Board Blog: Presentations aren’t the only way to do more for CBI

If you didn’t know yet, session proposal submissions for the fall CBI convention in Philadelphia are open now. Obviously, presenting at the convention is an excellent way to share information, let people know what’s been working at your school and more.

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Jessica Clary, CBI IT Content Director

But what about those of us who feel more comfortable, in the great radio tradition, of being a little more behind-the-scenes? There are plenty of ways to get involved with CBI if session presentations aren’t for you. (I know, they’re not for me either.)

At the convention, an alternative to presenting a session are roundtable sessions. These are, as the name implies, more a time for discussion among attendees, focused on a topic, instead of a standard presentation. It’s a great way to develop an idea and get input. Previous successful roundtables have been done on developing a station code of ethics, audio for video, leadership topics and more — so there is plenty of ground to cover. Students are also welcome, and encouraged, to submit and moderate student-only roundtables, too.

Also at the convention, CBI needs volunteers to help with escorting groups to local media tours, session introductions, the awards presentation, the on-site cybercast, collecting session feedback and other smaller opportunities. If you’re looking to pitch in, but can’t necessarily commit to a huge amount of time, consider some of these opportunities. If you’re interested, let us know!

I decided to get more involved in CBI when I felt like schools like mine needed better representation. I’m a small satellite location (about 2,000 students) and I advise the online-only radio station, as well as the student online news site and quarterly print magazine. I’m the only full-time staff for student media, and I wanted CBI to consider the concerns many one-person-shops like mine could have, especially with so many conventions and organizations each vying for my time, my students and my department’s money. If you’re concerned CBI isn’t representing your concerns, the best way to change that is to get involved yourself. Nobody can specifically represent your unique needs in this group than you can.

That said, I’m looking forward to elections this year, and I’m so glad so many people have thrown their metaphorical hats into the ring.

P.S. Entries are open online for the 2016 CBI National Student Production Awards! Please take some time over the next month with your students to select and enter their outstanding work.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]