Getting acclimated to a new town or atmosphere can be a big change for young adults. College is one of those things that takes time to grasp. One big part of growing accustomed to uprooting a person’s existence is meeting new people and finding things to keep busy. That’s where students organizations come into play.
Superior Edge is a program that rewards students for doing things they’re already involved in. The initiative began in 2006 and has been growing ever since.
“I love the flexibility of it because college students are really busy. The thought is you’re going to be doing some of these things anyway throughout your college career so what a great way to be able to get credit for the things you’re already doing,” Director of the Center for Student Enrichment Rachel Harris said.
There are four “edges” that encompass the program: citizenship, diversity, leadership and the real world. The citizenship edge entails any volunteer experience on campus or in the greater community. Diversity included broadening awareness of different cultures domestically and international whether that be studying abroad or volunteering internationally. Leadership can be from and the role that students have where they lead or guide others which doesn’t necessarily mean volunteering. Lastly, the real-world edge would include hours from internships, summer jobs or anything that contributes to the major you’re pursuing.
“We’ll work with anybody to get started and connected with Superior Edge. The hope is that they’ll find lots of activities and get a chance to have all these new experiences, try some new things, feel connected, make friends and have fun,” Harris said. “All the things that are so important in retention and sense of belonging.”
Students can complete just one of the edges or all four throughout their whole college career. To complete an edge, students must complete and log 100 hours of service that fits the criteria of that edge. Hours can’t be double counted to work for two edges, but time can be split up between edges if it meets multiple criteria.
“Students get involved and it’s based on their schedule, I think that’s one of the great things about Superior Edge,” Harris said.
For students interested in getting involved in Superior Edge, other various enrichment programs or for those looking into developing their own club the Center for Student Enrichment is located in the Northern Center.
“The program is fantastic because it’s kind of an easy way to get involved because it’s open to everybody and there’s orientations all the time,” Harris said.
The first orientation takes place 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in Jamrich 1311.
In the next week, they are opening a satellite office below the Learning Resource Center in a small room between Fieras and Sundre in order to be more accessible for students.
