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Student Organization Advisor Profile

Joe Ferguson

Posted on September 29, 2009

Student Organization Advisor Profile with Joseph Ferguson

Job Title/Department/Academic Unit:

Application Developer, Office of Student Life Information Technology

What organization do you currently advise?

Unplugging Society Women of Color Think Tank

How did you become involved? 

The non-profit arm of the organization was developed last year by my sister Patricia Cunningham; she needed help with the group’s website. This summer, I was honored to be asked to advise the group in its first year as a student organization on campus.

How long have you been advising the organization?

This is my first year.

What is your favorite part about advising a student organization?

As a student at OSU, I was involved in numerous organizations; after becoming a full-time employee I was happy to find a way to keep up that involvement. There are great students on this campus who are doing even greater things together, being a part of that by advising a great student organization is just that, great.

Tell us something exciting that's happening in your organizations!

The most exciting part of this student organization is that in our first year, the student members working together have created the direction and scope of what this organization stands for. This year our organization has collaborated with multiple organizations on-campus as well as local community based groups. Our Hookups and Hangovers FYE program was an eye opening experience to the incoming freshmen. Our discussion on music videos and sexuality during our Battle of the Sexes program brought together a host of groups and students to discuss the realities of not just music and sex, but the society we now live in. From assisting in fundraising and awareness efforts with local anti-human trafficking organizations to our high school mentoring program trUSt, our first year is expected to look like that of a much more mature student organization.

What advice do you have for new advisors or people thinking about advising?

If you have the time, do it. Use the resource center and see to it that your organization has access to every tool possible to see the plans and goals they have set become a reality.       

Tell us something exciting that's happening with you!

As a vegetarian for almost 10 years I recently made the transition to a vegan lifestyle, so if you need or have some great recipes, let me know!

Has your advisor gone above and beyond? Submit nominations for the weekly Advisor Profile to Adam Burden at aburden@studentlife.osu.edu