• GOAL SYSTEM
• How the Goal System Works
• Listing of University-Mission Events
• How to Write a SMART Goal

GOAL SYSTEM

The system requires groups wishing to be recognized for the upcoming year to set goals. The number of goals set is determined by whether the group would like to be considered for office space and funding.

If a group would like to be “Affiliated,” meaning that the group would not be eligible for funding or office space, they would set three (3) goals. Two (2) of those goals would be organization related with the third goal in support of the University mission.

If a group would like to be “Supported,” meaning that the group would be eligible for funding and office space, they would set six (6) goals. Four (4) of those goals would be organization related and the final two (2) goals in support of the University mission.

The Student Activities Office will provide a listing of events/activities that will satisfy the University goal requirement. Activities will include participating in both fall/spring Block Party, nominating a king or queen for Homecoming, having members participate in Lion Community Outreach Day, submitting nominations for the NUMAS, etc.

Groups will submit their goals to the Student Activities Office in the no later than the last Friday in September and no earlier than three weeks prior to the end of the spring semester. Goals must be submitted on the “Goal System Sheet” provided by the Student Activities Office.

At the end of each year, the groups will submit a report of which goals that they met. (See attached.) The Student Activities Office will review the originally-submitted goals and compare them to the listing of goals accomplished by year end. At this point, a determination would be made as to whether the group would be recognized for the upcoming year and how much funding the group should receive.

If a goal did not come to fruition, i.e. a lack of funding prevented them from attending a conference that they had submitted as a goal, the group could submit a replacement goal to the Student Activities Office.

How the Goal System Works

1. Groups will submit the “Goal Form” for the beginning of the year. Listed below are samples of goals:

ABC group wants to be Affiliated. They submit the following goals to the Student Activities Office:

1. Host two (2) events each semester- ORGANIZATION GOAL
2. Volunteer 30 hours for the year in community service- ORGANIZATION GOAL
3. Attend both fall and spring Block Parties- UNIVERSITY GOAL

CDE group wants to be Supported. They submit the following goals to the Student Activities Office:

1. Host three (3) events each semester- ORGANIZATION GOAL
2. Attend one (1) conference- ORGANIZATION GOAL
3. Plan one (1) retreat each semester- ORGANIZATION GOAL
4. Volunteer 30 hours for the year in community service- ORGANIZATION GOAL
5. Fifty percent of membership will participate in Lion Community Outreach Day- UNIVERSITY GOAL
6. Majority of members attend majority of basketball games- UNIVERSITY GOAL

2. At the end of the year at renewal time, groups wishing to be considered for recognition for the upcoming academic year, would submit the “Goal Recap Form.”

3. Goals will be tracked on the honor system. For example, a submitted goal at the beginning of the year is, “A majority of members will attend Midnight Madness.” At the end of the year when it is time to recap accomplished goals, the group will not need to submit documentation that they were present at the event.

There are certainly instances for which the Student Activities Office will be able to verify if the goal was met. For example, if a group submitted on the Goal Recap Form that they fielded an Intramural team, but there is no record of this by the Student Activities Office, this goal will be null and void.

Listing of University-Mission Events

The following events or activities would satisfy the University-mission goal requirement for the Goal System:

1. Attending any event related to the five SAO-sponsored Weeks of Welcome
2. Fielding a team that participates in Intramural Sports for the entire season
3. Attending any Season of Entertainment event
4. Attending any UA Fort Smith athletics event, i.e. attending a volleyball game
5. Attending any Homecoming event
6. Nominating a King or Queen candidate for Homecoming
7. Attending any event sponsored by a recognized UA Fort Smith student organization
8. Attending any job fair sponsored by UA Fort Smith Career Services
9. Fielding a team that participates in Lion Community Outreach Day
10. Attending both fall and spring Block Parties
11. Attending the NUMAS
12. Submitting nominations for the NUMAS
13. Donating blood at a blood drive
14. Hosting a booth at the Haunted Union
15. Electing and having an active Student Senate representative

How to Write a SMART Goal

The SMART goal-writing method accepted by the Student Activities Office. If goals are not SMART, they will be returned to the student organization for editing. The information below is from www.topachievement.com from Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything.”

What is a SMART goal? SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible.

Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:

• Who: Who is involved?
• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Where: Identify a location.
• When: Establish a time frame.
• Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
• Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would say, "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week."

Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

Tangible - A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible, or when you tie an tangible goal to a intangible goal, you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

Intangible goals are your goals for the internal changes required to reach more tangible goals. They are the personality characteristics and the behavior patterns you must develop to pave the way to success in your career or for reaching some other long-term goal. Since intangible goals are vital for improving your effectiveness, give close attention to tangible ways for measuring them.