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College of Staten Island

August 25, 2007

Staten Island, New York

How to Build How to Build Credibility for Your Credibility for Your

Student GovernmentStudent Government

W.H. “Butch” Oxendine, Jr. W.H. “Butch” Oxendine, Jr. ASGA Executive DirectorASGA Executive Director

© 2007© 2007

How To Build Credibility

If your SG lacks credibility, If your SG lacks credibility, what happens?what happens?

• DISTRUST: There’s a lack of faith in SG

• FRUSTRATION: Your members feel disenfranchised and morale is horrifically low

• APATHY: There’s terrible internal & external disinterest

• LOSS OF POWER: Your influence plummets

• DESOCIALIZATION: Other campus groups, students, and administrators want nothing to do with SG

How To Build Credibility

If your SG lacks credibility, If your SG lacks credibility, what happens?what happens?• MOCKERY: SG is bashed and belittled by other groups or

the campus media

• PETTY POLITICS: There’s tons of fighting, discrediting, back-stabbing, and betrayal between SG members

• PARTISANSHIP: There’s a growing segregation between different groups, causes, and beliefs

• REBELLION: The emergence of public dissent against SG

How To Build Credibility

The Bottom Line:The Bottom Line:Lack of SG Credibility Means:Lack of SG Credibility Means:

• A weak student government…• A weak e-board…• A weaker student body…• Ultimately a weaker institution

How To Build Credibility

Why is credibility critical to Why is credibility critical to student government?student government?

• It creates an assumption of integrity among your entire organization and all members.

• It creates an aura of reliability on big and important decisions and issues.

• It promotes your SG as an authority on campus.

How To Build Credibility

There are TWO TYPES of There are TWO TYPES of Student Government Student Government Credibility:Credibility:

BE CREDIBLEIs Actual Credibilitybased on the physical and theoretical things you can do to be more credible.

APPEAR CREDIBLEIs Perceived Credibilitybased on the conscious things you can do to look more credible

Credibility is ultimately contingent on YOU Credibility is ultimately contingent on YOU individually and what YOU can personally do individually and what YOU can personally do to be and appear more credible.to be and appear more credible.

How To Build Credibility

Improve Voter TurnoutImprove Voter Turnout

The average voter turnout in SG elections is TWO PERCENT.

Credibility starts with proving you actually represent students.

How To Build Credibility

Meet and communicate with Meet and communicate with your constituents:your constituents:

• Take interest in them, individually.

• Ask their opinions on issues.

• Keep them abreast of SG proceedings.

• Give regular thought to what you might do to make their “quality of life” better.

• Make sure they see you do that.

How To Build Credibility

Survey Your StudentsSurvey Your Students

• Most SGs can’t prove that they KNOW what students want and need.

• SGs don’t KNOW what students’ concerns, issues, and problems are.

• Most SGs lack quantitative and often qualitative data that supports or influences their decisions.

How To Build Credibility

Learn precedentLearn precedent

• Most SGs don’t know anything about what their predecessors did.

• They don’t know what projects were started, the progress that was made, and what was accomplished.

• Year after year, they start over… sputtering and restarting again and again.

How To Build Credibility

Be PersuasiveBe Persuasive1. Never assume they believe you.2. Tell them only as much as they’ll believe. 3. Tell the truth, even if it hurts.4. Point out the disadvantages.5. Use precise numbers.6. Downplay any benefits to you.7. If you do have something to gain, let them

know.8. Confront problems head on.9. Use the power of the printed word.10. Let them know who else says so.11. Build and use a portfolio of testimonies

(preferably endorsements from people they’d know.)

12. Make it personal- and share secrets.

(Excerpted From (Excerpted From Secrets of Power PersuasionSecrets of Power Persuasion, by Roger , by Roger Dawson. Copyright Prentice Hall 1992. Chapter 2: “Magic Dawson. Copyright Prentice Hall 1992. Chapter 2: “Magic Keys That Make People Believe You”)Keys That Make People Believe You”)

How To Build Credibility

Improve Your ImageImprove Your Image

1.1. Lead by example.Lead by example.2.2. Set and live by high expectations. Set and live by high expectations. 3.3. Dress appropriately to the situation.Dress appropriately to the situation.4.4. Take the time in making decisions.Take the time in making decisions.5.5. Practice, be careful, and be Practice, be careful, and be

thoughtful in your speech.thoughtful in your speech.6.6. Be respectful, genuinely respectful, Be respectful, genuinely respectful,

of other people, no matter who they of other people, no matter who they are.are.

7.7. Have an extreme awareness for how Have an extreme awareness for how you behave in larger groups of you behave in larger groups of people, and pay very close attention people, and pay very close attention to how others always perceive you. to how others always perceive you.

How To Build Credibility

Credibility Is All About:Credibility Is All About:

• Actually representing your fellow students.Actually representing your fellow students.

• Actually knowing their concerns and issues.Actually knowing their concerns and issues.

• Actually understanding the past successes Actually understanding the past successes and failures of your group.and failures of your group.

• Communicating with your constituencies.Communicating with your constituencies.

• Using persuasion.Using persuasion.

• Maximizing and enhancing your image.Maximizing and enhancing your image.

How To Build Credibility

How to Contact Butch:How to Contact Butch:

E-mail:E-mail: butch@studentleader.combutch@studentleader.com

Call toll free:Call toll free: 1-877-ASK ASGA 1-877-ASK ASGA