The Hofstra University Office of Event Management welcomes all new readers of the "Eye on Events" E- newsletter! We encourage you to share your ideas and questions. For inquiries and questions about event planning at Hofstra University, contact us in the Office of Event Management for assistance.

The Summer Conference program at Hofstra University began in the 1970's, when then-President James Shuart tried to generate revenues during times when space and other resources were available. This year, Hofstra will host 13,000 guests and 45 different groups from May 28 to August 22. Chris Adams, the Director of the Office of Event Management which oversees the program, explained the reasons that inviting guests to visit the campus benefits the University:

"Where else are we going to get the amount of press coverage and the number of people coming to our campus by hosting programs like New York Special Olympics (NYSO), the NY Jets Training Camp, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), religious conferences, cheerleading camps and all of the others. Many times we meet individuals that are here for the first time. They are welcomed and get to see our students and University staff in action. We roll out the red carpet and we show them what we can do." Some of the very large groups that the University hosts include NYSO and CAJE. The University recently amended a two year agreement to include a third year with NYSO and CAJE has the University on a every four year rotation and have begun to hold a smaller conference at Hofstra as well. "I believe that our success is based on the fact that the groups are very happy working with the Hofstra staff, everyone from Sports Facilities to Hofstra Dining Services, Public Safety and our Conference Services staff. Our facilities are comparable to many other settings that have not been able to generate the interest that we have seen."

Generating income and keeping the campus working are important benefits for the University. The conference schedule is carefully put together working closely with the Plant Department so that the space can be made available and is in the best possible condition. To accommodate necessary renovations, such as roofs, new kitchens and residence hall upgrades, we have to come up with a plan. "We have to maintain our professionalism for our clients and protect the integrity of what the university is trying to do. A cooperative environment with all the different service groups on campus is essential to our success. We want those individuals to feel that they are a very big part of providing a conference environment that our guests need and that we rely heavily on them. We are constantly trying to do innovative things to thank people. This year for the first time we did a welcome luncheon and invited all of the custodial and plant staff to meet them and introduce our staff. We told them about the conference schedule and asked them to talk to us with their problems or concerns. We make sure that we send thank you cards to each individual", said Adams.

Hofstra students are another essential component of the program. Students can work, live on campus and take classes as well. The program provides leadership experience to the participating 55 undergrad and grad students. "I can't think of a better program where people will have tremendous responsibility in their areas, such as being part of the hospitality, check-in, key, quality assurance teams as well as expediting contracts, meeting with clients, giving tours, working with Hofstra Dining Services and other services. Many of our students say that the experience has been invaluable. We really have accomplished a lot and I think that gets lost because we do such a great job and our students and staff make it look seamless! Checking in 2500 Special Olympic athletes and coaches and families in a matter of four hours - you have to come up with one heck of a plan for that! Hofstra Conference Services provides a "one-stop shop" and follows through to make sure that the promises are kept." For more information about the Hofstra Conference Services Summer season, contact the Hospitality Services Center at x36925 or visit the website....

Click here for the Conference Services website »

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Are you a student that has to stay on campus all summer and take classes or work? Are you a student that doesn't have the luxury of having a car on campus? If you've answered "yes" to the previous questions, you're most likely upset that you can't go to the beaches, hang out with your friends, or go on vacations.

Instead, many students have to spend those gorgeous summer days in a sweltering classroom with a grumpy professor, or they are stuck behind a desk with papers stacked to the ceiling and a stressful boss frantically trying to make deadlines. For a college student, this is their worst nightmare come true. Spending the entire summer on campus taking classes and working does not exactly scream "FUN".

The Office of Student Activities understands and sympathizes with students who are stuck in this type of predicament and wants to make your summer fun. Since 1990, the Office of Student Activities has sponsored Summer Fest, which serves as an escape for many students living on campus during the summertime. Under the guidance of Anita Ellis, Director of Student Activities, five Hofstra students, Catherine Harrington, Jacob Shuman, Emily Cuyler, Kim Ryan, and Robyn Gelman schedule and plan events throughout the summer. Catherine said "Summer fest gives students the opportunity to get off campus, meet new people during the summer."

Student Activities is based on the belief that in order to be a well-rounded student it is essential to be involved in campus life. Every month, a new calendar of events goes out to all the students on campus with a variety of activities scheduled for their entertainment. These calendars and flyers can be found in the atrium, in the student activities office and in your summer building which is in Bill of Rights Hall or in Enterprise Hall. Knowing all college students are on tight budgets, the staff of Summer Fest prides itself on making these activities affordable, if not free, for the students.

Summer Fest includes an array of activities for the month of June including free movie nights every Monday at Roosevelt Raceway and free trips to Jones Beach on Fridays. They also sponsor events during the week including Barbeques, miniature golf, batting cages, trips to Jillian's, a local hot spot filled with carious arcade games, ultimate Frisbee, expeditions to Six Flags Great Adventure, Broadway plays, and many more events.

After speaking with several students about their experiences with Summer Fest this is what they had to say; "I went to movie night and it was so much fun just being with my friends and I left with new friends". Said another student said; "It's a great way to loosen up and just have a good time".

