The President’s Lecture Series is a discussion series between SFC President Miguel Martinez-Saenz and leaders in politics, business and community. Learn more.

The Thomas J. Volpe Lecture Series is funded through a generous gift from Thomas J. Volpe, Chairman Emeritus of the St. Francis College Board of Trustees and a former Senior Vice President of Financial Operations for The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. Learn more.

On May 8, 1884, the Legislature of the State of New York granted a charter to the Board of Trustees of St. Francis Monastery "to establish a literary college in the City of Brooklyn under the title of St. Francis College… and to confer diplomas, literary honors, and degrees as is possessed by the universities and colleges of the state." Learn more.

On Thursday, May 19, 2022, St. Francis College will host its commencement ceremony at the Ford Amphitheater in Coney Island. Stay tuned for more details. Learn more.

Events are critical tools for institutional advancement. Review the questions below and discuss with your department’s leadership to ensure your event will provide tangible value and support campus goals. Be sure to answer these questions prior to submitting your event request in Ad Astra.

Goals and Objectives

• What are the key goals and objectives of this event?
• What is the desired outcome and what do you want your guests to take away from this experience?
• Is an event the best or most appropriate way to achieve your goals (versus, for example, a press release or other targeted communication)?
• What is the long-term value of the activity to SFC? (SFC Forward)
• How will you gauge the effectiveness of your event? (client/audience survey, statistical data)

Communications & Marketing

• What is your event’s primary message and theme?
• If you choose to have speakers, which speakers would be appropriate for the event (administrator, faculty, student, alumnus, etc.)?
• If there are multiple speakers, how will their messages be appropriately differentiated and integrated?
• How will this program be “choreographed?” What other elements may be incorporated to convey the message (i.e. video, music, visuals)?
• How will this event be marketed?
• How can we gain greater effectiveness/leverage from this event – before and after?
• Have you considered soliciting Marketing & Special Events to explore marketing alternatives?
• How will your message be communicated or reinforced?
  - Promotional materials (Save the date, invite, program)
  - Event calendar (Happenings)
  - Website
  - Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
  - Publications (Campus Magazine, newsletters)
  - Advertising (Campus Paper, Local Papper, flyers, banners, radio, campus dignity displays, kiosks)
  - Media story (Campus Paper, Newsroom)
  - Television (Public Access)
  - Local/national media
• Do the promotional materials (design and copy) clearly reflect/identify SFC?

Planning & Production

• What department is paying for the event and what is the approved budgeted amount?

1. Food?
2. Photography?
3. Videography?
4. Other expenses?

• Who is the target audience?
• What mechanism/groups/mailing list will you use to reach them?
• Who else might benefit from this event beyond the primary audience?

If appropriate and monetarily feasible, consider alumni, donors, community members, legislators, media, students, faculty and staff.

Coordinate with the appropriate colleagues who have responsibility for those audiences.

Are there opportunities to partner/collaborate with other campus units or off-campus entities?

**If you anticipate a role for the President or other SFC Cabinet Leadership, consult with your department about what their role would be and the implications of including or not including them.

• What is the best date and location for this event?
• Time of year (academic calendar v. summer)?
• Location (size, type/style of venue, parking)?
• Will the time or location of this event be affected by other events happing at/around the same time?

Event Fact Sheets are used as a quick reference for event staff, administrators, and colleagues to ensure everyone has the same key information about a given event, both pre-event as an information tool and post-event as a historical one-sheet. Once you have answered the Strategic Questions, please complete this form to share with the Special Events office and to keep as a record of this event to use in the future.

Name of Event:

Day of Week, Date, Time:

Location:

PURPOSE: Goals and objectives of the event; statement of purpose

BACKGROUND: Background information on the event, honored participants, important history or details

GUESTS: Guest category list (faculty, staff, students, donors, volunteers, community, etc.) and the approximate number of guests expected

FORMAT: List basic event format and series of events/activities

Program Order: Actual Start Time

• List Program participants and their role

BUDGET: Approved budget, account number, and authorized signatory

STATISTICS:

• Invitations: Total Number of invitations sent
• Accepted: Number of acceptances/RSVPs
• Actual: Actual number of attendees
• Walk-ons: Number of walk-on guests
• Attrition: Difference between acceptances and actual attendees
• Cost per: Final budget divided by the number of actual attendees

CAMPUS SPONSOR: Campus department hosting the event with responsibility for all expenses

CONTACT: Name of event manager, phone, email, and day of event point of contact

Making Diversity Equity and Inclusion A Priority for All SFC Events
SFC continues to increase access and equity for historically underserved students, faculty and staff, to improve campus climate for all members of the campus community and to infuse inclusive excellence initiatives into the curriculum and co-curriculum. We commit to redoubling our efforts to be a caring Franciscan community, to be upstanders for safety, security, inclusion, and justice.

Hosting inclusive and diverse events requires a commitment to understanding, listening, and learning. Event organizers should imagine what other individuals may think and feel when attending the proposed event.

1. Include a diverse group of panelists
   • Seek a diverse group of panelists that can provide a new perspective or change the conversation.
   • Seek to include more women, LGBTQ2+ persons, persons of color, and Handicapable persons.
   • Utilize diverse faces in marketing materials for the event.
2. Use inclusive language
   • Each person has a right to define their identity on their own terms. When in doubt, ask how people choose to be identified.
3. Develop an attendee code of conduct before the event is launched.
   • Make it clear you want an inclusive environment.
   • No language or behavior that creates an unsafe space.
   • Set consequences for violation of code of conduct.
4. Make accessibility a priority
   • Include audio and visual closed captioning
   • Provide attendees options to download content before (and after) the event for those that don’t have a great internet connection so they don’t miss out on the event itself.
5. Ask for Feedback
   • Include questions in the post-event survey that speak to accessibility and inclusivity so that improvements can be made moving forward.
   • Finally, be intentional about your choices and make diversity and inclusivity a top priority.

Download here.

Definitions

• Visitors: People who are not SFC students, faculty members, or other employees and who do not have an SFC ID. Visitors include prospective students, parents, spouses, children and other family members, alumni, donors, the general public, and local community members.
• Vendors: include, among others, suppliers, contractors, and others performing work on campus.