Monday November 5th 2007 was the one and only chance for students to voice their opinion on football to the feasibility committee that will make a yes or no decision on adding football to the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Department. This forum was held just like the other two, for faculty/staff and alumni. Students had an opportunity to sit in small groups, discussing the details surrounding why or why not UNC Charlotte should add football.
As in the last two forums, 98% of everyone that attended was pro-football. Almost unanimous support for Charlotte 49er football at all of the forums has been the standard voice at each of the three occasions. Most notably at the student forum was the lack of attendance. Only about 25 students attended when several hundreds of students were invited.
Emails were sent to the presidents of most every organization on campus, as well as greek life and athletics. Random students were chosen based on the demographic composition of the university and those students were sent emails. Freshmen were told repeatedly of the forum during summer orientation sessions. Yet the majority of the students that attended were involved in SGA, the Charlotte Football Initiative-Students (dedicated to bringing football to Charlotte), or both.
What can account for the low student turnout when every student’s complaint about UNC Charlotte centers around the lack of football in their college experience?
Publicity.
8,299 students voted in the SGA football poll held during Spring 2007, setting records across the state for student turnout in an SGA vote and quantifying the overwhelming demand that students have for football. But the turnout was a result of massive banners and signs being placed everywhere, weeks in advance… building anticipation of the poll.
Faculty/Staff will respond to email. Alumni will respond to email. Students will not.
That is the lesson learned. Having been told that no additional publicity other than the emails would be necessary, I think that SGA will need to step up in the future to publicize events like this. In SGA we are constantly approached by everyone to help publicize events and we reiterate that we are not a publicity board. But we’ll use better discretion in the future on what to publicize. Deciding when student attendance can potentially change the future of our university.
We’ve learned that email is not the best way to publicize. Nothing is better than good ol’ fashioned signs and print media.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hi,
I’m new! Any news?