8.4.1 SWOT Survey and Analysis
SLCs are typically responsible for conducting a survey of all students regarding center Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The results of these surveys must be analyzed, statistics calculated, and summary presentations developed. The SLC leaders are expected to participate in a closed-door session with NSF evaluators. The NSF is generally interested in assessing student life and student perspectives of the center during this session, without the influence of center administrators. The meeting often starts with the SWOT survey results as a basis for discussion. SLC members and other center students who participate in this session are representing the entire student body, thus fulfilling one of the primary missions of an SLC, representation.

Generating Questions

Most SLCs generate questions and issues to include on the SWOT survey through brainstorming sessions and discussions. This can be achieved over e-mail or at meetings of either the SLC leadership or the general student body. Some centers review the results from the previous year, or even simply revise the old survey, but this might not effectively address all new issues affecting students in the center.

• SWOT survey development should begin at least one to two months prior to the site visit.
• Current student complaints and new issues must be incorporated. The SLC should provide avenues for anonymous complaints and survey input.
• Weaknesses and threats from previous surveys should be reassessed to see if improvements have occurred.
  
  

Conducting Survey

Different centers conduct the SWOT survey through a wide variety of methods: paper & pen, website, e-mail, and verbal responses are collected. Some centers have an initial discussion and then use follow-up e-mails or surveys to generate responses from a greater percentage of the ERC student body. Response rates vary from 20% to almost 100%. There is little correlation between the response rate and the center's size, age, or strength. In fact, some of the largest centers are able to achieve the highest participation rates. Multi-university centers, however, seem to have lower response rates for SWOT surveys. In general:

• Student responses to the SWOT survey should be collected at least one month prior to the site visit.
• Paper & pen surveys or those conducted on the spot during a meeting have better response rates than other methods. One center conducts the survey verbally during a retreat that nearly all students attend.
• Providing an incentive to students who complete the survey increases the response rates.
• Assign a champion to administer the SWOT survey at each university in a multi-university center, and have the champions work together to compile both local and cumulative results.
  

Analyzing Results

Surveying students for the sake of presenting results to administrators or NSF evaluators is not enough. The SLC should be responsible for following-up on the results of the SWOT analysis. Some SLCs assign specific individuals to areas of concern. Others make recommendations to center administrators regarding how problems might be resolved or student life improved. For instance, when computers and phones were found to be insufficient at one center, action was taken in the subsequent year to allocate resources appropriately. In another case, when the judging procedure for site visit poster contests was not working well, it was later revised.

• Presentations for the NSF based on SWOT survey results must be compiled prior to the site visit, and possibly must meet center deadlines for rehearsals, annual reports, and handout generation.
• The SLC needs to assign responsibility for follow-up on problems and concerns identified through the SWOT analysis.
• SWOT survey results can be used as the basis for strategic planning by the SLC in subsequent years. In addition, center administrators can take advantage of this summary of student perspectives to define their own future directions.
  

8.4.2 Collaboration with Staff, Administration, and Faculty

The SLC should work closely with center administrators, and in particular, the education director or coordinator. The administration will appreciate student leaders who are willing to help organize activities and preparations for lab reviews, among other tasks. The student body will benefit from the improved work environment and center policies that result when student perspectives are effectively communicated to the administration.

One successful method for good communication between the SLC and center administrators is to schedule regular meetings. For example, if the SLC meets once a week or once a month, the education director or coordinator could be invited to attend a portion of each meeting, or every other meeting. The center director should also be well-informed regarding student activities and opinions, either through direct communication with the SLC or reports from the education director. Finally, establishing e-mail distribution lists can greatly facilitate communication among SLC members and between SLC members and administrators. In this manner, when issues arise where administrators require student input, they do not need to wait until the next scheduled meeting. This is especially important when students do not work regular hours or are geographically distributed around campus or in multi-university centers.

Research-related work such as presentations and demonstrations is generally coordinated by individual faculty members or research scientists, who direct the activities of their own graduate and undergraduate researchers. At times, however, faculty members may require assistance from the SLC in order to communicate expectations, requests, and deadlines to the general student body.

8.4.3 Leadership and Development

Being part of an NSF-sponsored research center should provide students with additional opportunities for leadership and development beyond their degree program requirements. The SLC can assist administrators in encouraging students to further develop their skills by helping to plan workshops or seminars and by recognizing students who have made specific achievements.

The SLCs were surveyed for whether they or their centers presented awards or recognition to graduates. While half of the SLCs reported they do nothing formal, the following recognitions were noted:

It is very important to publicly recognize students who assist with center-related work that is beyond the scope of their research - for example, those who volunteer to help with site visit preparations, plan social events, and help with outreach activities. Widely attended social events such as end-of -year banquets and receptions, or welcome picnics and orientations, provide good opportunities for such recognition.

While most centers report workshops and seminars for the students, most SLCs report not being involved with their planning or execution. One exception to this is that some SLCs sponsor graduate student research seminars. While the great majority of the seminars are research oriented, other seminars/workshops hosted by different centers include:

• Resume Writing
• Managing Thesis as Project
• Team Building
• Presentation and Communication Skills
• Assessment & Evaluation
• Mentoring
• Educational Techniques
• "What is [this center]?"
• MD Seminar (on real life work experiences)
• LIFE Seminar (Learn about Industry From the Experts)
• Ethics
• Job Negotiation Strategies

Other possible seminar topics relate to preparation for careers in either industry or academia.

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