"Hofstra offers so many activities during the summer I suggest that every student take advantage of what Summer Fest has to offer." For all of you students that are here for the summer and want to have some fun come pick up a Summer Fest calendar and sign up for an event in room 260 Student Center. Their office is open between 9-5 Monday through Thursday and 9-4 on Friday. Spots are limited and are on a first come first serve basis. Hope to see you there.

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"Our PC's, otherwise known as the Peer Counselors of the New Student Orientation program at Hofstra, help us give the incoming Freshmen and Transfer students a feel for the social aspect of the college experience" says Stan Cherian, who is in charge of training the Hofstra student counselors for the Center for New Student Support Services at Hofstra.

The average number of students attending Orientation is 250, along with about the same number of parents who receive their own orientation. The program features many learning opportunities, including actually registering for Fall classes on-line, and chances to interact with University staff. Students and their parents will hear presentations, ask questions and meet individually with representatives from the Dean of Students, Student Activities, Hofstra card, Student Computing Services, University Advisement, Public Safety, Financial and Academic Records, Career Center and Alumni Relations. Hofstra faculty also teach as a mini-course to introduce the Hofstra First-Year Connections Clusters which are offered to Freshmen in the Fall and Spring semesters.

The program includes social events and plenty of opportunities for new students to hear from the PC's about Hofstra. New students are introduced to their PC's before the program begins, and each student receives a call from their counselor. The training fosters communication with the incoming students that extends beyond the summer. Stan says, "When freshmen come in the Fall they already have relationships with students, staff and their PC. The counselors tell the students that they can stop them anytime on campus and ask questions. We help the counselors present a positive, supportive attitude for all elements of the program and those involved. " Counselors are also responsible for managing the activity of groups of 10-20 new students for the three day/ two night orientation.

Training for PC's begins on May 28, when the students move in to the Nassau Hall residence hall complex. As a liaison for new students with the University, they must know the program inside and out. "A lot of students applying say that they had a positive experience with meeting their own PCs. They are looking for an opportunity to mentor other students and to give back some of what they got from Hofstra", says Stan who interviewed about 80 students for the 20 available positions. Students have to come up with skits, songs or other types of presentations to introduce themselves and let the new students get to know them. The group leaves the campus for several days to plan activities and to participate in a Ropes Course to develop trust and interdependence of the team members. Before the new students start to arrive, the PC's go to a conference center on Shelter Island where they do some of the planning for their program. They are divided into two teams which further builds the team strength. It's a chance to bond, find out more about each other and be comfortable working together because they will be working together for the next 2 ½ months. "We tell them not everyone has to like each other but they are co-workers and they need to learn how to cooperate, work together and get things done. We also have speakers who run role plays of how to deal with certain situations that might arise such as dealing with cranky people. We give them practical experience and information. At the end of the summer, we usually have a dinner where we pair off each PC with another person to be their buddy, they give that person some kind of gift that reflects who they are and everyone says something about everyone else", said Stan.

How does the Center for New Student Support Services find the students with the enthusiasm and willingness to work? "Many students remember their own experience as Freshmen", says Stan, "and they want to be a mentor to new students." Announcements are made starting in February on campus through flyers, emails to faculty members, the Hofstra Chronicle and banners in the Student Center Atrium, with many students hearing from friends who were on the staff who choose to apply. To keep the program fresh, review is done each year by the staff and the PC's to allow for changes and improvements for the next year's activities. For more information about this year's New Student Orientation or the Peer Counselor training contact Stan Cherian at x34964, or visit the office's website...

Click Here for the Office of New Student Orientation Website »

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Susan Czuwak is Training and Development Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at Hofstra. Susan recently told us about how using Scheduler Plus, the meeting planning and scheduling software at Hofstra University, helps her to plan and coordinate a series of events from year to year.

How helpful Scheduler Plus is!! I have found Scheduler Plus to be an invaluable tool. Throughout the academic year, I schedule many training sessions for different University programs. This requires finding just the right room for the type of seminar being conducted. Some of the things that I must consider are the number of attendees, table set up, audio/ visual requirements, need for space for sub-group activites, etc.

With Scheduler Plus I can search on my own for the location that I want to use . It also allows me to search multiple dates, so that I have an alternative if a speaker has a conflict. A real bonus is being able to see what other events are running at the same time, all on one page. In addition, Event Management has facilitated the process of reserving space by sending tentative and confirmed dates electronically. In the past, it was necessary to call and ask someone to check dates and locations. Although the staff was always helpful, it could take quite some time to secure a few dates. Since I schedule multiple events at once, Scheduler Plus has been a real time saver. I never have to wait for a return call and I can do my searches from the comfort of my own office .

Just recently, I was asked to see if I could move an event that had been confirmed for some time. Changing the date also meant possibly reserving another location, revising materials that had been printed with the original date, and notifying over sixty people of the changes. That in turn could have impacted attendance due to conflicts in people's schedules, not to mention the impact on my budget if I had to reprint material. I went to Scheduler Plus to check room availability and determined that a huge conference was running at the same time . Not only did that mean that some of the attendees might have conflicts, but that some of the key speakers and presenters would not be available for my event. So, without leaving my desk and in less that ten minutes, I was able to gather pertinent information and advise the person making the request of the situation. I thank Event Management and Scheduler Plus for providing this important element of good customer service and for helping me to be responsive to my customers."

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