CVPA launches ambassador program

The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) launched an ambassador program aimed at increasing student involvement in on-campus events and recruiting efforts.

The selection process for the inaugural group was conducted on an application basis, but also allowed faculty and staff from each department to nominate select students for consideration into the program. The ambassador program, comprised of 15 students, has at least one representative from each department in the CVPA.

“It was exciting to be nominated and selected, especially since I now have the opportunity to represent the College of Visual and Performing Arts and help both current and future CVPA students have the best experience possible at Radford University,” said junior Fiona Scruggs.

Other students shared the same sentiment, with junior Rebecca Haas saying the selection was “a privilege.”

“I felt accomplished, and it made me feel good that I was nominated and selected, because it is another opportunity to show what I can do for the department. It was a way for me to become more involved with the Community of Artists,” she said.

Junior Adisha Cole said her nomination and subsequent selection gave her a lot of confidence. “I was told that I have a great personality and am really personable,” she said.

All three students are working together with other ambassadors to craft the constitution for the group. Another initial goal for the ambassadors was to become classified as a student organization and club, which enables them to host events and other activities.

One such event that the CVPA ambassadors will be attending are the Highlander Days, hosted by Radford University for incoming students. At Highlander Days, representatives – such as the student ambassadors – will be on hand to help others learn more about our campus community, meet current students and faculty and answer questions about the enrollment process. The next three Highlander Days are March 18 and April 8 and 29.

The ambassadors will work closely with the Community of Artists, a living-learning community for first-year students in the CVPA.

“An ambassador is working with the admissions department on behalf of the living-learning community to help write a letter to potential new Community of Artists students,” said Assistant Advising Coordinator Dana Trask, who helped develop the ambassador program.

Another ambassador – AJ Williams – is working with the CVPA to create a new promotional video for the college, just one of many ways that the ambassadors are working within the Radford University community.

Haas hopes to “be a role model to the prospective students and show what this college and my department have to offer each student.” That same sentiment was shared by Cole and Scruggs, who want to help the program grow and positively impact future students at Radford.

For now, the ambassadors are a multi-faceted tool that will help the CVPA in a variety of ways.

“We have a lot of special projects in the college and we’re able to use the ambassadors as trustworthy student leaders that can be the voice for the students,” Trask said. “Our dean has really embraced them as her go-to students for different events or opportunities.”