Schoolcraft College’s Student Activities Office Holds 174 Student-Focused Events in Past Year and Achieves More Than 18,000 in Student and Guest Attendance, an 8.8% Increase Over Previous Year 
     The Student Activities Office (SAO) at Schoolcraft College has a mission of helping to retain students by engaging them in extracurricular activities that cultivate student growth and development.  From May 2016 through May 2017, the SAO made great strides in accomplishing its mission, as it planned and produced 174 events that were attended by more than 18,000 students and guests, an 8.8% increase over the previous year.  
     According to SAO Director Todd Stowell, more than 1,500 students became club and organization members and participated on-campus and in the community through campus-related programs and community service projects. 
     “In the beginning of the school year, a challenge was issued to the student groups to get involved with local non-profit organizations,” Stowell said.  “As is often the case, our students exceeded expectations.” 
    Stowell said those community-focused non-profit efforts included helping to feed the homeless on 6 different occasions at the St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen in Detroit; collecting more than 3,800 pounds of food for the Schoolcraft College food pantry that is redistributed to students in need; and the Schoolcraft College Hockey Team helping raise $5500 in a game against the Michigan State Police Hockey Team for an organization that funds the Fallen Trooper Fund, to name a few. 
     He said though increasing student participation on campus continues to be the principle objective of the SAO, ensuring that extracurricular experiences complement and enhance a Schoolcraft College education and the overall mission of the college is also important.
     “Our largest group, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, initiated 37 service and informational projects and partnered on nearly 53 others” he said.  Stowell said Schoolcraft College’s Omicron Iota Chapter was recognized as a 5 Star Chapter in Phi Theta Kappa, and two members—Alicia Cooper and Elis Sholla—were named to the All Michigan Academic Team while Sholla was also named an All USA and New Century Scholar and Jack Kent Cooke Recipient.
     The student staff of the college’s Connection newspaper in print and online also was recognized with nine awards at the Michigan Community College Press Awards.     
     While the SAO has seen great success in reaching its participation and attendance goals this past year, Stowell said the trend should continue in the future.
     “With our goal to create groups that contribute to the overall community at Schoolcraft College, we are also looking forward to strategies that assist our student leaders in the areas of succession planning,” he said.  “So their work here on campus has an opportunity to live on with new leadership after they move on.” 
     For more information on student activities at Schoolcraft College, visit www.schoolcraft.edu/sao