Student Affairs Groups of Engagement (SAGE)

Student Affairs Groups of Engagement (SAGE) are informal employee interest groups meant to encourage engagement and community among staff. SAGE group participation is not a requirement or expectation of any position in Student Affairs. The purpose of promoting these groups is to facilitate connections between staff for their mutual enjoyment and to enrich the employee and student experience within Student Affairs. Professional staff involvement in SAGE groups can be added to a performance evaluation (among other things) as part of the professional growth and advancement section.
 

Participation in a SAGE group may include:

  • Meeting regularly (e.g., weekly, monthly; sample agendas can be provided)
  • Finding, discussing, and sharing information and resources related to the group topic
  • Participating in Teams chat group conversations
  • Advising or consulting on SAGE topics within SA
  • Identifying and carrying out special projects that benefit the group and/or staff in SA

If you are interested in joining a SAGE group or would like to start a new group, send an email to uwtspa@uw.edu.

Examples of Current SAGE Groups: 

  • Assessment & Analytics
  • Change Management
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Anti-Racism
  • DIY Home Projects
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Fika (Coffee Talk)
  • Gardening
  • Lunchtime Walkers
  • Professional Development
  • Supporting Evening/Weekend Students

Past SAGE Groups: 

  • Antiracism Roundtable
  • Supporting Students Virtually
  • Back to Campus Brown Bag

Proposed SAGE Groups:

  • New Moms
  • Going No Sugar (& Other nutrition topics, e.g. Keto)
  • Knitting
  • Young Professionals
 

Resources for SAGE Groups

Sample Agenda for SAGE Group Meeting

  1. Introductions and icebreaker
  2. Share any updates from Members
  3. Discussion on monthly article
  4. Discussion on monthly training
  5. Guest speaker?
  6. Closing and plans for next month and meeting

Sample Activities for SAGE Groups

For Professional Development Related SAGE Groups

Group topics include: change management, assessment, professional development, etc.

  • Create a Teams chat group
  • Have a monthly meeting in-person or via Teams or Zoom to go through regular agenda that has been developed
  • Choose an article each month for members to read and then discuss
  • Choose a training each month from LinkedIn or another platform for members to complete and then discuss
  • Invite a subject matter expert to a meeting or for a special topic chat in the Teams chat group
  • Post articles or trainings on the Teams chat group at any time
  • Propose Situation-Target-Proposals (STPs) to ELT for new ideas or improvements related to the SAGE group topic (send proposal to SPA for further routing)
  • Propose a Kaizen to ELT for new ideas or improvements related to the SAGE group topic (send proposal to SPA for further routing)
  • Provide a report at the end of the academic year of activities and achievements
For Hobby or Interest Related SAGE groups

Group topics include: Fika, gardening, nutrition, etc.

  • Create a Teams chat group
  • Consider a monthly meeting in-person or via Teams or Zoom to go through regular agenda that has been developed
  • Consider other items from above
  • Plan a field trip
  • Brainstorm other ideas for the SAGE group (e.g. recipe exchange, soup club, monthly outing to a local restaurant, etc.)
SAGE groups are not financially or programmatically sponsored  by SA, UWT, UW , or any other university office. SA, UWT, and UW assume no responsibility for the actions of the individuals who have organized or participate in the SAGE groups and specifically has no liability for any SAGE group activities. Individuals starting or taking part in the activities of a SAGE group do so voluntarily, willingly, by their own volition, and at their own risk.