• A budget
• If necessary they should be thinking forward like a three year roll out, ie. year one looks like this, then add this component in year two, etc.

• The more they include in the final materials the better. Remember they will be gone after the finish the project so it has to be detailed enough that anyone could pick up a guide or materials and be able to implement. The final product should be presented to a group of staff and students, and should serve as a celebration of the hard work that went into the project.

• The focus should be on the individual's exploration of self and how they illustrate that in their work. I would recommend that either you or someone identified as the adviser or supervisor be available to meet about the project. It doesn't have to be very often, but when meeting the focus should be on progress and then mainly on how they are exploring their niche or who they are as a professional through the completion of the project.

Ok now that I have explained how to do this, here is the kicker...why it works! The science behind motivation essentially identifies three main things that drive people: autonomy, mastery and purpose. The legacy project is a perfect example of how one's search for purpose can be channeled and utilized to improve programs, services or staffing work environments. Purpose is driving many retirees to start their own businesses, "now they have the time to do what they like" and many of these businesses are people oriented with the idea of helping or advising. Much like the many retiring baby boomers are becoming a new crop of entrepreneurs in today's business, senior students are in a place where they are reflecting on what they have contributed to their campus or organization and in a prime place to turn that curiosity into product. They want to leave something behind that will be in existence when they come back. Ok, one last plug for the student development theorists.  We know that our senior level students are most capable when it comes to designing these intricate initiatives due to their developed critical thinking skills. The exploration of self and emphasis on leaving a legacy, challenges them to think in the higher levels of moral and identity development. Through process and reflection, this serves as a unique way to challenge our most mature group of students, and should yield a high return on investment.